The New York Public Library is celebrating its 125th anniversary with a list of 125 children’s books that they love, the New York Post reports.
The list is a follow-up to one the library released in February, featuring 125 books across all genres that New Yorkers adore.
“For families trying to cope during a difficult time, for kids who want to get lost in a good book, and for parents trying to model readers, we hope this list is a good starting point,” said Lynn Lobash, the library’s assistant director of readers services.
The list is divided into several categories, broken down by age range and genre. The “modern classics” category features Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia and Crockett Johnson’s Harold and the Purple Crayon, while the “funny” category spotlights Dav Pilkey’s The Adventures of Captain Underpants and Jules Feiffer’s Bark, George.
Young science fiction fans are encouraged to check out Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, while kids with a taste for poetry are urged to read Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends.
“The hope is that these magical, timeless titles provide a much-needed positive distraction, support for remote learning, discussion that brings people together around books, and maybe a challenge goal to achieve over the summer: can you read them all?” said the library’s president, Anthony W. Marx.
The library’s anniversary celebration will culminate in the fall with a list of 125 books for teenage readers, the Post reports.
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
