4 Children’s Authors Your Family Should Know

Though it sounds simple, shuffling through shelves of children’s books to find the ones that suit your child can be intimidating. What lessons does this book teach? Will my child even like it? How am I to know?

Find out which children’s authors our Facebook fans enjoy and grab the names of their most popular works for your next trip to the library. From classic literature to popular 21st century titles, there’s something for young readers with interests of all sorts.

Laura Ingalls Wilder
Based on her childhood experiences traveling the plains of the Midwest with her family, Wilder’s books receive praise for both their historical content and the values they promote.

Popular works:
Little House in the Big Woods
Farmer Boy
Little House on the Prairie
On the Banks of Plumb Creek
By the Shores of Silver Lake
The Long Winter
Little Town on the Prairie
These Happy Golden Years
The First Four Years

Mo Willems
A former writer and animator for PBS’s Sesame Street, Willems began writing and illustrating children’s books in the early 2000s. His books have been translated into more than 20 languages and have received several Caldecott Honors and Theodor Seuss Geisel Medals and Honors.

Popular works:
The Pigeon series
Knuffle Bunny series
Elephant and Piggie series

C.S. Lewis
This well-known 20th century author wrote more than 30 books during the course of his lifetime. The books in his most popular series, The Chronicles of Narnia, have sold more than 100 million copies. Fans appreciate the way his children’s literature incorporates biblical themes while encouraging the use of imagination.

Popular works:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Horse and His Boy
The Magician’s Nephew
The Last Battle

Jane O’Connor
Author of the popular Fancy Nancy series which consists of more than 60 picture books, O’Connor’s whimsical work promotes imaginative thinking among young readers. In 2012, she published the first of several chapter books featuring her well-known picture book character.

Popular works:
Fancy Nancy picture books
Nancy Clancy chapter books