I. Max and Friends Begin

Where the Wild Things Are (1963) ⇢ That night, Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind and another. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) ⇢ Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do. Pippi Longstocking (1945) ⇢ Pippi Longstocking was the daughter of a sea captain, who was lost at sea. The Little Prince (1943) ⇢ Once when I was six years old, I saw a magnificent picture in a book about the primeval forest. The Hobbit (1937) ⇢ In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Northern Lights (1995) ⇢ Lyra and her daemon moved through the darkening Hall, taking care to keep to one side, out of sight of the kitchen.

II. Adventures

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) ⇢ Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) ⇢ Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. Charlotte's Web (1952) ⇢ "Where's Papa going with that ax?" said Fern to her mother. Matilda (1988) ⇢ Parents are the most unreasonable people. Anne of Green Gables (1908) ⇢ Marilla and Diana were sitting by the open window in the kitchen at Green Gables. Fairy Tales (1827) ⇢ A soldier, with a knapsack on his back and a sword at his side, was walking down the main road. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997) ⇢ Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969) ⇢ In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf. The Dark is Rising (1973) ⇢ When the Dark comes rising, six shall be one. Little Women (1868) ⇢ “CHRISTMAS WON’T BE CHRISTMAS WITHOUT ANY PRESENTS,” GRUMBLED JO, LYING ON THE RUG.

III. A Cold Wind and a Red Balloon

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964) ⇢ These two very old people are the father and mother of Mr. Bucket. Heidi (1880) ⇢ The sun was setting in the west, and a cold wind was blowing down the mountain, when a little girl came out of the small wooden house. Goodnight Moon (1947) ⇢ In the great green room, there was a telephone and a red balloon.

IV. A Hat, a Garden, and Two Brothers

The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883) ⇢ “C’era una volta…” ("Once upon a time...") A Wizard of Earthsea (1968) ⇢ The island of Gont is in the sea-wash of the West. Moominland Midwinter (1957) ⇢ Moominvalley was quiet in the winter. I Want My Hat Back (2011) ⇢ My hat is gone. The Secret Garden (1911) ⇢ When Mary Lennox was sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle, everybody said she was the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen. Duck, Death and the Tulip (2007) ⇢ Duck was standing by the water, looking into it. The Brothers Lionheart (1973) ⇢ There were once two brothers, and they were called Jonathan and Karl. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999) ⇢ Harry Potter was a very unusual boy. Brown Girl Dreaming (2014) ⇢ I am born in the room my mother rented.

V. Once Upon a Garden of Wonders

The Three Robbers (1961) ⇢ Once upon a time, there were three robbers. The Snowy Day (1962) ⇢ One winter morning Peter woke up and looked out the window. The Tiger Who Came to Tea (1968) ⇢ Once there was a little girl called Sophie who was having tea with her mummy in the kitchen. Howl's Moving Castle (1986) ⇢ In the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and a cloak of invisibility are commonplace, there lived a young woman named Sophie. A Wrinkle in Time (1962) ⇢ It was a dark and stormy night. Watership Down (1972) ⇢ The primroses were over, the cowslips were beginning to come into flower, and the wild strawberries were in bloom. Tom's Midnight Garden (1958) ⇢ When Tom was alone, he sometimes went into the garden.

VI. Beginnings of Stories Untold

Grimm's Fairy Tales (1812) ⇢ Once upon a time, there was a king who had three daughters. The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902) ⇢ Once upon a time there were four little rabbits, and their names were—. The Railway Children (1906) ⇢ Three children stood on a hill-top looking down at the railway line. Noughts and Crosses (2001) ⇢ Sephy, I hate you.

VII. Tales of Wonder and Whimsy

The BFG (1982) ⇢ This is the story of the BFG and Sophie. Rules of Summer (2013) ⇢ This is what I learned last summer. Momo (1973) ⇢ Momo was a little girl who lived in an old amphitheater. The Story of Ferdinand (1936) ⇢ Once upon a time in Spain, there was a little bull and his name was Ferdinand. The Lord of the Rings (1954) ⇢ When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday, with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton. The Owl Service (1967) ⇢ The owl, a gray and white bird, sat in the gloom of the old chapel, as it had for many years. Ronia, the Robber's Daughter (1981) ⇢ Ronia was the daughter of a robber chief. The Neverending Story (1979) ⇢ Bastian Balthazar Bux was a boy who had little interest in reading.

