Young Readers Special: Must Have Children's Books From The 90s!

Rajnandini Roychoudhury
Mar 27, 2023 By Rajnandini Roychoudhury
Originally Published on Nov 17, 2021
Edited by Sarah Nyamekye
Adorable little child reading book in library.
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 9.4 Min

The best part of being a millennial or a Gen Z is the fantastic collection of storybooks, right?

As a youngster, we have all read 'The Velveteen Rabbit' or 'Billionaire Boy.' These are some of the best storybooks to which any child can relate, only the iceberg's tip!

As a child, when you came across a book like 'Thunder Cake' or the 'I Spy' series first time, it got you so excited. Reading helped to open magical doors and took you on an imaginative ride.

These captivating stories made you ride to an imaginative land, and no wonder waiting all year for the Scholastic fair in school had its own fun. Well, in this piece, we have put together some of the most fantastic storybooks for children, which will surely steer you down memory lane.

You can also take a memory trip to your childhood with these excellent articles like shape poems for kids or original m&m colors. 

What is the most successful children's book of all time?

No single book can take the tag of 'most successful,' but quite a handful. These include the Alice in Wonderland series, The Little Prince, Goosebumps books, and so on.

Success is subjective, so no book can keep the crown of success to itself. Among children's books, there are exciting books like Oh, the Places You'll Go! or Green Eggs and Ham written by Dr. Seuss, which have topped sales numerous times.

It can be successful in terms of economy. But, again, in terms of the most beloved books of children that will also remind you of your own childhood, it can be Matilda by the very famous Roald Dahl or Marcia Brown's Stone Soup. Isn't that success too?

What books did kids read in the 90s?

The children of the 90s read numerous books like Goosebumps, books by Dr. Seuss, books on adventure, picture books, his dark materials trilogy, and so on.

Are you a 90s kid? Then you probably have read Little Critter Stories or Amelia's Notebook series? Then here is a section of books for the 90s kids to make you go nostalgic!

Animalia: There is hardly any youngster who doesn't like alphabet books, right? This illustrative piece by Graham Base had us glued to it as a child, with its gorgeous paintings, guessing games, and so on. If you are searching for any book to teach your kid with some entertainment, Animalia has your back.

Magic Tree House Series: As a kid who didn't want a treehouse, right? But a magic tree house? That's more than what you could dream of.

Annie and Jack were the two characters of this amazing book, who took you along with their historical escapades and even on a journey to the moon. This series by Osborne had us glued to it and never made history lessons boring, right? Won't this book be a great gift for your kid?

Ella Enchanted: If you are a 90s kid who loved fairy tales and believed in magic, then you must remember this one by Gail C Levine? This take on the classic Cinderella story is full of magical creatures, elves, giants, fairies, and what not!

It is a fantastic combination of adventure and magic, which is perfect for kids and other young readers.

Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales: As a kid, we all loved fairy tales, right? But what about a parody of those very familiar story sets?

This light-hearted tale set is the first one that might come to your mind if you think of books for children. Didn't you just love the way Jack narrated all your favorite fables, say Cinderella or the Little Red Riding Hood?

Goosebumps: As a child, if you love the horror genre, then you surely remember this amazing series! Always choosing the book based on the cover art, this book gave us goosebumps, in the literal sense!

If your child is a reluctant reader, then this must be the book you should hand him over. It will keep your kid glued with its spooky yet exciting story telling. So, have you introduced this series to your little ones yet?

Arthur Adventure Series: Do you remember the Arthur series and its fabulous collection of day-to-day life interactions? Arthur took us through his remarkable life, friends, family, school, and whatnot. Each day was a feat for him.

The Rainbow Fish: As a child, you probably loved picture books. Then you may remember the rainbow fish with its love for its scales! The cover with sparkles was perhaps the most attractive thing about this book. But this book also gave you a learning opportunity about morale and also a lesson about the importance of selflessness.

Oh, the Places You'll Go!: Dr. Seuss taught us so much with this incredible book and also explained beautifully what to expect once we grow up. The story was light-hearted and touched chords.

Purple, Green, and Yellow: As kids, we all loved to paint. But do you remember how many times you colored yourself too in the process and landed in trouble with your parents?

This story is the same, where a young girl who loves to color tries to collect numerous colorful markers. She does exactly what she's not supposed to and gets in trouble. No wonder this story stuck with us!

The Kissing Hand: In the list of books with illustrations, who can forget this amazing story of a mother and child raccoon? This story of a raccoon family is so close to our hearts and taught us, in the friendliest way, how to tackle the googlies of life.

Which kid could resist such a delightful book, right? This book will be a fabulous gift for your kids, especially if they have tough times in their school.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: This was an absolute favorite for the kids who looked for adventures. Mark Twain created an amazing character of Sawyer, who was just as mischievous as us, which is the main reason that this tale connected so much.

