What books are worth reading? Martin has collected an annotated list of some of the most influential English-language books, sorted by age group. The titles are chosen from over 100 sources, including award winners (Newbery Medals, Caldecott Medals, Coretta Scott King Awards, Pura Belpre Awards, Bram Stoker Awards, the Man Booker Awards, PEN/Faulkner Awards, Pulitzer Prizes, National Book Awards, New York Times Notable Books, and Los Angeles Times Book Prizes ...), best-book lists (Time Magazine's Top 100 Novels, Modern Library's 100 Best Novels, Horn Book Children's Classics, The New York Times Parent's Guide to the Best Books for Children, Harvard Bookstore Favorite Books, College Board's Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers, National Education Association's Top Books for Children ...), and library and school reading lists.

Preschoolers (ages 2-5) -- Early readers (ages 4-8) -- Middle readers (ages 9-12) -- Young adults (ages 13-17) -- Adults (ages 18+) -- Special interests -- Twenty-seven writers you should know -- Appendix 1. Preschool booklist -- Appendix 2. Early reader booklist -- Appendix 3. Middle reader booklist -- Appendix 4. Young adult booklist -- Appendix 5. Adult booklist.