Sitting in my college apartment, missing having no responsibilities, I decided to start reflecting on the most care-free time in my life. I am talking about elementary school. Elementary school was filled with forming new friendships, wearing gaucho pants and scratch and sniff t-shirts, playing with our Tamagotchi pets in the bathrooms and waiting for the single most legendary, extraordinary, life-changing event ever to take place: the annual book fair. Whenever it made an appearance, eager little children went loose into a giant room and feasted their eyes upon tables and shelves of gel pens, Lisa Frank stickers, mechanical pencils, Fooey Head monkey erasers, scented erasers, mechanical erasers, over-sized erasers and of course, books.

March 2 marks National Education Association's National Read Across America Day, but did you know that this also marks the birthday of one of the most influential writers and illustrators in history? I am talking about the legendary Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, who the world had to say goodbye to at the age of 87. While I never had the chance to meet Dr. Seuss in person, he has left me and other dreamers with over 60 books to read and cherish for the rest of our lives. In honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, and National Read Across America Day, here is your very own book fair list of 87 books that will teleport you back to your fifth grade book fair.

1. "The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids" by Marcia T. Jones and Debbie Dadey

Also known as "The Bailey School Kids," this chapter book series introduced us to our favorite characters, Liza, Melody, Howie and Eddie, in dangerous situations with mythological creatures in magical stories, such as "Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots" and "Werewolves Don't Go to Summer Camp."

2. "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" by Judith Viorst

3. "Amber Brown"by Paula Danziger

Shout out to this series for introducing us kids to the real world, by teaching us about situations such as friends moving away ("Amber Brown is Not a Crayon"), divorce ("Forever Amber Brown")and having to share the spotlight ("Amber Brown is Feeling Blue"). Literature has the power to teach children valuable life lessons, and the "Amber Brown" series did just that.

4. "Amelia's Notebooks" by Marissa Moss

5. "Amelia Bedelia" by Peggy Parish and nephew Herman Parish

Through this foolish maid, we learned the importance of communication, and how it is important to know your audience when speaking out. But on a lighter note, how funny was it when Amelia thought “dusting the furniture” meant putting dust on couches and chairs, or when she thought “drawing the drapes” meant taking out a sketchpad and drawing a picture of the drapes? Me too, Amelia, me too.

6. The "American Girl" Books

Sitting down with my customized “Shelby” doll to learn about women’s suffrage and classism with "Meet Samantha;" freedom, family and racism with "Meet Addy;" andleadership and courage with "Meet Kaya" are some of the most important moments from my childhood. As well as reading and learning from "The Feelings Book"and "The Care and Keeping of You."

Note: Shoutout to the doll, Molly, for teaching me that glasses are normal.

7. Everything Andrew Clements

There was nothing more relatable than "Frindle," "The School Story" or "The Report Card." We should also take a moment to appreciate the illustrations by Brian Selznick.

8. "Animalia" by Graeme Base

9. "Anne of Green Gables"by Lucy Maud Montgomery

10. "Are You My Mother?" by P. D. Eastman

Through a little bird, children everywhere learned to appreciate their mothers, fathers and anyone they were lucky to have around and call family.

Note: Mom and dad, when you read this, know that I love you!

11. "Arthur" by Marc Tolon Brown

Yes, Arthur is in fact an aardvark. Let us just leave it at that.

12. "Babar the Elephant (Histoire de Babar)" by Jean de Brushoff

13. "The Baby-Sitters Club"by Ann M. Martin

I still wish I could join Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia and Stacey in Stoneybrook and become a part of the elite “Baby-Sitters Club.” The Baby-Sitters Club is one more novel that touched concepts that many children’s authors fear to write about, such as diabetes, job transfers, vegetarianism, divorce, body image, racism, deaf culture, allergies, asthma, abandonment and death. Ann M. Martin created a series that is exciting, relatable and enlightening, and still proves to be relevant even in 2016.

14. "Because of Winn-Dixie" by Kate DiCamillo

15. "The Bee's Sneeze" by Ellis Nadler

16. "Berenstain Bears" by Stan, Jan and Mike Berenstain

Just in case you wanted more from this cute bear family, check out this Berenstain Bears website.

17. Everything Beverly Cleary

Whether you were a fan of Ramona Quimby, Ralph S. Mouse, Beezus, Henry, Ribsy, Maggie or Socks, Beverly Cleary made an impact on the lives of many young readers. She wrote memorable characters, and even more memorable stories.

18. "The Boxcar Children" by Gertrude Chandler Warner

19. "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson

This novel, later being adapted for the screen twice, tells the bittersweet tale of the relationship between two lonely children, Jesse and Leslie. Although this story was a victim of being targeted and censored frequently, children everywhere learned lessons about friendship, imagination, loss and heartache. This story proved way ahead of its time in the types of lessons that were taught, holding children to a higher standard and treating the younger generation as actual, intellectual human beings, capable of understanding serious and controversial topics, such as the ones Paterson touched on.

