Heidi (by Johanna Spyri)

Many wonderful books have been done in by bad movie versions, and Shirley Temple did a lot to give HEIDI a bad name. But there's a reason this book has stayed in print for well over a century. Heidi's life on the mountain is vivid and joyous, told with such resonance that children who have the temperament and experience to be able to listen to a story of this length and pacing dream of living in the Alps themselves.

Her misery in the city, the middle third of the book, is vivid as well, and readers long with Heidi to get back to the healthy, sun-filled mountains. The final portion, with the healing of Clara, is, despite its predictability, exciting and moving. The rock-solid values the author espouses may seem simple and old-fashioned today, but you may find yourself longing for them again -- and immersing your child in them can only be healthy. This theme of the healing power of nature and optimism was a favorite in an earlier age.