Do you ever get stuck trying to think of good books for your child to read? Well, here are 10 authors who have stood the test of time (or else recently burst onto the scene with enormous popularity). These authors and their books are generally appropriate for children ages 8-12.

1. Beverley Clear - American author Beverly Cleary was inspired to write children's books by recalling her own childhood frustration about the lack of humorous books about ordinary children. The results included Henry Huggins (1950), Beezus and Ramona (1955), and The Mouse and the Motorcycle (1965).
2. Laura Ingalls Wilder - American writer Laura Ingalls Wilder is best known for her series of historical novels, known collectively as the Little House books. The series, which is loosely based on Wilder's life, includes Little House on the Prairie (1935).
3. Roald Dahl - British writer Roald Dahl wrote novels, short stories, and film scripts, but is best known for his children's books, which include Danny the Champion of the World (1975); James and the Giant Peach (1961); and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964).
4. J. K. Rowlina - British author J. K. Rowling wrote her first story at age six. The manuscript for her first book, which was published in the United States as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (1998), was rejected from several publishers before finally being published in Britain in 1997.
5. Betty MacDonald - American author Betty MacDonald published her first book for children, Mrs. Piggle - Wiggle, in 1947. This was the first in a series of books about a kind--and somewhat eccentric--woman who provided parents with special remedies for children who misbehave.
6. E. B. White - A regular contributor to The New Yorker for many years, American essayist and writer E. B. White wrote several beloved children's books. White authored Stuart Little (1945), Charlotte's Web (1952), and The Trumpet of the Swan (1970).
7. Louisa May Alcott - American author Louisa May Alcott is best known for Little Women (1868-1869). However, Alcott also wrote several other children's books, including Little Men (1871) and Eight Cousins (1875).
8. Astrid Lindren - With the publication of Pippi Langstrump (1945; translated as Pippi Longstocking, 1950), Swedish author Astrid Lindgren introduced the strongest girl on earth, a nine-year- old redheaded orphan, to the world. The author of more than 50 books, Lindgren also wrote a series about a boy detective and another about a mischievous boy named Emil.
9. Lewis Carroll - English writer Lewis Carroll wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865). The stories of Alice were originally written for Alice Liddell, the daughter of a friend. The names and sayings of Carroll's characters, such as the March Hare, the Mad Hatter, and the Cheshire Cat, have become part of everyday speech
10. Susan Cooper - English-born author Susan Cooper melds myth, legend, and folklore in her fantasy novels. The Dark Is Rising series, which includes The Dark Is Rising (1973), Greenwitch (1974), and The Grey King (1975), deals with the eternal conflict of good and evil. In the 1990s, Cooper began a new series of books about boggarts (invisible spirits found in British folktales); she is also the author of a number of picture books.