Beatrix Potter’s beloved tale tells of farm girl named Lucie who has lost three handkerchiefs and her pinafore. After questioning some animals on the farm, Lucie ventures into the woods behind the farm to search for her missing laundry. Here she finds the little hillside home of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, a hedgehog washerwoman. Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle has found Lucie’s missing items and even laundered and starched them for her! They have tea together and then return to Lucie’s farm, but when Lucie tries to thank Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, she has been transformed into a regular, run of the mill hedgehog! Was it a dream? We may never know. But the author attests that she too has met Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and seen her little home in the woods.

This is a fun little story for young kids, with beautiful illustrations to keep students interested. Although it was originally geared toward girls, it is appropriate for both genders and all ages!

From the mind of Charles Dodgson under the name of Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is one of the most well known and beloved stories to come out of Victorian England. It tells the nonsensical story of Alice as she falls down a rabbit hole in the fantasy land of Wonderland. Here she meets a whole host of creatures, from talking animals to a mad hatter to the Queen of Hearts herself, grows and shrinks without any warning or choice, and finds herself in a dozen strange scenarios. Finally she is awoken by her older sister on the river bank to find that it was all a very strange dream.

This book is fun for all ages, and is appropriate for any classroom. Is it political commentary? A critique of Dodgson’s Victorian contemporaries? An interpretation of a child’s view of the goings-on of Oxford? Pure nonsense? Pure genius? One cannot say. But we can be sure that Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland will continue to delight children for years to come.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s children’s fantasy novel, which would pave the way for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, focuses on the story of Bilbo Baggins, a homebody hobbit who lives comfortably in the Shire. When the wizard Gandalf tricks him into hosting and then joining a journeying group of dwarves on their way to reclaim a former dwarf stronghold, he begins a journey of his own. Each step of the way, Bilbo encounters new, fantastic creatures and learns to embrace his adventurous side. Finally, after the dragon Smaug has been destroyed, the dwarves have re-taken the Lonely Mountain, the goblins and Wargs have been defeated, and the treasure has been distributed, Bilbo returns to the shire as a wealthy and wise hobbit with a secret- he is in possession of a rather important ring…

Simultaneously light-hearted and hard-hitting, The Hobbit is a must-have for parents and teachers of children of all ages. For younger children, it is a great story to listen and imagine along with, as this book is perfect for reading in daily or weekly chapter installations. For older children, it is a great introduction to the fantasy genre and the perfect way to get them interested in Tolkien’s more mature and thought-provoking works.

Roald Dahl’s beloved chapter book, which inspired two major motion pictures, tells the story of a poor boy who lives with his parents and his four grandparents in a tiny, cramped home in the city. When Charlie finds a golden ticket that grants him entry into the mysterious and magical Wonka Chocolate Factory, his life is changed forever. Charlie and his Grandpa Joe join 4 other children and their parents on a tour of the factory led by none other than Wonka himself. One by one, the children meet disastrous fates induced by their own vices: gluttony, gum-chewing, tv-obsession, and greed. Charlie is the last one standing, and is rewarded with a ride in the glass elevator and ownership of the factory! His entire family is moved to the factory and no longer lives in poverty. A classic for the classroom, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory teaches not-so-subtle morality in a dark and fascinating way. This crazy, fantastic story is sure to please students who are at chapter-book level and above.

The book that started it all! C.S. Lewis wrote The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe for his young goddaughter, Lucy. It tells the story of four siblings, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, a family that was sent to board in a big, mysterious house in the country to avoid bombings during World War II. While playing in the house one day, Lucy enters a wardrobe in the spare room and finds herself in the snowy forest of Narnia. Here she meets a faun by the name of Mr. Tumnus, an evil witch who keeps the land in perpetual ice and snow, a host of talking animals and mythical creatures, and–of course– the Lion. This is the story that first introduces us to Aslan, Lewis’s christ figure and mysterious hero. Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy would not only become kings and queens of Narnia, but household names in post-war Western society. This is the quintessential fantasy book for your classroom: it is squeaky-clean and easy for young children to follow, but also offers enough depth and complexity to keep older readers interested. Despite the stereotype of fantasy as a male genre, Narnia is equally as enticing for boys and girls.