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JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series is a must read for adults, and can be read by older children too. But Tolkien wrote short stories as well and some of the best are included in Tales from the Perilous Realm. The first story, Roverandom, is about a dog that gets turned into a toy and is great for children (and adults) of all ages. The next ones are better for older children (4th and up). Farmer Giles of Ham is a fun story about a farmer who goes to fight a dragon. The Adventures of Tom Bombadil is poetry about the character from Lord of the Rings. Smith of Wooten Major is a story about a man who visits fairy land. Leaf by Niggle is allegorical and best for even older children or adults (6th and up).
 

Colliers Junior Classics are a set of books filled with children’s stories. As they are out of print, they can only be found second hand, such as the 1962 version. 

George MacDonald (1824-1905) was a Scottish Christian author who wrote fairy tales (sometimes allegorical) among other things. Below is a list of some of his books for children. They range from short stories to full books and are filled with memorable imagery.

The Princess and Curdie: full book, 256 pages (Puffin Classics version)

The Princess and the Goblin: full book, 241 pages (Puffin Classics version)

At the Back of the North Wind: 317 pages

The Light Princess: 110 short pages

The Golden Key (35 pages) and Other Stories (3 other short stories)

The Wise Woman (108 pages) and Other Stories (3 other short stories)

Although no all modern retellings of classic stories are worth reading, there are some that are great for children to read before they are old enough to read the real thing. Among them are retellings of greek myths such as Tales from the Odyssey by Mary Pope Osborne and D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths. Little Pilgrim’s Progress is also a captivating retelling of the original for children. 

The My Book House series was edited by Olive Beaupré Miller. It is an illustrated collection of children’s stories and poems compiled first into 6 (1920) and later 12 (1971) books. Each volume progresses in level and is filled with content from famous authors like Shakespeare and Hans Christian Anderson. They include all the well known fables, fairy tales, and children’s stories as well as some gems like “The Snow Queen.” They are no longer in print and can only be bought second hand, but they are well worth the effort. It is best to find one printed between 1920 and 1950.

About these books, Olive Beaupré Miller says:

“In My BOOK HOUSE, I have tried to give children the best in literature, gathered from the greatest authors of the past and present, and from our rich heritage of old folk tales, told from generation to generation in every country in the world. But I have selected those stories with care. Avoiding those tales where evil traits of character, such as lying and cheating to gain one’s ends, have been made to appear good, I have chosen only those where truly desirable qualities invite the child’s admiration. I have tried also to grade all this material as wisely as possible, that the child might have the right story at the right age, and to put it forth so beautifully illustrated that it would be irresistible to him. Here, in these twelve volumes, adult and child can enter, hand-in-hand, a wonderful realm of imagination and beauty, portrayed in the best literary forms of verse and prose”

Books that have won the Newbery award are usually worth reading or having children read. Below is a PDF of the Newbery award winning books from 1922-1999.

List of Newbery awards 1920-1999

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis is a set of 7 books and are appropriate for any age. If your students have not already read these books, they should.

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