Before the modern distractions of TV, video games and all manner of computer technology, books were the primary means for children to absorb stories. Whether as bedtime stories read by a parent or kids flipping pages themselves, children’s books continue to hold a special place in the hearts of parents and little ones alike. Storytelling is simply one of the most effective means of both educating and entertaining children, and reading is one of the single greatest sparks to a young person’s imagination.

Below you will find our list of the best children’s books. We focused on books oriented towards the wee ones, not the pre-teens and adolescents. So you won’t find any of the Harry Potter books, nor will you find Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland or The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, as they appeared in our Best Novels and Best Fantasy Novels lists, respectively. You will, however, find five of the most enduring and well-loved children’s books ever.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (1947)

With gorgeous illustrations by Clement Hurd, Margaret Wise Brown’s classic bedtime book is one that has been enjoyed by generations of sleepyheads. With allusions to earlier children’s books, and rhythmic language, Goodnight Moon is a realistic book that takes on almost fairy tale qualities, the perfect transition between waking life and dreams.

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White (1952)

The only children’s novel on this list, Charlotte’s Web is in turns heartwarming and heartbreaking. After Wilbur, a runt-of-the-litter piglet is saved from slaughter and relocated, he befriends a kindly spider named Charlotte who saves him from slaughter again by weaving messages into her web that dumbfound the farmers. As Charlotte eventually produces an egg sack (her “magnum opus”) she informs Wilbur of her impending death and the book serves as a beautiful testament to the cyclical nature of all life.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (1963)

A picture book consisting of only 338 words, Maurice Sendak’s most famous book can be viewed as a whimsical flight of fancy or as a psychoanalytic story of anger. After a tantrum, young boy Max is sent to his room, which transforms into the land of the Wild Things. When he becomes their king, he triumphs over his primal side and returns to the maternal comforts of a hot meal.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (1969)

A marvel of graphic design, Eric Carle’s hungry caterpillar chews its way through this classic book and eventually emerges as a butterfly. Having sold over 30 million copies, it’s been described as having sold one copy per minute since its publication and remains one of the most enduring and vibrant children’s books ever.

Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss (1990)

There are a half dozen or more Dr. Seuss titles worthy of this list, but the final book published during his lifetime may simply be his best. Directly addressing the reader, this book is delightfully open-ended after transporting the reader through diverse and magical realms that, much like Seuss’ work in general, appeal to the imagination while in this case also encouraging the reader to avoid complacency. The fact that Dr. Seuss’ final book would bear a title with such appropriate finality and grandfatherly encouragement is icing on the cake of a life well lived.

Politics seem to shift with the wind. As times change, so do the needs and agendas of various constituencies of people in the ever-changing dynamics of civilizations. While the hot button issues may rise up and fall away ad infinitum, and the tactics and shenanigans of politicians may seem to grow ever more absurd, some basic principles of government have proven far more enduring.

The list we’ve compiled includes books that have spoken to the deeper aspects of humanity and our need for politics, those that transcend the specific issues of a particular era. Memoirs by famous politicians, such as Barack Obama’s Dreams from My Father or Winston Churchill’s Memoirs of the Second World War deserve their own category, so here we’re only focused on those books that have withstood the swirling winds of their times and have established themselves as important voices of the greater human condition.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu (around 500 BCE)

Influential to both Eastern and Western military thought throughout the past 2000 years, The Art of War frames warfare as a necessary evil, one that must be avoided whenever possible but also waged justly and efficiently when it becomes necessary. Sun Tzu argued that wars be waged swiftly to avoid excess cost and that massacres and other atrocities be avoided lest they serve as a rallying cry for the opposition. He also went into great detail about the importance of military positioning in combat, and his ancient words still inspire military leaders to this day.

The Republic by Plato (around 380 BCE)

The definition of justice is typically something that’s considered rigid or the result of common sense, yet it’s actually rather fluid given the varying circumstances. One of the first notable ruminations on the subject occurred in Plato’s Socratic dialogue The Republic. In it, Socrates argues that justice does not always involve helping friends and harming enemies, because a just man would harm no one. The dialogue between Socrates and various Athenians includes debates on how both a city-state and an individual can be defined as “just” and also delves into more nebulous topics including the role of philosophy and poetry in society at large and discussion on the nature of soul.

Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville (1835-1840)

During his 19th century tour of America on the pretense of writing about its prison system, Frenchman Tocqueville studied American society at large for one of the more insightful outsider commentaries on the burgeoning world power. He commented on the dissolution of aristocracy and the emergence of democracy as one of the leading systems of government of the era, specifically for its emphasis on creating greater equality among America’s citizens. Despite holding patriarchal views of women in society, Tocqueville was one of the first to note America’s shift toward greater equality for both genders.

Animal Farm by George Orwell (1945)

The only novel in this list makes it because Orwell’s classic serves as such a poignant allegory for how absolute power corrupts absolutely. When farm animals rise up and overthrow their unjust farmer, claiming their independence in the process, the pigs gradually assert ever-tightening control over the other groups of animals. Orwell said that this book was written in response to his witnessing how totalitarian propaganda can so easily infiltrate the collective mindset of democratic societies, leading people to believe in equality but also, in practice, believe that “some animals are more equal than others.”

Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72
by Hunter S. Thompson (1973)

Politics can be a strange beast, so there’s no better person to capture the madness of an election season that gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson. In his travelogue of the 1972 U.S presidential campaign trail (focusing on the Democratic Party’s primaries, while adding in a healthy dose of Thompson’s vitriol for Richard Nixon), this book provides a unique insider look at campaigns as well as a critique of the mass media machine that fuels the ugliest aspects of the democratic process.