This light hearted and fun filled story made us adore the mischievous boy, and let's be honest, we all wanted to join him in his adventures.

Nancy Drew Series: If you were a fan of thrillers and loved to read detective stories, then you must have read the Nancy Drew series. This tale of a girl detective made us all dream of being great detectives. With so many adventure filled stories, this series even had our parents hooked.

Matilda: Matilda was one such book which made us cherish our parents, as well as school, isn't it? This beautiful character, created by Roald Dahl, was filled with magic, and as a child, didn't you wish to have some magic within you too?

The Famous Five Series: As kids, if you loved discovery themed books, then you indeed have grabbed a Famous Five book from the shop shelf? This series gave a dose of adventure with a mix of friendship, along with an adorable pet like Timmy.

Those four kids plus Timmy made us jump with joy every time they solved a mystery.

Harry Potter Series: The first book of this series came in 1997, and Harry welcomed us to the world of magic. This book and its unforgettable characters were a friend to many kids, and if we are being honest, most of us were waiting for an invitation letter from the school of Hogwarts!

So, which of these books did you read as a child?

Kids brothers reading a book together

Who is the most successful children's book author?

There were many writers who wrote books for children, and among those, the most successful ones were Roald Dahl, Dr. Seuss, Eric Carle, and so on.

For any child, a Roald Dahl is a must. He wrote some of the most exciting and compelling books for children, including 'The Twist,' 'Matilda,' 'James and the Giant Peach' and so on.

Reading a Dahl often gives much-needed joy to kids. There is no author who made more chartbusters than Dr. Seuss.

He wrote some of the most enigmatic and amusing books for youngsters, including 'The Cat in the hat' or 'Hop on Pop'.

His books kept their readers glued to it with colorful pictures and sketches. Eric Carle is yet another successful author who wrote best selling books like 'The very hungry caterpillar,' 'The very busy spider,' 'The tiny seed' and likewise.

The next author who was very successful with children's books is Beatrix Potter, the author of the very famous 'The tale of Peter Rabbit.' You have probably heard her name from other amazing pieces like 'The tale of Tom kitten' or 'The tale of Mrs. Tiggy Winkle.'

If you have read the splendid collection of the 'Famous Five' series, then you must know Enid Blyton.

Blyton is another very successful author of kids' stories with a mix of wonder and thrill. The list of successful kids' authors will never be complete without a mention of Lewis Caroll, who penned so many lovely poems and books for kids.

Alice in Wonderland, Jabberwocky, Looking through the Glass, the list is never ending. His stories were full of magical elements, with perfect doses of discovery and adventure.

What makes a children's book a bestseller?

Books for children can be a hit if they have a light hearted plot, theme, funny characters, eye catching illustrations, and multiple colorful pictures.

There are multiple important elements to make a kids' book a bestseller. The first element is a title, which should be interesting and memorable.

A title is the soul of the book, and a child will choose their book by looking at the title. The next important element is the cover.

Kids love a colorful and attractive cover page, and along with the title, the cover page also appeals to the kids. Have you seen the cover of 'If you give a mouse a cookie' or 'Rumble in the jungle'?

These books are popular with kids owing to their illustrative cover with colorful sketches of animals. The theme is another element, which decides the audience's age.

Bedtime stories are the most popular category among kids, the next in line being friendship. These themes are especially popular among the toddlers, like 'Firefly, light up the sky,' or 'Steam train, Dream train.'

The next crucial element which makes sure that kids' books are a hit is strong characters. A child will read a book only if it offers humor and joy.

These personalities make sure that the kids have their share of laughter while reading the book as well as feel connected. This is the reason why 'Winnie the Pooh' or 'The Velveteen Rabbit' kept you hooked as a child. Artwork or illustrations are other elements, which make a kids' book successful.

A two-year-old child will always choose a book that is full of colorful artwork. He enjoys looking at the colors, which feeds his imagination. As a child, did you ever put down 'Alice in Wonderland' or 'Snow White and the seven dwarfs' or 'Where the wild things are'?

No. It is the amazing artwork that made these books attractive and no doubt a success.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for young readers special: must have children's books from the 90s!

then why not take a look at what animals sweat? never heard facts on sweat glands for kids!, or types of habitats: explore curious facts on different habitats for kids?

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Written by Rajnandini Roychoudhury

Bachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English

Rajnandini Roychoudhury picture

Rajnandini RoychoudhuryBachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English

With a Master of Arts in English, Rajnandini has pursued her passion for the arts and has become an experienced content writer. She has worked with companies such as Writer's Zone and has had her writing skills recognized by publications such as The Telegraph. Rajnandini is also trilingual and enjoys various hobbies such as music, movies, travel, philanthropy, writing her blog, and reading classic British literature. 

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