Cliffhanger Stories
For Children: Chapter books &
Best Inspirational Stories

Looking for cliffhanger stories that'll capture your child's attention and make a reader of him/her? Check out this list of best selling books for kids aged 6-10 (includes many favorite children's chapter books and best books of all time).

This list also aims to help authors find that spark of inspiration that'll set them on the way to writing their best selling book ever.

Cliffhanger Stories: Children's Chapter Books About Family, Friends & School Life

Bestselling Cliffhanger Stories & Approximate Sales Figures
EB White: Charlotte's Web (Newbery Honor; 45 million)
Wilson Rawls: Where the Red Fern Grows (6.8 million)
Thomas Rockwell: How to Eat Fried Worms (over 2.7 million)

Cliffhanger Stories: Popular Book Series About Family, Friends & School Life
Judy Blume: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (over 7 million); Superfudge (over 4.2 million); Freckle Juice (over 4 million); Fudge-A-Mania
Laura Ingalls Wilder: Little House on the Prairie (6.4 million); Little House in the Big Woods (over 6 million); On the Banks of Plum Creek (over 4 million); Farmer Boy (over 3.8 million); The Long Winter (over 3.7 million); By the Shores of Silver Lake (over 3.6 million); Little Town on the Prairie (over 3.6 million); These Happy Golden Years (over 3.2 million); The First Four Years (over 3 million)
Louis Sachar: Sideways Stories from Wayside School (4 million); Wayside School is Falling Down (over 1.8 million); Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger (over 1.5 million); There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom (1.2 million)
Ann Martin: Baby-sitters Club series, especially BSC #1: Kristy's Great Idea (over 3 million); BSC #2: Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (2.2 million); BSC #3: The Truth About Stacey (over 1.8 million); BSC #4: Mary Anne Saves the Day (over 1.65 million); BSC #5: Dawn and the Impossible Three (over 1.2 million)
Gertrude Warner: The Boxcar Children (over 1.7 million) and sequels
Beverly Cleary: Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (1.6 million); Ramona and Her Father (1.46 million); Ramona the Pest; Ramona the Brave; Henry and Beezus; Beezus and Ramona
Patricia Reilly Giff: Kids of the Polk Street School series, especially The Beast in Ms Rooney's Room (1.17 million); Fish Face; The Valentine Star; Snaggle Doodles; Say Cheese

Cliffhanger Stories for Children: Chapter Books & Early-Reading Books for Kids Facing Challenges (Relationship Questions, Choices & Transitions)

Bestselling Cliffhanger Stories & Approximate Sales Figures
Judy Blume: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (over 7 million); Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret (6.5 million); Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great (4.5 million); Blubber (over 4.4 million); Superfudge (over 4.2 million); Freckle Juice (over 4 million); Fudge-A-Mania
Wilson Rawls: Where the Red Fern Grows (6.8 million)
Katherine Paterson: Bridge to Terabithia (Newbery Medal; 4.25 million)
Lois Lowry: The Giver (Newbery Medal; 3 million); Number the Stars (Newbery Medal; over 2.5 million)
Judith Viorst: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (over 2.7 million); Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday
John Reynolds Gardiner: Stone Fox (over 2.7 million)
William H Armstrong: Sounder (Newbery Medal; 2.4 million)
Alice Dalgliesh: The Courage of Sarah Noble (1.75 million)
Norman Juster & Jules Feiffer: The Phantom Tollbooth (over 1.4 million)
Betsy Byars: The Pinballs (over 1 million)

Cliffhanger Stories: Popular Book Series for Kids Facing Challenges
Phyllis Reynolds: Shiloh (Newbery Medal; over 1.7 million); Saving Shiloh; Shiloh Season
Gertrude Warner: The Boxcar Children (over 1.7 million) and sequels
Beverly Cleary: Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (1.6 million); Ramona and Her Father (1.46 million); Ramona the Pest; Ramona the Brave; Dear Mr Henshaw (Newbery Medal)
Paula Danziger: Amber Brown is Not a Crayon; Amber Brown Goes Fourth; Amber Brown is Feeling Blue; The Cat Ate My Gymsuit; There's a Bat in Bunk Five

Cliffhanger Stories for Children: Chapter Books for Building Self-Esteem, Best Inspirational Stories & Best Personal Growth Books

