Go to
www.sonlight.com and check out their curriculum. they are a lit based curriculum so the lists of books are long and they pick great stuff.
it is a religious curriculum but the books are mainstream.
newberry award books are a good start.
good authors are L'Engle, Voight, Robin McKinley, god i could go on and on... Taylor both of Roll of Thunder hear my Cry fame and the one who wrote the Cay...
I love kids lit more than anything. pm me if you want.