Family Life Fun Entertainment Books 7 Vintage Children's Books You Need In Your Library These classic kid's books may be out-of-print, but it doesn't mean you can't find them! Children's book authors explain why they think they're worth the search and a read even if the pages are worn. By Catherine Hong Updated on July 9, 2020 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Illustration by Francesca Spatola; Amazon (2) 01 of 07 The Flight of Dragons Harry N. Abrams Buy Now "I pored over the oversize, full-color The Flight of Dragons, by Peter Dickinson (ages 6+), which posited, from an academic but still lighthearted perspective, that dragons were real. There were passages and even diagrams that proved how they flew and why they escaped the fossil record." —Dave Eggers, author of Most of the Better Natural Things in the World 02 of 07 The Big Book of Cats Grosset & Dunlap Buy Now "I checked out The Big Book of Cats, by Gladys Emerson Cook (ages 4 to 8), every week in kindergarten. The lushly painted cat portraits with brightly colored eyes and fluffy fur were so engaging, the words were just frosting on a cat cake." —Matt Lamothe, author of This Is How We Do It 03 of 07 The Ruby Knight Del Rey Buy Now "My grandfather bought The Ruby Knight, by David Eddings (ages 8 to 12), for me when I was 10, introducing me to the world of fantasy. It had adventure, magic, monsters, swords, and a cool invented world." —Christopher Paolini, author of the Inheritance Cycle series 04 of 07 The Man With the Purple Eyes Abelard-Schuman Buy Now "In The Man With the Purple Eyes, by Charlotte Zolotow (ages 6 to 8), the illustrator depicted the main character, Anna, with black hair, which meant that Anna looked a little like me. When my daughter was born, I named her Anna after that character!" —Linda Sue Park, author of A Long Walk to Water 05 of 07 The Brothers Lionheart FBA Powersetup Buy Now "I never met Astrid Lindgren, but she was my best friend through childhood. Still is. Her book The Brothers Lionheart (ages 8+) is the greatest of adventures about tyranny and dragons, life and death, friendship and bravery." —Fredrik Backman, author of A Man Called Ove 06 of 07 Very Worried Walrus Holt Rinehart and Winston (WRB) Buy Now "I had the entire Sweet Pickles collection on my bookshelf, and Very Worried Walrus, by Richard Hefter (ages 8 to 12), is the one I read again and again. I was very, very worried all the time. When I read that book, it felt as if someone understood me. Even if it was a walrus who was afraid to ride a bicycle." (Available as an e-book.) —Erin Entrada Kelly, author of Hello, Universe 07 of 07 City Boy Back Bay Books Buy Now "When I was in fourth grade, I found City Boy, by Herman Wouk (ages 8 to 12), on my parents' bookshelf. I thought it would be a book for children because of the title, but it was a 'grownup' story, no pictures, with rich, complex characters. I had never known reading could offer such a rewarding experience!" (Available as an e-book.) —W. Bruce Cameron, author of A Dog's Purpose Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit