10 Kids Books From The 1990s That Barely Anyone Remembers

Summary The 1990s had iconic children's books like Rainbow Fish and Ella Enchanted that became forgotten gems over time.

Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park colored outside the lines, encompassing uniqueness and staying true to oneself.

Hank The Cowdog series by John R. Erickson had adventures in Ochiltree County, with a podcast featuring famous actors' voices.

Depsite being fun reads, there are many great kids' books from the 1990s that waned in popularity over time. The 1990s was an iconic era for children's literature. There was The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister and Stephanie's Ponytail by Robert Munsch for toddlers. Slightly older children had Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine and The Magic School Bus by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen. The age group above that had Goosebumps by R.L. Stine and The Giver by Lois Lowry.

Iconic children's series that peaked in the 1990s but lasted for decades include the Arthur books by Marc Brown and The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin. There are even some kids' books from the 1990s that have aged poorly. For all these children's books, there are many more that have become forgotten. That's not necessarily a knock on their quality; in fact, remembering them is like stumbling upon rare hidden gems. Childhood lasts for over a decade, and as such, these forgotten gems range from toddler to young adult books.

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10 Bunnicula Strikes Again! By James Howe

June 23, 1995

Bunnicula Strikes Again! is the sixth book in the Bunnicula series by James Howe. The first book was published in 1979, and the series remained a staple of 1980s children's literature. Two more books were released in the 1990s, but they quickly became forgotten in favor of the first few books. Bunnicula Strikes Again! is one of those two books. The sixth installment finally resolves the conflict between Chester the cat and Bunnicula. Although this book didn't end up as the final book in the Bunnicula series, it still comes across as a satisfying ending, providing closure for a storyline that has lasted since the first book.

9 Stellaluna By Janell Cannon

April 28, 1993

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon was released on April 28, 1993, and has become a beloved children's book. However, other kids' books overtook Stellaluna's popularity, overshadowing it in the process. Stellaluna revolves around the titular bat, who falls into a bird's nest and learns to live like a bird. However, when Stellaluna reunites with her bat community, she realizes she does not have to live as a bird. This children's book is an excellent portrayal of celebrating differences between friends. Although Stellaluna lives as a bat, and her bird friends will remain birds, their love for each other will not change.

8 June B. Jones By Barbara Park

July 28, 1992 – August 7, 2012

Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park is a series about the eccentric titular girl navigating the ins and outs of kindergarten. The books begin with Junie B. in kindergarten, eventually expanding to Junie B.'s experiences as a first grader. Although the series lasted until 2012, most of the books were released in the 1990s. Beloved installments from the series include Junie B. Jones And The Stupid Smelly Bus, Junie B. Jones And A Little Monkey Business, Junie B. Jones And The Yucky Blucky Fruitcake, and Junie B. Jones Loves Handsome Warren.

Junie B. Jones Kindergarten Books Publication Date Junie B. Jones And The Stupid Smelly Bus July 28, 1992 Junie B. Jones And A Little Monkey Business February 1, 1993 Junie B. Jones And Her Big Fat Mouth August 24, 1993 Junie B. Jones And Some Sneaky Peeky Spying May 24, 1994 Junie B. Jones And The Yucky Blucky Fruitcake September 19, 1995 Junie B. Jones And That Meanie Jim's Birthday April 14, 1996 Junie B. Jones Loves Handsome Warren October 29, 1996 Junie B. Jones Has A Monster Under Her Bed June 24, 1997 Junie B. Jones Is Not A Crook June 24, 1997 Junie B. Jones Is A Party Animal September 16, 1997 Junie B. Jones Is A Beauty Shop Guy June 16, 1998 Junie B. Jones Smells Something Fishy November 17, 1998 Junie B. Jones Is (Almost) A Flower Girl May 25, 1999 Junie B. Jones And The Mushy Gushy Valentime December 21, 1999 Junie B. Jones Has A Peep In Her Pocket May 23, 2000 Junie B. Jones Is Captain Field Day January 2, 2001 Junie B. Jones Is A Graduation Girl May 8, 2001

The Junie B. Jones books are remembered for coloring outside the lines and staying true to oneself without compromising for anyone. By just being herself, Junie B. has her own circle of friends and even a secret admirer. Even her teachers adore her, although Junie B. can be exasperating. Sadly, Barbara Park passed away in 2013, making the last book Junie B., First Grader: Turkeys We Have Loved and Eaten (and Other Thankful Stuff). It is unknown whether Barbara Park planned to continue the Junie B. Jones books or if she planned to move Junie B. to the second grade.

7 Fun-To-Read Fairy Tales By Shogo Hirata

1991 – 1999

Shogo Hirata wrote and illustrated popular fairy tales in Japanese, but the books were translated and published in English by Modern Publishing in a segment called Fun-To-Read Fairy Tales. These books were so special because they told the original fairy tale as a children's story, no matter how depressing the narrative was. Shogo Hirata managed to turn stories with dark endings into valuable lessons for children without traumatizing them. One example is The Little Mermaid - the original fairy tale ends with Ariel taking her own life rather than the prince's.

Shogo Hirata did not turn these stories into Disney narratives but found a way to tell these stories that suited kids.

Fun-To-Read Fairy Tales does not shy away from this narrative, but this children's series focuses on the implications of Ariel's ending, because Ariel spared the prince, she ascends to a pink cloudy heaven, something Ariel always dreamed of but could not achieve as a mermaid. Some popular favorites from Fun-To-Read Fairy Tales include Peter Pan, Cinderella, Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, and Sleeping Beauty. Shogo Hirata did not turn these stories into Disney narratives but found a way to tell these stories that suited kids.