Antoine de Saint-Exupery: The Little Prince (80 million)
EB White: Charlotte's Web (Newbery Honor; 45 million)
Lyman Frank Baum: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz series (23 million)
Wilson Rawls: Where the Red Fern Grows (6.8 million)
Sheila Burnford: The Incredible Journey (over 5 million)
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings: The Yearling (Pulitzer Prize; 3.5 million)
Barbara Robinson: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (over 3 million)
Jean Craighead George: Julie of the Wolves (Newbery Medal; over 2.8 million); My Side of the Mountain (Newbery Medal; 1.5 million)
Alice Dalgliesh: The Courage of Sarah Noble (1.75 million)
Joan Walsh Anglund: Love is a Special Way of Feeling (1.4 million)
Eleanor Coerr: Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (1.35 million)
Armstrong Sperry: Call It Courage (Newbery Medal; over 1.3 million)
Frances Hodgson Burnett: The Secret Garden (over 1 million); A Little Princess

Cliffhanger Stories: Best Fantasy Books & Popular Adventure Books for Kids

Cliffhanger Stories: Best Fantasy Books & Approximate Sales Figures
CS Lewis: The Chronicles of Narnia series (100 million), comprising The Magician's Nephew; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; The Horse and His Boy; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; The Silver Chair; The Last Battle.
Madeleine L'Engle: A Wrinkle in Time (Newbery Medal; 6.4 million); A Wind in the Door (over 2 million); A Swiftly Tilting Planet (over 2 million); Many Waters
George Selden: The Cricket in Times Square (over 2.5 million)
Robert C O'Brien: Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (Newbery Medal; 1.7 million)
Norman Juster & Jules Feiffer: The Phantom Tollbooth (over 1.4 million)
Mary Norton: The Borrowers (Carnegie Medal; over 1 million) and sequels

Cliffhanger Stories: Popular Book Series of Fantasy-Adventure Stories
Dav Pilkey: Captain Underpants series (26 million)
Lyman Frank Baum: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz series (23 million)
Lynne Reid Banks: The Indian in the Cupboard (6.4 million); The Return of the Indian (2.4 million); The Secret of the Indian (over 2 million); The Mystery of the Cupboard (1.4 million)
Roald Dahl: James and the Giant Peach (4.8 million); Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (over 3.7 million); Matilda (2.5 million)
Patrick Catling: The Chocolate Touch (2.5 million)
Natalie Babbitt: Tuck Everlasting (over 1.75 million)
Lloyd Alexander: The Book of Three (1.46 million); The Black Cauldron (Newbery Honor; over 1.35 million); The Castle of Llyr, Taran Wanderer; The High King

Cliffhanger Stories: Best Mystery Books & Adventure Books for Kids

Cliffhanger Stories: Best Selling Mystery Books
Carolyn Keene: Nancy Drew series (200 million); especially ND#5: The Secret of Shadow Ranch (over 2.3 million); ND#1: The Secret of the Old Clock (over 2.2 million); ND#2: The Hidden Staircase (over 1.8 million); ND#3: The Bungalow Mystery (1.6 million); ND#4: The Mystery of Lilac Inn (over 1.3 million)
Franklin Dixon: Hardy Boys series (17 million); especially HB#1: The Tower Treasure (over 2.2 million); HB#2: The House on the Cliff (over 1.7 million); HB#3: The Secret of the Old Mill (1.5 million); HB#4: The Missing Chums (1.2 million); HB#5: Hunting for Hidden Gold (1.2 million)
Gertrude Warner: The Boxcar Children (over 1.7 million) and sequels

Cliffhanger Stories: Best Selling Adventure Books for Kids
Tim LaHaye & Jerry Jenkins: Left Behind series (63 million)
Scott O'Dell: Island of the Blue Dolphins (over 6.6 million); The Black Pearl (Newbery Honor; 1.3 million)
Jack Schaeffer: Shane (6.4 million)
Jean Craighead George: Julie of the Wolves (Newbery Medal; over 2.8 million); My Side of the Mountain (Newbery Medal; 1.5 million)

Cliffhanger Stories: Favorite Funny Stories

Bestselling Humorous Stories & Approximate Sales Figures
Thomas Rockwell: How to Eat Fried Worms (over 2.7 million)
Patrick Catling: The Chocolate Touch (2.5 million)
John Fitzgerald: The Great Brain (over 1.5 million)
Norman Juster & Jules Feiffer: The Phantom Tollbooth (over 1.4 million)
Jon Scieszka: The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! (over 970,000); The Stinky Cheese Man (Caldecott Honor; over 850,000)