20. "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" by Bill Martin, Jr.

21. "Calvin and Hobbes" by Bill Watterson

22. "Cam Jansen Mysteries" by David A. Adler

Because who doesn’t want to be a detective in fifth grade?

23. "Captain Underpants" by Dav Pilkey

OK, hands down, one of coolest comic books to ever exist, no questions asked. However, I am slightly disappointed that I don’t see more people on the streets of San Francisco wearing nothing but underwear and a cape.

24. "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White

25. "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" written by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault

26. "Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type" by Doreen Cronin

In case you wanted more from Doreen Cronin, check out "Giggle, Giggle, Quack," "Click, Clack, Splish, Splash: A Counting Adventure" and my personal favorite, "Duck for President."

27. "Clifford the Big Red Dog" by Norman Bridwell

The book, and television show, that made being allergic to dogs extremely heartbreaking.

28. "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" by Judi Barrett

29. "Corduroy"by Don Freeman

It was only a matter of time until we all had our very own stuffed bear named Corduroy.

30. "Chrysanthemum" by Kevin Henkes

31. "Curious George" by Margret and H. A. Rey

32. Everything Dr. Seuss

You didn’t think I’d write an article about children’s books, honoring Dr. Seuss, without mentioning Dr. Seuss himself, did you? Here’s a short list of some of his most notable work:

“Fox In Socks,” “Green Eggs And Ham,” “Dr. Seuss’s ABC,” “Hop On Pop,” “Horton Hears A Who,” “How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” “If I Ran The Zoo,” “Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?,” “Oh, Say Can You Say?,” “Oh, The Places You’ll Go,” “Oh, The Things You Can Think,” “One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish,” “The Lorax,” “There’s A Wocket In My Pocket,” “Put Me In The Zoo,” “What Pet Should I Get,” “The Cat In The Hat”

33. "Elmer the Patchwork Elephant" by David McKee

My mom once went to work dressed as Elmer the Patchwork Elephant, so to say this book is important and memorable is an understatement.

34. "Eloise"by Kay Thompson

We all could relate to Eloise in one way or another, which is why when this was adapted for screen, every little girl was slightly disappointed they didn’t get chosen to play Eloise. But, regardless of our slightly bitter feelings, does anyone else still re-watch "Eloise at Christmastime" with Julie Andrews, Gavin Creel, Jeffrey Tambor and Sofia Vassilieva every year during the holidays?

35. "Encyclopedia Brown"by Donald J. Sobol

Raise your hand if you wish you had the same brain as Leroy Brown, and could use it to graduate on time and earn a well-paid job.

36. "The Story of Ferdinand"by Munro Leaf

37. "Frog and Toad" by Arnold Lobel

38. "Goodnight Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown

The bedtime story.

39. "Goosebumps" by R.L. Stine

"Night of the Living Dummy" and "The Haunted Mask" still give me nightmares to this day.

40. "The Gruffalo" by Julia Donaldson

41. "The Guinness Book of World Records"

Admit it, you and your friends sat in the corner of the library for hours deciding which record you could break, and would break next.

42. "Harold and the Purple Crayon" by Crockett Johnson

43. "Harry Potter"(all of them) by J.K. Rowling

If you haven’t read any of the books or seen any of the movies you are seriously missing out. J.K. Rowling is a literary queen and deserves all of your money.

44. "Holes"by Louis Sachar

Although "Holes"is now known for the lead actor, (actual cannibal) Shia LaBeouf, in the screenplay adaptation, the novel the film is based on is a clever and exciting story that everyone should read. Also, in case you haven’t discovered this when reading or on Tumblr yet, Stanley Yelnats backwards is Stanley Yelnats, so that’s genius.

45. "I Spy" by Jean Marzollo

Way better than expensive college textbooks.

46. "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" by Laura Numeroff

And by this I really mean the "If You Give" series. No one can ever forget about “If You Give a Moose a Muffin,” “If You Give a Pig a Pancake,” “If You Give a Bison some Biceps,” and “If You Give a Llama a Yarmulke.” OK, I made up the last two, but you get the idea.

47. Everything Judy Blume

Some Judy Blume classics include “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing,” “Superfudge,” “Freckle Juice”and “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.”

48. "Junie B. Jones" by Barbara Park

49. Everything Lewis Carroll

Many of us have read "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," but if you have yet to read the "Jabberwocky," do it now!

50. "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis

The first published and most-read novel from the well-known series, "The Chronicles of Narnia." Don’t mind me, I’ll just be sitting in my closet until I somehow end up in Narnia as well.

51. "The Little Engine That Could" by Watty Piper

52. "Little House on the Prairie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder

53. "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

54. "Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch

55. "Madeline" by Ludwig Bemelmans

Not only did Madeline teach us how to be unique and brave, but she made every reader want to get on a plane and travel to France just to go on adventures with her.

56. "The Magic School Bus" by Joanna Cole

Both the book series and the television show were huge hits, and are still popular to this day. If you haven't seen this fan-made parody trailer, then you are missing out. Please watch this video, and remember the importance of Ms. Valerie Frizzle.