6 Alligator Baby By Robert Munsch

September 1, 1997

Robert Munsch is a beloved children's author known for classics such as The Paper Bag Princess, Love You Forever, and Stephanie's Ponytail. He has published almost 100 books for kids, beginning in 1979 and continuing to this day. Since Robert Munsch has so many published children's stories, he has quite a few that are not remembered as well as his more popular ones. One includes Alligator Baby, a story about a family expecting a new baby.

However, the mother goes into labor at the zoo, resulting in the family taking home a baby alligator instead of their human baby. This story originated from a family friend's birthday party. Robert Munsch wanted to give their daughter a birthday present, so he told her a story about a family giving birth at the zoo and taking home a baby alligator instead. Despite how much Munsch's family friend's daughter loved it, he did not actually publish it as a book until almost 20 years later.

5 Dear America

September 1, 1996 – October 1, 2004

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Dear America is a book series featuring fictional young girls placed in real historical events that have shaped the United States. These girls documented these historical events through their diaries. The series begins with A Journey To The New World, centering on a girl named Remember Patience Whipple traveling on the Mayflower in 1620. Dear America is written by various authors, and the series goes on to include other historical events, including the American Revolution, the Civil War, the Reconstruction Era, the Titanic, the World Wars, the Great Depression, the Vietnam War, and more.

Dear America was so successful that it had spinoffs—My Name Is America, the male version of this series, My America, and The Royal Diaries. Dear America even had international spinoffs, including Dear Canada, My Australian Story, and Dear India. The last Dear America book was published in 2004, but there was a brief revival in the early 2010s. The final Dear America installment was released in 2013. Authors who contributed to Dear America include Kathryn Lasky, Kristiana Gregory, Barry Denenberg, Patricia C. McKissack, Jim Murphy, and more.

4 Shiloh By Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

September 30, 1991

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is about a boy named Marty Preston, who notices his neighbor, Judd Travers, abusing his dog Shiloh. Marty attempts to rescue Shiloh from his predicament, which results in Marty working for Judd to pay for Shiloh. Shiloh is the first of four books but can be read as a standalone. The book also won the Newbery Medal, one of the highest and most prestigious honors for children's literature. Despite Shiloh's critical acclaim, it was eclipsed by more popular children's novels. Nevertheless, Shiloh is a heartwarming book that tackles complex subjects, including morality and animal abuse.

Related 10 Modern Books Likely To Become Classics One Day The books that are elevated to the level of classics in the literary canon depend on many factors, but many modern books will likely make the list.

3 Amber Brown By Paula Danziger

August 19, 1993 – August 11, 2003

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Paula Danzinger wrote the Amber Brown books, featuring a young girl named Amber Brown as she navigates life as a child of recently divorced parents. Each book deals with a different situation—the first book, Amber Brown Is Not A Crayon, features Amber's best friend, Justin, moving from New Jersey to Alabama. The series tackles complex subjects, including divorce, parent-child relationships, friendship, mental health, and significant life changes. The Amber Brown books were often featured in scholastic catalogs distributed in elementary schools.

The Original Amber Brown Books Publication Date Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon April 13, 1994 You Can't Eat Your Chicken Pox, Amber Brown April 19, 1995 Amber Brown Goes Fourth September 1, 1995 Amber Brown Wants Extra Credit April 16, 1996 Forever Amber Brown September 9, 1996 Amber Brown Sees Red February 1, 1998 Amber Brown Is Feeling Blue September 26, 1998 I, Amber Brown October 25, 1999 Amber Brown Is Green With Envy August 11, 2003

Paula Danzinger even wrote a spinoff prequel series that takes place while Amber is in second grade. Sadly, Paula Danziger passed away suddenly of a heart attack in 2004, effectively ending the Amber Brown books until the revival, written by Danziger's two closest friends, Bruce Coville and Elizabeth Levy, began in September 2012. However, most of the Amber Brown books were released in the 1990s. Most recently, Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon: The Graphic Novel was published on May 21, 2024.

2 Janie Johnson By Caroline B. Cooney

February 1, 1990 – January 1, 2013

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The Janie Johnson series by Caroline B. Cooney features Janie Johnson, a girl who finds a missing advertisement for herself on a milk carton. The series has five books spanning over 23 years. However, it took over two decades to publish five novels, so the Janie Johnson series became forgotten. The Face On The Milk Carton was a strong beginning, and What Janie Found was a great conclusion. However, by the time the last book was published in 2013, the series had overstayed its welcome and even ruined the beloved nostalgic aspect of the original books.

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1 Hank The Cowdog By John R. Erickson

1983 – Present

Hank The Cowdog by John R. Erickson revolves around a dog named Hank, who considers himself to be the Head of Ranch Security. This series, which began in 1983 and is still ongoing, features Hank and his many adventures in Ochiltree County. Although the first installment was released in 1983, the bulk of Hank's books were released in the 1990s, including Hank the Cowdog and Monkey Business, Lost in the Blinded Blizzard, The Phantom in the Mirror, Moonlight Madness, The Case of the Swirling Killer Tornado, and The Mopwater Files.

An animated adaptation was attempted a few times, but nothing came of it. However, there is a Hank The Cowdog podcast, which features the voices of many famous actors, including Matthew McConaughey, Kirsten Dunst, Leslie Jordan, and Cynthia Erivo. John R. Erickson continued publishing Hank The Cowdog books long after the 1990s—the latest installment was released in 2024, titled The Case of the Airborne Invasion. However, Hank's early stories in the 1990s were quickly swept under dozens of iconic children's books from the same decade.