Recs if you like My Side of the Mountain...
books your pretentious friend has heard of
Ologies Podcast Suggestions
Ologies is a weekly science podcast hosted by Alie Ward. Each episode, Ward interviews an expert from a distinct scientific field.
This unofficial list contains book suggestions made by the host or by her guests. I avoided extremely technical books or papers. Currently from episode 1 to 525 More details on these books and their associated episodes in my ever evolving spreadsheet.
In the spreadsheet there are also books not found on Goodreads and general book recommendations (like the entire bibliography of a specific author or group of people)
It's 2005 and you're at the Scholastic Book Fair
Books of the millennial reader's childhood (not just scholastic book fair). Sticking with chapter books, and not picture books :) All books pre-2005 Taking recs!
you’re going to ace that Accelerated Reader test
chapter books you probably read in elementary and/or middle school and you probably took the AR test as soon as you finished. cue nostalgia
Millennial Nostalgic Reads
Bring on those Gen Y memories! A list of books likely to give people born between 1981 and 1996 a lot of feelings.
This list is for those of us who grew up eagerly awaiting the Scholastic Book Fair, watching Reading Rainbow (or Wishbone!), and dreaming of a free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut.
Note: these are not books published in 1981-1996, but books that had a hold on the millennial generation.
Also check out the Dear America series, American Girl series & Royal Diaries series.
On Our Own
Orphan Fantasy Fiction™. This list isn't about found family, it's about kids living independently/unsupervised and taking care of themselves.
Assigned Reading (Primary/Middle School Edition)
The books your teacher made you read between the ages of 11-14. They changed the way you saw the world, they made you realize books were more than just goofy or sentimental stories you gobbled up before bedtime, and they stuck with you, all these years later.
Suggestions welcome, especially from non-American readers!!
Note: this list was made by a Millennial, so I'd love to hear from some different generations! What did your teachers assign you?
Newbery Award Winners and Honors
Complete as of August 2026.
Build Your Library Homeschool Curriculum: Level 5
Pair with "Level 5 – American History, Part 1" book.
A Little World of Your Own
Quiet, comforting stories about solitude, small routines, and creating a space of your own, whether it’s a garden, a home, or just a way of moving through the world.
Newbury Award Books, New and Old
Here are many beloved and distinguished children’s novels that have won the Newbery Gold award and the silver Newbury Honor award, which were first started over a century ago in 1922. There are many choices, old and new, that have cemented their place in children’s literature for any reader to explore.
Newbery Honorees
Books that were nominated for the John Newbery Medal for distinguished contributions to juvenile literature but did not win Currently lists nominees up to 2024
Classics for Kids! ✨
Classics can often feel very unapproachable even for adult readers, but here are some that either are for children, or children can enjoy!
🌲 Wilderness Survival Fiction 🪵
How many different ways have you imagined surviving in the wilderness?
Rich reads for childhood
Books that don’t disappoint
Auntie Lion and the Niblings Read Books
Childhood Favorites from a Xennial Reader
You might remember some of these, especially if you’re over 40.
© 2025 Pagebound