Up the Tower of Books

The YA list was compiled here, and the Children's was meme-fied by TeacherNinja. Anyway, I've bolded the ones I've read and included some thoughts. :)

Children's
100. The Egypt Game - Snyder (1967) I really enjoyed this book as kid. I kind of wished it was higher though.
99. The Indian in the Cupboard - Banks (1980)
98. Children of Green Knowe - Boston (1954)
97. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - DiCamillo (2006)
96. The Witches - Dahl (1983)
95. Pippi Longstocking - Lindgren (1950
94. Swallows and Amazons - Ransome (1930)
93. Caddie Woodlawn - Brink (1935)
92. Ella Enchanted - Levine (1997)
91. Sideways Stories from Wayside School - Sachar (1978) Hilarious series. My teacher read these books to my class, and everyone loved them.
90. Sarah, Plain and Tall - MacLachlan (1985) Meh, I didn't like this one.
89. Ramona and Her Father - Cleary (1977)
88. The High King - Alexander (1968)
87. The View from Saturday - Konigsburg (1996)
86. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - Rowling (1999)
85. On the Banks of Plum Creek - Wilder (1937)
84. The Little White Horse - Goudge (1946)
83. The Thief - Turner (1997)
82. The Book of Three - Alexander (1964)
81. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon - Lin (2009)
80. The Graveyard Book - Gaiman (2008)
79. All-of-a-Kind-Family - Taylor (1951)
78. Johnny Tremain - Forbes (1943)
77. The City of Ember - DuPrau (2003) I read this book in middle school and thought it was okay.
76. Out of the Dust - Hesse (1997)
75. Love That Dog - Creech (2001)
74. The Borrowers - Norton (1953)
73. My Side of the Mountain - George (1959)
72. My Father's Dragon - Gannett (1948)
71. The Bad Beginning - Snicket (1999) I love this series, but I hated this book. In elementary school, I tried reading this book. I didn't like it, so I read the 7th (yeah, I never got the whole reading a series in order as a kid). I ended up loved the series.
70. Betsy-Tacy - Lovelae (1940)
69. The Mysterious Benedict Society - Stewart ( 2007)
68. Walk Two Moons - Creech (1994)
67. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher - Coville (1991)
66. Henry Huggins - Cleary (1950)
65. Ballet Shoes - Stratfeild (1936)
64. A Long Way from Chicago - Peck (1998)
63. Gone-Away Lake - Enright (1957)
62. The Secret of the Old Clock - Keene (1959)
61. Stargirl - Spinelli (2000)
60. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle - Avi (1990) Didn't like this book at all.
59. Inkheart - Funke (2003)
58. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase - Aiken (1962)
57. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 - Cleary (1981)
56. Number the Stars - Lowry (1989)
55. The Great Gilly Hopkins - Paterson (1978)
54. The BFG - Dahl (1982)
53. Wind in the Willows - Grahame (1908)
52. The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2007)
51. The Saturdays - Enright (1941)
50. Island of the Blue Dolphins - O'Dell (1960)
49. Frindle - Clements (1996) Pretty inspiring, but all of Clements's novels follow the same skeleton. :/
48. The Penderwicks - Birdsall (2005)
47. Bud, Not Buddy - Curtis (1999)
46. Where the Red Fern Grows - Rawls (1961) This should be in the top 10!!!!
45. The Golden Compass - Pullman (1995) I think a teen can appreciate this novel more than a kid. I had to force myself to finish it. The end was the best part IMO though.
44. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing - Blume (1972) I remember reading and liking this book, but I can't remember particulars.
43. Ramona the Pest - Cleary (1968)
42. Little House on the Prairie - Wilder (1935)
41. The Witch of Blackbird Pond - Speare (1958) This was one of my favorite books in elementary schools. When I reread it middle school, however, I didn't like it as much.
40. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - Baum (1900)
39. When You Reach Me - Stead (2009)
38. HP and the Order of the Phoenix - Rowling (2003) I'm a HP fan. :)
37. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry - Taylor (1976) Don't remember this one much. It was okay, I guess.
36. Are You there, God? It's Me, Margaret - Blume (1970)
35. HP and the Goblet of Fire - Rowling (2000) I'm a minority, but this is either my 1-2 favorite book of the series.
34. The Watsons Go to Birmingham - Curtis (1995) This book has one of my favorite scenes from a children's book. (brownie points [and maybe more!] if you can guess which one in the comments)
33. James and the Giant Peach - Dahl (1961)
32. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH - O'Brian (1971)
31. Half Magic - Eager (1954)
30. Winnie-the-Pooh - Milne (1926)
29. The Dark Is Rising - Cooper (1973)
28. A Little Princess - Burnett (1905)
27. Alice I and II - Carroll (1865/72) LOVED the books!
26. Hatchet - Paulsen (1989)
25. Little Women - Alcott (1868/9) This was nice, surprisingly.
24. HP and the Deathly Hallows - Rowling (2007) <3 style="font-weight: bold;">22. The Tale of Despereaux - DiCamillo (2003) This book was ADORABLE!
21. The Lightening Thief - Riordan (2005)
20. Tuck Everlasting - Babbitt (1975) This was another one I didn't think I would like as kid, but I did. I thought Babbitt made a great choice with the decision the protagonist makes in the end.
19. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Dahl (1964)
18. Matilda - Dahl (1988)
17. Maniac Magee - Spinelli (1990)
16. Harriet the Spy - Fitzhugh (1964)
15. Because of Winn-Dixie - DiCamillo (2000)
14. HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Rowling (1999)
13. Bridge to Terabithia - Paterson (1977) Sweet book.
12. The Hobbit - Tolkien (1938)
11. The Westing Game - Raskin (1978) This is personally my favorite children's novel.
10. The Phantom Tollbooth - Juster (1961) I read the play based on the book. It was okay.
9. Anne of Green Gables - Montgomery (1908)
8. The Secret Garden - Burnett (1911)
7. The Giver -Lowry (1993) How can you not like this book?
6. Holes - Sachar (1998) I liked it, but I think the rank should be in the teens.
5. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - Koningsburg (1967)
4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - Lewis (1950)
3. Harry Potter #1 - Rowling (1997) To be honest, this was the weakest book in the series in my opinion. Once again, I didn't understand the concept of reading a series in order as a kid, so I read the second one first. This caused the first book to drag when I read it.
2. A Wrinkle in Time - L'Engle (1962)
1. Charlotte's Web - White (1952) Definitely deserving. :)