VIII. Tales from Far and Near

The Panchatantra (-200) ⇢ Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a wise king named Amarasakti. Treasure Island (1883) ⇢ Squire Trelawney, Dr. Livesey, and the rest of these gentlemen having asked me to write down the whole particulars about Treasure Island, from the beginning to the end, keeping nothing back but the bearings of the island, and that only because there is still treasure to be found there, I take up my pen in the year of grace 17— and go back to the time when my father kept the Admiral Benbow inn and the brown old seaman with the sabre cut first took up his lodging under our roof. Mary Poppins (1934) ⇢ There was once a family with a house in a street and a garden, and a name that was quite unlike any other. Ballet Shoes (1936) ⇢ There were once three little girls who were very much alike. So Much! (1994) ⇢ Mum says, 'So much!' We're Going on a Bear Hunt (1989) ⇢ We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one.

IX. Friendship and Forests

The Adventures of Cipollino (1951) ⇢ Once upon a time there was a little boy named Cipollino. The Giving Tree (1964) ⇢ Once there was a tree... and she loved a little boy. The Gruffalo (1999) ⇢ A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood.

X. Unforgettable Journeys

Julián Is a Mermaid (2018) ⇢ Julián was watching his abuela, who was on the bus with him. Comet in Moominland (1946) ⇢ Moominmamma and Moominpappa and little Moomin lived in a house with a white roof on the side of a hill. Finn Family Moomintroll (1948) ⇢ Moomintroll woke up one morning in the middle of a dream. The Witches (1983) ⇢ In a faraway country, there lived a young boy who was very brave. A Bear Called Paddington (1958) ⇢ Mr. and Mrs. Brown first met Paddington on a railway platform. The Wind in the Willows (1908) ⇢ The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (1977) ⇢ The night is quiet, so quiet you can almost hear the silence. Karlsson-on-the-Roof (1955) ⇢ Karlsson is a little fat man who lives on the roof.

XI. When Curiosity Knocks

The Phantom Tollbooth (1961) ⇢ There was once a boy named Milo who didn't know what to do with himself. The Cat in the Hat (1957) ⇢ We opened the door and saw a cat.

XII. Hearts

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (2006) ⇢ Once, there was a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. Peter and Wendy (1911) ⇢ All children, except one, grow up. One Thousand and One Nights (folk) ⇢ It is said that in ancient times, there was a king who had a beautiful wife. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (1967) ⇢ It was Claudia's idea, and she was always the leader. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (1971) ⇢ The story of Anna, who was forced to flee Germany with her family during World War II, begins one sunny day. Shum Bola (1936) ⇢ Shum Bola was a bright and colorful boy. Ernest and Celestine (1981) ⇢ Ernest the bear and Celestine the mouse were two friends who loved each other. A Kind of Spark (2020) ⇢ Addie was used to the silence of the village.

XIII. The Meadow, the Boy, and the College

Little Nicholas (1959) ⇢ Once upon a time there was a little boy called Nicholas. Black Beauty (1877) ⇢ The first place that I can well remember was a large, pleasant meadow. Daddy-Long-Legs (1912) ⇢ I am very glad indeed that I am going to college.

XIV. Of Mothers, Islands, and Grickle-Grass

No Kiss for Mother (1973) ⇢ Once upon a time, there was a little boy who loved his mother very much. My Family and Other Animals (1956) ⇢ I first discovered the beauty of the island on a cold January morning. Jacob Have I Loved (1980) ⇢ When I was born, the doctor told my mother that I was a twin. The Lorax (1971) ⇢ At the far end of town where the Grickle-grass grows and the wind smells slow and sour when it blows.

XV. Oddities

Fairy Tales / The Tales of Mother Goose (1697) ⇢ Once upon a time there lived a king and his beautiful daughter. The Moomins and the Great Flood (1945) ⇢ It was a summer evening, and the Moomins were sitting on a hill. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) ⇢ Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, Aunt Em, and a little black dog named Toto. Just William (1922) ⇢ William Brown was the leader of the Outlaws. The Twits (1980) ⇢ What a lot of hairy-faced men there are around nowadays. The Mouse and His Child (1967) ⇢ The mouse and his child were sitting in the sunshine. Out of My Mind (2010) ⇢ I am different from everyone else. Moominvalley in November (1970) ⇢ It was late November and the snow had not yet come. Little House in the Big Woods (1932) ⇢ Once upon a time,