Good titles let readers know what a book will be about, but great titles also tempt, tease, or titillate. They roll off the tongue, pique curiosity, or are just plain fun.

What third grader wouldn’t want to read The Truth about Poop by Susan E. Goodman or Bugs for Lunch by Margery Facklam?

Older readers are sure to pull books with titles like Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science by John Fleishman or Bodies from the Bog by James Deem off of library shelves. Titles with words like “secret,” “gruesome,” “poop,” and “mystery” certainly help sell books, but alliteration, rhyming, or unexpected word combinations can also have a big impact.

Here are two of my own titles that I especially like:

What are some of your favorites?