The Berenstain Bears books were a big part of my younger days. Before I could read, my Mom would read these books to me on a regular basis. Then, I cut my teeth reading using those same books. When I got to school, they were the books I would check out from the library. When I went to the Doctor’s office, they are what I would take to take my mind off the visit while waiting. Stan & Jan created a hit not only with me, but likely with millions of other children as well.

The Berenstain Bears stories were down to earth and always had a great moral to the story. The family of four bears…Poppa, Momma, Brother, and Sister…were always in some kind of situation that most kids could relate to in some way. The books were fairly easy to read, and written in a manner that held your interest throughout.

In the early days of the Berenstain Bears books, they dealt with more light-hearted subjects like bullying, greediness bad dreams, fear of the dentist, and other such real world plights of children. In recent years, they have tackled some bigger issues like drugs, religion, and divorce. Unfortunately, the books have changed with the times and reflect the state of the world we currently live in. The subject matter has had to change, but I’m just saddened that kids these days have to deal with these tougher subjects. I wish they lived in simpler times like we did growing up.

I would usually get a new book when something was going on in life. It seemed like their was always a Berenstain Bears book about whatever was going on in my young life, and my Mom would always pick up the right book at the right time. Call me sappy or whatever, but reading those books dealing with a situation that I was or was about to be dealing helped when I was young.

When my own daughters came along, Berenstain Bear books were the backbone of their book collection. Not just the stories, but the very same copies of the books that I had while growing up. My Mom kept every single one of them, and when my first daughter came along, she made sure to pass them along to me to share with her. Some of the first books my daughters read were these books. Just like when I was a kid, the fabulous and rich art work, combined with the story telling engaged my kid’s minds, and even now in their pre-teen years, they are still favorites.

So without further ado, here are the Top 10 Berenstain Bears books of all-time!

10. Too Much Junk Food
“Mama Bear lays down the law when she notices that Papa and the cubs are getting too chubby. With the help of Dr. Grizzly’s slide show on how the body works, the Bear family makes a healthful adjustment in their diet and fitness habits.”

09. Trouble at School
“While out of school for a few days with a cold, Brother Bear ignores his make-up work. And when he returns to class, he discovers the consequences of neglecting his responsibilities: he fails his division test. Grizzly Gramps helps Brother learn that it’s never too late to correct a mistake.”

08. The New Baby
“This brightly illustrated story tells of a youngster’s happy acceptance of a new addition to the family and how Mama and Papa Bear assist him with the adjustment.”

07. Visit the Dentist
“Sister Bear watches Dr. Bearson fill Brother Bear’s small cavity. Then it’s her turn in the chair to have a dangling baby tooth removed.”

06. Go to School
“A sympathetic story about Sister Bear, who conquers her fear of starting kindergarten.”

05. Double Dare
“Too-Tall Grizzly and his gang dare Brother to steal a watermelon from Farmer Ben’s patch, and when the gang runs away, Brother is caught. Fortunately, Farmer Ben is a good neighbor, and offers Brother advice about standing up for what is right.”

04. Mama’s New Job
“When Mama turns her quilt-making hobby into a business, the Bear family worries that she won’t have time for them. But as everyone pitches in to help her, they realize that things aren’t so different after all—and they’re prouder of Mama than ever!”

03. No Girls Allowed
“Sister Bear can run faster, climb higher, and hit a ball farther than the boys, and she gloats over it. So Brother Bear and his friends build a clubhouse for boys only, and Sister is hopping mad! She plans a honey of a revenge in this funny and thoughtful book.”

02. Trouble With Money
“To earn coins for the Astro Bear video game, Brother and Sister Bear find ways to work for money. How they find the middle ground between being spendthrifts and little misers makes for a funny, realistic story.”

01. Go To Camp
“Though Grizzly Bob’s Day Camp looks exciting, Brother and Sister Bear are apprehensive. But after spending a few days trying things out, they discover they can have fun.”