Cozy Up to This Quiz About Classic Children’s Literature

Madeleine L’Engle’s groundbreaking 1962 book, “A Wrinkle in Time,” one of the first science fiction books many young readers encounter, features a wide variety of interesting characters. Three of these characters are Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit — mysterious celestial beings who come to warn Meg and her family of an approaching darkness.

Paddington Bear has many distinguishing features that make him such a familiar, lovable character; for example, many fans can close their eyes and immediately see his smart blue duffle jacket and well-worn red hat. However, one of his most famous traits is his love for a particular English treat — orange marmalade. Paddington is so famous for loving orange marmalade, in fact, that an attempt to change his favorite food to marmite in 2007 was widely condemned, and his trademark affection for orange marmalade was reinstated in 2009.

Eloise, the precocious subject of a book and movie of the same name, lives at the “tippy top” of the Plaza Hotel. And although the story is of course fictional, the hotel has cashed in on the Eloise nostalgia. For $995 a night, lucky fans can stay in the Eloise Suite, a king-sized bedroom with Eloise’s clothes, toys, and other intriguing perks.

Mary Lennox, the main character of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1911 children’s novel, “The Secret Garden,” grew up in India. As a result of being raised by nannies, Mary is incredibly spoiled and selfish at the beginning of the book. However, after a cholera outbreak leaves her an orphan, she is sent back to England to live with an uncle — and begins the long process of healing herself, her new friends, and the secret garden.

Charlotte, the spider from E.B. White’s beloved 1952 children’s book, “Charlotte’s Web,” decided to intervene to save the life of her friend Wilbur, a farm pig. Part of her plan was to use words written in her web to convince both passersby and those who worked on the farm that Wilbur was special. Her first message was “some pig,” which was followed by “terrific,” “radiant,” and “humble.”

Originally, siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert expected Anne Shirley of “Anne of Green Gables” (1908) to be a boy. Why? A mistake in translation — the couple was getting older, and Marilla thought that Matthew could use a man’s help around the farm. She asked a neighbor to bring home a boy from a nearby orphanage. But it was a lucky mistake because Anne became a cherished member of their family.

Edmund Pevensie is famously persuaded into betraying his siblings, the kingdom of Narnia, and his morals in exchange for the White Witch’s endless supply of Turkish delights. There are differing theories as to why author C.S. Lewis included this particular detail in his 1950 novel. One possible reason is that for many children during World War II, candy and sweets (especially imported ones) were unattainable — making Turkish delights the ultimate forbidden treat.

When the two kid characters of “The Cat in the Hat” (1957) find a stranger in their home, the stranger takes it upon themself to … invite more strangers. The Cat in the Hat is peculiar enough, but also brings in two characters — Thing 1 and Thing 2 — whose antics contribute to utter chaos in the house.

Those who watched the 1971 movie “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” remember bedridden Grandpa Joe miraculously recovering when Charlie Bucket brings home one specific thing: a Golden Ticket. Similarly, in Roald Dahl’s 1964 book, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” five Golden Tickets are hidden in Willy Wonka candy bars. The lucky five who find a ticket are invited to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, with the potential to win a prize beyond imagination. With his Golden Ticket, Charlie takes Grandpa Joe with him on the adventure — along with fellow ticket-holders Augustus Gloop, Mike Teavee, Veruca Salt, and Violet Beauregarde.

The book-loving Matilda, hero of Roald Dahl’s 1988 book “Matilda,” is not only powerful because of her intelligence and knowledge — she also has telekinetic powers. Toys, cooking utensils, human beings… as her skills and the plot build, nothing is too big for the little girl to handle. While Dahl wrote several books that focused on children with superpowers, his stories emphasized that every child has the potential to be special, helpful, and kind-hearted — qualities he put into Matilda, in addition to her telekinetic abilities.

Young Peter Rabbit lives with his mother and three sisters — Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail — underneath the roots of a big fir tree. Peter gets himself into trouble when he visits Mr. McGregor’s garden, something his mother has warned him not to do. The story follows his near-capture and triumphant escape. Written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter in 1893, the story is a bedtime favorite that encourages children to heed their parents’ rules.

Anxious to fix his sartorial problem and be taken home, Corduroy goes on an adventure in the department store after it closes. He doesn’t find his button, but the next day, a little girl buys Corduroy and gives him a new button when they get home. Published in 1968 by author and illustrator Don Freeman, the sweet story has been named one of "The Top 100 Books for Children" by the National Education Association.

This seemingly simple book about a snowy day has earned many accolades. Brought to life by Ezra Jack Keats, the vivid illustrations of a young boy's romp in the snow broke the color barrier in mainstream children's books. The story was embraced across racial and ethnic boundaries when it was published in 1963. In 2020, the book was declared New York Library’s most-checked-out book in 125 years.

Madeline is the smallest, but bravest, of the 12 girls who live in an old house in Paris. Together, they wear matching blue outfits and yellow hats, and walk through the street "in two perfect rows." The beloved story follows Madeline through a trip to the hospital, where the other girls begin to envy her for all of the gifts she receives during her stay. Ludwig Bemelmans won a Caldecott Medal for this story published in 1939, the first of his "Madeline" series.

“The Rainbow Fish” is one of the most popular children’s books to teach the importance of sharing. Initially, the beautiful Rainbow Fish does not want to share his shiny scales, and the other fish begin to ignore him. Eventually, he asks a wise octopus for advice and she tells him to give away his scales. In the end, the Rainbow Fish is without his shiny, beautiful scales, but has gained a lot of friends and happiness. This instant classic was written by German author Marcus Pfister in 1992.

“Goodnight Moon,” written by Margaret Wise Brown, was published in 1947, and has been a bedtime classic ever since. At the heart of the story is a bunny, illustrated by Clement Hurd. The bunny is nestled in its bed, ready to say goodnight to everyone, from bears and kittens to the cow jumping over the moon.

After Max gets sent to his room without supper for misbehaving, he finds that his surroundings transform into a mysterious land and he sails to an island inhabited by beasts. These “wild things” hail Max as their king and he enjoys ruling over them for a time. Eventually, he makes his way back home, where he finds his supper waiting for him after all. This 1963 story by Maurice Sendak has inspired an animated short, an opera, and even a live-action feature film in 2009.

“The Very Hungry Caterpillar'' celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019. This clever book — written, designed, and illustrated by Eric Carle — has served as a teaching device for things like numbers, days of the week, and food vocabulary. The story follows the young bug through his week of indulgence until he turns into a butterfly. The playful book has holes punched through its pages, located on everything that the little caterpillar snacks on.

"The Giving Tree" is the story of a tree that loved a boy so much she gave away everything for him, including her apples, limbs, and even her trunk. For more than 50 years, it has been a classic story of unconditional love and acceptance. Bestselling author Shel Silverstein also wrote “Where the Sidewalk Ends,” “Falling Up,” “A Light in the Attic,” and many other children’s poetry books.

“The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper, one of history’s most-loved children’s books, has inspired millions of children since it was first published in 1930. In the story, despite the Little Blue Engine’s size, she valiantly completes her mission and pulls the heavy train over the steep side of the mountain. With her inspirational motto “I think I can,” the engine teaches readers the value of perseverance and optimism.

Pooh’s adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood were the invention of author A.A. Milne and illustrator Ernest H. Shepard in 1926. Along with his friend Christopher Robin — and woodland creatures Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore — the charming little bear got into some sticky situations. In the 1960s, Walt Disney purchased the rights for "Winnie-the-Pooh" and developed it into a massively popular franchise.