57. The "Magic Tree House" series by Mary Pope Osborne

58. "Miss Nelson is Missing!" by Harry Allard

Starring the one and only Miss Viola Swamp, also known as “the meanest substitute teacher in the whole world.” Someone call in Ms. Frizzle and the Magic School Bus ASAP.

59. "Mr. Popper's Penguins" by Richard and Florence Atwater

60. "Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea" by Cynthia Rylant

Ah, the first book my friends and I read in our elementary school book club. Also known as the book that made me sad that I’m allergic to cats.

61. "Nancy Drew Mystery Stories"by Carolyn Keene

Yes, the movie adaptation was everything we ever dreamed of.

62. "Olivia" by Ian Falconer

This pig, not pigs in general, but this pig is my spirit animal. Her love for everything artsy is almost as great and legendary as her fierceness and confidence.

63. "Paddington Bear" by Michael Bond

64. Everything Paul Jennings

Whether it’s the "Rascal," Gizmo" or "Unreal!" series, we all were hooked at one point in our young lives.

65. "Peter Pan" by J. M. Barrie

Ahhh Peter Pan, my first literary crush. Good times, good times.

66. "Pippi Longstocking" by Astrid Lindgren

The spunkiest and coolest redhead around. I mean, let’s be real, she had a pet monkey. All we need is for her to take her pet monkey, move to France, and be best friends with Madeline.

67. "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg

68. "The Railway Children" by E. Nesbit

69. "Rainbow Fish" by Marcus Pfister

This book was probably a favorite for most children… Until they had to analyze it in their high school AP English classes, and acknowledge the fact that the book is just Marxist propaganda. Actually it’s still a cool story about a fish with rainbow, shiny scales, so we'll let that slide.

70. Everything Roald Dahl

Since there was no way I could pick just one, here is a list of some Roald Dahl books that proves how much of a genius he is:

“The Twits,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “The Witches,” “Matilda,” “The BFG,” “James and the Giant Peach,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “The Gremlins,” “Dirty Beasts,” “George’s Marvelous Medicine,” “Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator,” “Esio Trot,” “Going Solo,” and “Revolting Rhymes.” Also, if you have yet to see the screen adaptations for some of these books, please do so. (Especially Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox.”)

71. "A Series of Unfortunate Events" by Lemony Snicket

If you have not read this series yet, go read every single one of the books right now. Although the movie wasn’t the best, all of us Lemony Snicket fans are freaking out about the Netflix series being created based on these books, especially since Neil Patrick Harris is supposedly starring in it.

72. Everything Shel Silverstein

In case you aren’t feeling nostalgic yet, start thinking about “The Giving Tree,” “Where the Sidewalk Ends,” “Falling Up,” “Runny Babbit,” “A Light in the Attic,” “Different Dances” and “A Giraffe and a Half.” I also just discovered that my name is in a Shel Silverstein book, so if you ever discover a copy of “Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book,” please let me know.

73. "Shiloh" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

74. "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants"by Ann Brashares

Not only did these novels have beautiful covers that were extremely appealing to the eye, but once you started reading, you instantly felt that you could relate to either Tibby, Bridget, Lena or Carmen.

75. "Stellaluna" by Janell Cannon

76. "The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales" by Jon Scieszka

77. "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter

78. "The Tales of Hans Christian Anderson"

79. "There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" by Simms Taback

"But I don't know why She swallowed that fly Perhaps she'll die.”

80. "The Velveteen Rabbit"by Margery Williams

81. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle

“On Saturday, he ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice-cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake, and one slice of watermelon.” Good luck with the Freshman 15, very hungry caterpillar. Good luck.

82. "Wayside School" by Louis Sachar

Once again Louis Sachar is a genius and fills his books with clever riddles and concepts that make reading exciting. Some examples: deleting the 19th chapter because there is no 19th floor in the school, having the 17th chapter in every book be backwards or upside down, making the 22nd chapter of the books (and the 22nd episode of the television show) be about the Three Erics, and deciding to end each book with “everybody booed,” “everybody mooed” and “everybody ooohed.” Stanley Yelnats never made an appearance, but Sachar definitely wrote this series using his iconic style, and we are forever grateful.

83. "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak

84. "Where's Wally?" by Martin Handford (aka "Where's Waldo?")

Wally/Waldo/Wilma/Wenda -- inspiring high school Halloween costumes everywhere.

85. "Who Will Be My Pet?" by Stan Tusan

While it may not be the most popular children’s book, it is definitely one to read. Just look at the cute pig on the cover!

86. "Winnie-the-Pooh" by A. A. Milne

87. "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum

And our 87th book is saved for one of the most memorable and well-known book-to-screen adaptations in history: "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz"

Although we lost a brilliant author when he was 87 years old, let’s honor him and this national day by getting off the computer, going to a book store, buying all 87 books on this list and devoting our day to reading. Happy National Read Across America Day!