Cliffhanger Stories: Popular Book Series of Funny Stories
AA Milne: Winnie-the-Pooh series (70 million)
Dav Pilkey: Captain Underpants series (26 million)
Peggy Parish: Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia (over 2.5 million); Good Work, Amelia Bedelia (over 2 million); Amelia Bedelia (2 million); Amelia Bedelia and the Baby (1.95 million); Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping (over 1.8 million); Amelia Bedelia Helps Out (1.8 million); Come Back, Amelia Bedelia; Amelia Bedelia and the Surprise Shower
Astrid Lindgren: Pippi Longstocking (over 1.3 million); Pippi Goes on Board; Pippi on the Run; Pippi in the South Seas

Kids' Books (Educational): Cliffhanger Stories & Best Selling Non-Fiction Books

Cliffhanger Stories Based on Historical Events
Anne Frank: The Diary of Anne Frank (31 million)
Esther Forbes: Johnny Tremain (Newbery Medal; over 4.8 million)
Lois Lowry: Number the Stars (Newbery Medal; over 2.5 million)
Avi: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (1.8 million)
Karen Cushman: Catherine, Called Birdy (Newbery Honor; 1.3 million)
Joan Blos: A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-32 (Newbery Medal)
Elizabeth De Trevino: I, Juan De Pareja (Newbery Medal)

Best Selling Non-Fiction Books
Stephen Cumbaa: The Bones Book & Skeleton (1.7 million)
Hugh Danks: The Bug Book & Bug Bottle (over 1.6 million)
Deborah Hautzig: The Story of the Nutcracker Ballet (over 1.5 million)
Joanna Cole: Hungry, Hungry Sharks (1.3 million)
David Macaulay: The Way Things Work/The New Way Things Work (1.2 million)
Judy Donnelly: Titanic: Lost & Found (over 1 million)
John Cassidy: Explorabook (over 1 million)
Andrews McMeel (publisher): 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth (over 1 million)
Klutz (publisher): Kids Cooking: A Very Slightly Messy Manual (over 1 million)

Cliffhanger Stories: Best Books of All Time

CS Lewis: The Chronicles of Narnia series (100 million)
Antoine de Saint-Exupery: The Little Prince (80 million)
Johanna Spyri: Heidi (52 million)
EB White: Charlotte's Web (45 million); Stuart Little (3.2 million); The Trumpet of the Swan (over 2.5 million)
Robert Louis Stevenson: Treasure Island (19 million); Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (16 million)
Laura Ingalls Wilder: Little House on the Prairie (6.4 million); Little House in the Big Woods (over 6 million); On the Banks of Plum Creek (over 4 million); Farmer Boy (over 3.8 million); The Long Winter (over 3.7 million); By the Shores of Silver Lake (over 3.6 million); Little Town on the Prairie (over 3.6 million); These Happy Golden Years (over 3.2 million); The First Four Years (over 3 million)
Patricia MacLachlan: Sarah, Plain and Tall (Newbery Medal; 3.4 million)
Marguerite Henry: Misty of Chincoteague (2.5 million); King of the Wind (Newbery Medal)
Carol Ryrie Brink: Caddie Woodlawn (Newbery Medal; 1.45 million)
Walter Farley: The Black Stallion (over 1.2 million); Man O'War

What kinds of stories are most popular with kids aged 6-10? To find out, go to Ideas for Writing a Book for Children: Chapter Books and Creative Writing Ideas: Hot Favorites for Kids

For creative writing ideas to help you write stories in a way that gets kids reading, go to How to Write Stories Kids and Teens Want to Read

Return from Cliffhanger Stories to List of Best Selling Books: Helps You Write the Best Books for Kids

Return from Cliffhanger Stories to Creative Writing: Write to Win Hearts

Acknowledgments: Publishers Weekly; Wikipedia; Barnes & Noble; Amazon.com; The New York Times Parent's Guide to the Best Books for Children by Eden Ross Lipson, Three Rivers Press, 2000; Books Children Love by Elizabeth Wilson, Crossway Books, 2002; Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt, Zondervan 2002; For the Love of Reading by David Bouchard, Orca Book Publishers, 2004; Children's Literature, Briefly by Michael Tunnell & James Jacobs, Prentice Hall, 2000. Also, to all who have contributed reviews, information and advice, Thank You!

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