Young Adult
100. Hate List by Jennifer Brown
99. Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix
98. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
97. Among The Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix Nice dystopian novel.
96. Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Claus
95. Forever by Judy Blume
94. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
93. Tithe by Holly Black
92. Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
91. Wings by Aprillynne Pike
90. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
89. Angus, Thongs And Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
88. Marked by PC And Kristin Cast
87. Maximum Ride series by James Patterson
86. The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky This book should be higher ranked.
85. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
84. I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak
83. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
82. The Mediator series by Meg Cabot
81. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
80. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
79. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald One of my favorite books I've read in high school.
78. Along For The Ride by Sarah Dessen The only Sarah Dessen book I've read, and I liked it!
77. Evernight by Claudia Gray
76. If I Stay by Gayle Foreman
75. Life As We Knew It series by Susan Beth Pfeffer
74. Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston
73. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
72. Alana: The First Adventure series by Tamora Pierce I read the first one and loved it.
71. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
70. Unwind by Neil Shusterman
69. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
68. Paper Towns by John Green This is one of my favorite books.
67. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles-
66. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith
65. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
64. The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time by Mark Haddon
63. The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
62. Blue Bloods series by Melissa De La Cruz- BLAH!
61. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
60. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
59. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt see #20 on children's list
58. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
57. Eragon by Christopher Paoloni
56. Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine
55. The Vampire Diaries by LJ Smith
54. Fallen by Lauren Kate
53. The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot
51. Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke
50. Number The Stars by Lois Lowry
49. Lord Of The Flies by William Golding I read this a few years ago. I need to read it again, but I liked it.
48. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
47. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares
46. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
45. The Summoning series by Kelley Armstrong
44. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
43. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
42. Ender's Game series by Orson Scott Card
41. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
40. Wake series by Lisa McMann read the first one
39. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
38. Are You There Good? It's Me Margaret by Judy Blume
37. Looking For Alaska by John Green Even though I personally liked Paper Towns more, if I am being unbiased, I think this one deserves a higher ranked than Paper Towns.
36. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
35. A Great And Terrible Beauty series by Libba Bray
34. His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman read the first, but I couldn't be bothered to read the rest.
33. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
32. Romeo And Juliet by William Shakespeare I like MacBeth and Othello better...
31. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain I'm reading this now. It's a slow process.
30. Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr
29. Forest of Hands And Teeth by Carrie Ryan I liked this, but I don't think it deserved this high of a rank.
28. Holes by Louis Sachar see #6 on children's list
27. The Outsiders by SE Hinton I didn't like this.
26. The Catcher In The Rye by JD Salinger Deserves to be higher.
25. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
24. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
23. The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank
22.Uglies series by Scott Westerfield
21. Beautiful Creatures by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia
20. Poison Study series by Maria V. Snyder
19. Book Thief by Markus Zusak I loved this.
18. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carlson Levine
17. Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead
16. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
15. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott see #25 on children's list.
14. Anne of Green Gables series by LM Montgomery
13. The Giver by Lois Lowry see #7 on children's
12. The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare I have only read the first one, but I enjoyed it.
11. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
10. Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis
9. A Wrinkle In Time series by Madeline L'engle
8. Graceling series by Kristin Cashore
7. Percy Jackson And The Olympians by Rick Riordan
6. Nick And Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
5. Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen
4. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee Well deserved.
3. Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer I've read the firs two. Way overrated.
2. Harry Potter series by JK Rowling I'm a HP fanatic.
1. The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins I've read The Hunger Games. I have a problem with a series that hasn't been completed yet being #1 though...

