On July 1 WORLD published The Nifty 50, a list of favorite 20th-century children's novels compiled by the Olasky family and friends. We promised at the time to collect reader recommendations and issue another list before Christmas shopping season. Readers responded with letters and e-mails containing the terrific suggestions listed below. In places we have included reader remarks. The list includes some titles by previously listed authors.

We recommended Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown, but readers demanded Goodnight Moon or The Silent ABC by the same author. Some authors are so prolific that readers had a hard time choosing a favorite: Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak, E.B. White, and Bill Peet all made the previous list. These authors are so well-known that we didn't include a new title; we suggest that when you find an author you like, you read his other works.

To keep our list to 50, we had to choose between titles: We list Blueberries for Sal rather than Make Way for Ducklings, though both are excellent books. Most-noted omission on the first list: Winnie-the-Pooh. We didn't make the same mistake twice. Readers also lamented that some of the best children's books are going out of print. Many are available through used-book sources, including those on the Internet such as Addall.com. Once again, we've divided the list into picture books and chapter books, listed alphabetically by authors. Enjoy!

Picture Books

The Five Chinese Brothers

Claire Huchet Bishop

Five gifted brothers undertake fantastic tasks in this Chinese folk tale.

The Mitten

Jan Brett

"Her books are wonderful not because of their deep literary content, but because of her charming, brilliant illustrations."

Goodnight Moon

Margaret Wise Brown

Soft, rocking rhythm: The bunny's goodnight to familiar objects functions like a well-worn cradle.

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

Virginia Lee Burton

"A classic that gives children a glimpse into their grandfather's day. (What is a selectman, anyway?)"

Now One Foot, Now the Other

Tomie DePaola

Sweet story of a boy and his Grandpa.

Are You My Mother?

P. D. Eastman

"Very calm ... non-stimulating and good for bedtime."

The Story About Ping

Marjorie Flack

A duck who lives on a barge on the Yangtze River gets left behind one evening and meets many interesting characters.

Corduroy

Don Freeman

The expression of individual worth-even if you're missing a button here or there.

Millions of Cats

Wanda Ga'g

Humility wins out over vanity when an old man and woman search for the perfect pet.

Laura Charlotte

Kathryn O. Galbraith

"This picture book was my daughter's favorite when she was little. It ties together four generations of women via a well-loved stuffed elephant. A great mother-daughter read, but keep a box of Kleenex handy."

Amazing Grace

Mary Hoffman

Her classmates tell her she can't be Peter Pan, but Grace perseveres.

Alfie Gets In First

Shirley Hughes

"We love all of Shirley Hughes's 'Alfie' books, but this one is the best."

Cowboy Small

Lois Lenski

"We love our Mr. and Mrs. Noah, Cowboy Small, Pilot Small, Farmer Small, Policeman Small, and all the rest. Lois Lenski's timeless books are a treasure."

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Bill Martin and Eric Carle

"We love all of Eric Carle's books, but this is my 3-year-old's favorite because he can 'read' it aloud all by himself."

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Bill Martin Jr.

"I have yet to find children aged toddler up through first grade who do not love to hear this book read and re-read until they can chant along with the adult reader."

Blueberries for Sal

Robert McCloskey

Sal is picking berries with her mother, and a bear cub is picking with his. When they begin following the wrong mothers the trouble begins.

Love You Forever

Robert Munsch

"I'll love you forever / I'll love you for always / As long as I'm living / My baby you'll be." A mother sings this refrain to her son through all the stages of his life until it is finally his turn to sing it to her.

The Little Engine That Could

Watty Piper

"Although we adults recognize the underlying humanistic philosophy, kids are encouraged to persevere when the going gets rough."

I Am a Bunny

Ole Risom, illustrations by Richard Scarry

"My mother read this 1963 book to me as a child and it has been a proven colic and hysteria soother to both my girls."

When I Was Young in the Mountains

Cynthia Rylant

"Shows a poor Appalachian multigenerational family (the grandfather is a coal miner); simple, gentle prose about going to the outhouse, about church and baptisms and baths in a wooden tub."

Caps for Sale

Esphyr Slobodkina

A peddler's attempts to outwit a group of clever monkeys is the kid-pleasing context for this absurd story.

"Could Be Worse!"

James Stevenson

Grandpa's exaggerated tales of his own childhood remind children, with gentle humor, when it's time to stop complaining.

The Biggest Bear

Lynd Ward

When Johnny brings home a bear cub, he doesn't realize how much trouble the growing bear can cause.

Harry the Dirty Dog

Gene Zion

Harry hates baths, so at bathtime he runs away. Then he gets so dirty that even his own family doesn't recognize him.

Chapter Books

The Chronicles of Prydain

Lloyd Alexander

A fantasy series pitting good versus evil.

Billy and Blaze

C. W. Anderson

Series featuring a young boy and his horse, notable for simple pencil drawings.

Sounder

William H. Armstrong

"The bittersweet story of a boy and his dog."

Caddie Woodlawn

Carol Ryrie Brink

"A bit spicier than the gentle "Little House" books, Caddie appeals to older elementary age children. The book has a wonderful patriotic subplot."

Ramona Quimby, Age 8

Beverly Cleary

The middle kid in the family will particularly enjoy Ramona's antics and dilemmas in this fun story.

The Door in the Wall

Marguerite de Angeli

Set in London during the Middle Ages, a noble youth overcomes illness to help defend a castle against the Welsh.

The Wheel on the School

Meindert DeJonge

A town tries to bring back the storks that used to nest there.

The Matchlock Gun

Walter Edmonds

During the French and Indian War, a boy protects his family with a heavy matchlock gun.

The Moffats

Eleanor Estes

"Old-fashioned children's stories featuring a widow, her four children, and their many adventures."

The Black Stallion

Walter Farley

A boy is stranded on a deserted island with a wild stallion that the boy vows to tame.

Understood Betsy

Dorothy Canfield Fisher

When Betsy moves from the hothouse environment of her aunt's house to her cousins' house in Vermont, she begins to thrive.

Blue Willow

Doris Gates

A girl longs for her family to find a permanent home.

Misty of Chincoteague

Marguehrite Henry

A childhood classic, based on the real-life event of the wild pony round-up on Chincoteague Island.

Babe: the Gallant Pig

Dick King-Smith

The story upon which the movie Babe was based.

Lassie Come-Home

Eric Knight

When his father loses his job, Joe must sell his beloved Lassie, but the loyal dog won't stay away.

Betsy-Tacy

Maud Hart Lovelace

"Inseparable friends Betsy and Tacy share hopes and dreams to which all young girls can relate."

Winnie-the-Pooh

A. A. Milne

"It is without a doubt the most requested read-aloud book in our home. My teenager now reads it to my toddler, and he stays attentive for whole chapters, even without flashy pictures."

The Borrowers

Mary Norton

"Tiny little people 'borrow' cast-offs from 'human beans.' One of the little people gets spotted and the adventure is on."

My Friend Flicka

Mary O'Hara

Another story about a boy and his horse.

The Yearling

Marjorie K. Rawlings

The loss of childhood innocence is handled in a sensitive way in this Pulitzer Prize winner.

The Cricket in Times Square

George Selden

For many children, this book gives a first introduction into life in an urban setting, told through the experiences of a group of endearing animal characters.

The Good Master

Kate Seredy

"She is overtly Christian from an Eastern persuasion. Her books are bright with hope and God's total trustworthiness even in times of disaster and crisis."

Treasures of the Snow

Patricia St. John

"I love the way St. John weaves a Scripture passage throughout the story, making it come alive and leading us to effortlessly memorize and deeply understand the verses."