I suggest we put up a Classics for Kids section on this blog. I have a good politically incorrect list to start with: The Atkinson-Ravitch Sampler of Classic Literature. I'd like to make my way through this, too, and have it available to parents and children. The thing is, kids are no longer exposed to most of the great books in schools because schools DO NOT REQUIRE teaching the classics anymore. It's up to the teacher. Crazy! See The Language Police, How Pressure Groups Restrict What Students Learn by Diane Ravitch, 2003.