What are your thoughts? The most interesting thing about these lists are the novels that overlap. Most shockingly, I can't believe Little Women is higher ranked on the YA list than on the children's list. I have always considered it more of a kid's book. :/

Ariel "El" Marini is having trouble adjusting to her new life. Her family's apartment and her new public school are completely different from her old, luxurious home and private school. One person, however, has made her life bearable: Eric Callahan. El's had a crush on Eric since she moved, but there's one problem: Eric has a girlfriend. Then, one day, a new boy comes to town, Dylan. Dylan's a quiet, artistic type, and he has his eyes set on El. So, who will El end up with, Eric or Dylan? And can El finally come to grips with her new life?

Ever since I heard of this book, I wanted to read it. Even all the negative reviews did not steer me away. Either I'm stubborn, or I wanted to form my own opinion. My own opinion mirrors that of the negative reviews: I had problems with this novel.

I wanted this novel to be a light-hearted love story, with some family elements, maybe a cross between Isabelle's Boyfriend and Little Black Lies. Unfortunately, I did not get that. From the summary, readers are led to believe that El's new life is a recent change. Once I began reading, I learned that the change was over a year ago. I really just wanted to scream, "GET OVER IT," it meaning El's new life and her crush on Eric. I found El to be a selfish and shallow character, and I just could not find any sympathy for her.

Karen Tayleur throws a major twist towards the end of the novel. The twist took me by a complete surprise, and I was literally sobbing at it. After I finished crying, however, I was left scratching my head. I could not find an actual purpose for the twist, other than to shock readers. The twist made some of El's actions throughout the novel more understandable, but I feel like Tayleur could have added more depth to the book if readers knew of the twist from the beginning. Instead, Tayleur decided to veer readers on a completely different path, only to reveal the truth at the end. I do not want it to sound like I dislike twists because I generally enjoy them. Chasing Boys was just not a book that would have benefited from one.

Having said that, the fact that I cried must have meant that I had some sort of emotional connections to the characters. I realized that El was not as selfish and shallow as I once thought. Overall, I just wish Tayleur would have developed El more throughout the novel, rather than just waiting for the twist to explain everything. On a more positive note, the romance elements were fun, even if they were predictable, but I would not pick up Chasing Boys just for the romance. I have read many books that do romance better.

Even though my opinion mirrored the negative reviews, I do not regret picking up this novel. Making your own opinions is important, and if this book seems interesting, you should pick it up. Maybe you will enjoy the twist (and book) more than I did. :)

Related Links
Karen Tayleur's Site
Amazon
Powell's

I won this book through a contest.