When I started this page it was just "Classic America", then I realised that almost all the books were the first of a series so I stretched the title a little ... if your children like one of these books, they can just keep going.
TOP PICK
" 'What a splendid day!' said Anne, drawing a long breath. 'Isn't it good just to be alive on a day like this? I pity the people who aren't born yet for missing it."
Anne Shirley has to be one of the most endearing girls in children's literature. The impulsive red-headed orphan wins the hearts of the elderly brother and sister who mistakenly adopt her, imagining that they are getting a boy. I only discovered as an adult that this is the first book of a series, with seven more books about Anne.
Little House on the Prairieand other books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The story of young Laura Ingalls growing up in pioneer America. Combines human interest with lots of period detail.
What Katy Didby Susan Coolidge
As a child I loved this book and its sequels, What Katy Did at School and What Katy Did Next. Like Katy, I always wanted to be good, but never quite made it! In the first book Katy, the eldest of a family of seven, learns patience the hard way when she is injured in an accident. Writing almost 150 years ago, Susan Coolidge invented a character who still seems real. When searching Amazon for the links to these books I made a discovery. The original series consisted of five books, not three, and the last two have recently been reprinted ... so if you are a fan of the Katy books, you can find out what happened to the rest of the family by reading Clover and In The High Valley. More books for my wish list!
Little Women by Louisa Alcott
I'm looking forward to reading this story of the four March girls alongside my daughters in years to come.
Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter
The orphaned Pollyanna is sent to live with an aunt whose icy heart has no use for small girls. Pollyanna makes the best of her situation by playing the "glad" game taught to her by her father and teaching it to others, but when she is knocked over and told she will never walk again even Pollyanna cannot find anything to be glad about. (I've taken a little license including Pollyanna here as it only has one sequel, Pollyanna Grows Up. Can I count that as a series?)
The Wizard of Oz by Frank L.Baum
Better than the film. The book has the same beloved characters, but the film only told part of the story. This is the longest of the series on this page, with over twenty books.
Half Magic by Edward Eager
America's answer to E.Nesbit, Edward Eager wrote a series of eight magical books. As with Nesbit, the magic is never quite straightforward. In this first book four children find a magic coin, but discover that it is only half magic and wishes only come half true. Having to wish for exactly twice what you want to get is a tricky art.