OK, I believe I'm up-to-date. I can't believe that Betsy-Tacy and the Borrowers weren't on there yet!

I love this list!

I would recommend The Phantom Tollbooth to the read-aloud section.

Also, Enid Blyton's magic Faraway Tree and Wishing Chair Collection for independent reading.

I second the suggestions of My Father's Dragon books - My Father's Dragon, Elmer and the Dragon, and Dragons of Blueland.

For those with kiddos that still like books with some pictures - these are great! Also the print is fairly large and it doesn't take up the entire page.

I believe I'm caught up through here. I haven't been putting books in the read-aloud section if they are already on the main list, and I alphabetized by author to make it easier for me to find if I've posted something already. Let me know if I missed your suggestion!

Do my eyes deceive me or is Harry Potter such a given that no one has suggested it?

DD6 has been breathing down DS8's neck to get him to read each one more quickly so that she can move on. A sensible parent would have bought two sets.

I'd guess the latter. "Goblet of Fire" should soon arrive for my 7yo daughter. All three children have been reading the series. They think it's weird that I have not read Harry Potter.

We just got back from Italy, and I realized there is a wonderful book that is often missing from American book lists. Pinocchio!!

The true, unabridged version of The Adventures of Pinocchio is an amazing story, and the original shares some qualities with epic poems (Gilgamesh, The Odyssey). It has 36 chapters, and is significantly darker than abridged Disney-fied versions (it is not darker than Harry Potter).

The copy we bought is unabridged by Carlo Collodi, and illustrated beautifully by Roberto Innocenti, a Florentine-based illustrator. It is a larger book since it is heavily illustrated, but I think they really add to the story. My DD has probably already read it 5 times since we bought it, and it seems to be replacing Charlotte's Web as her current favorite! (She's the type of child who reads the same book many, many, many times. Pretty much until it's memorized and then when she's bored she'll just start reciting it from memory to keep herself occupied. Makes for interesting dinner entertainment when we're out at a restaurant!)

HP's content is a little mature for some kids in this age range, in the later books. We've stopped DS6 at book 3 for now.

Pinocchio is already on the list.

I posted about HP before finishing the series, myself (Bostonian, my kids think it's weird that I AM reading them!). DD6 is near the end of #3 and I'm going to stop her there for now. DS8 started #4 before I finished it and I'm concerned, given events late in the book. If he's okay with #4, I'll let him read #5, but #6 & #7 are going to be misplaced for a while.

DD6 and DS8 have both been enjoying D'Aulaire's Greek Myths.

Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo is DD6's current fave.