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Suggestions for
CHILDREN
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We’re told to read with our kids, but far too often
kids’ books are so boring and repetitive that neither kids nor parents enjoy
them. The books I pick out for my daughter fall into three categories: books
I thought looked fascinating, that my daughter could never be persuaded to
read; books she read once, and happily sent to the used book store a year
later without ever reading again; and books she read and reread for months or
years. This list is of the keepers--with, I admit, a few books that I still
think she should have liked. I haven’t included books on Barney,
Thomas the Tank Engine, the Magic School Bus and such major franchises (even
though my child enjoyed them) because you can’t miss those unless you live in
a sensory deprivation tank.
I have not vetted these books for political or
philosophical correctness. If you disagree with a point one of the authors
makes, tell your child that you do and why you do. You’ll end up having some
fascinating conversations.
Remember that Amazon is an invaluable source of excerpts
and reviews, which can help you judge whether a book is right for your child.
The book list is sorted by year, but the year given is
the one at which our family ran across each book, or read the first in a
series. Some books may be appropriate to earlier ages, and many will still be
appropriate for years afterward.
FERBER, Richard.
Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems.
Being able to sleep through the night isn't an inborn skill, and figuring out
how to teach it to your baby isn't something you can do when you're not
getting much sleep yourself. This book was a sanity-saver. Incidentally,
Ferber's technique only took one night to work on our daughter.
MAYER, Mercer.
Snow Day. A touch book, more
interesting than Pat the Bunny and similar books.
I
Spy Treasure Hunt: A Book of Picture Riddles. By this age, kids find it
fascinating to settle down with a really detailed picture and search for
specific things. A book like this can get you a long way on a boring car ride
or a long line.
HOLABIRD, Katharine.
Angelina
Ballerina. Illustrated by Helen Craig. Mouse girl finds a way to
channel her exuberant love of dance.
LOBEL, Arnold.
Days
with Frog and Toad. Lobel's books were favorites for well over a
year, and among the first books my daughter read to herself.
LOBEL, Arnold.
Frog
and Toad All Year.
LOBEL, Arnold.
Frog and Toad Together.
LOBEL, Arnold.
Mouse Tales. Seven charming short
stories, with illustrations.
LOBEL, Arnold.
On
the Day Peter Stuyvesant Sailed into Town. Entertaining story of
early New York. As I recall, I liked it more than my daughter did.
BONSALL, Crosby Newell.
Who's
a Pest?: A Homer Story. (An I Can Read Book, Level 2.) Homer
tries to prove to his sisters Lolly, Molly, Polly and Dolly that he's not a
pest. The text is reminiscent of Abbott & Costello's "Who's On
First?" routine.
FREEMAN, Don.
Pet
of the Met. About a mouse family living in an opera house, written by
the author of the Corduroy Bear books. I used this to segue into
Mozart's Magic Flute, which the mouse family loves to perform (see
Videos and Music section).
GRAHAME, Kenneth.
The
Wind in the Willows. The full-length version, too detailed and a bit
too British for very young American children.
GRAHAME, Kenneth.
Wind
in the Willows, A Young Reader's Edition
of the Classic Story. Retold by G.C. Barrett, Illustrated by Don Daily.
This abridged version, with lovely illustrations, is perfect for reading
aloud.
LINDGREN, Astrid.
Pippi
Longstocking. Riotous adventures of a Swedish girl fending for
herself while her father rules a South-Sea island.
LINDGREN, Astrid.
Pippi
Goes on Board. Translated by Florence eLamborn. Illustrated by Louis S.
Glanzman. Further adventures of a Swedish girl fending for herself while
her father rules a South-Sea island.
NUMEROFF, Laura Joffe.
If
You Give a Moose a Muffin. Amusing "what if?" text, with
clever illustrations that add considerably to the story.
NUMEROFF, Laura Joffe.
If
You Give a Mouse a Cookie.
ANDERSON, C.W.
Billy
and Blaze. Originally published in the 1930s, the Billy and Blaze
series are classic stories of a boy who "loved horses more than anything
else in the world."
Others in the series:
Blaze
and the Forest Fire.
Blaze
and the Lost Quarry.
Blaze
and the Mountain Lion.
Blaze
and Thunderbolt.
Blaze
Finds the Trail.
Blaze
Shows the Way.
KELLOGG, Steven.
Island
of the Skog.
KELLOGG, Steven.
Jimmy's
Boa and the Big Splash Birthday Bash.
KELLOGG, Steven.
Jimmy's
Boa Bounces Back.
KELLOGG, Steven.
The
Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash .
KELLOGG, Steven.
The
Mysterious Tadpole.
KELLOGG, Steven.
The
Three Little Pigs. The pigs, who run a "wafflery," use
their baking expertise to dispose of the wolf.
MINARIK, Else Homelund. The Little Bear series,
charming and benevolent, the basis for the cartoon. Illustrated by Maurice
Sendak.
Little
Bear.
A Kiss for Little Bear.
Father
Bear Comes Home.
Little
Bear's Friend.
Little
Bear's Visit.
PRELUTSKY, Jack, ed.
The
Random House Book of Poetry for Children. This wonderful collection
of poems will entertain for years; it includes classics ("The Gingham
Dog and the Calico Cat") and many more recent works.
SILVERSTEIN, Shel.
The
Missing Piece Meets the Big O. Heavily illustrated story of a
pie-shaped piece searching for fulfillment. I don't like all Silverstein's
books, but I do like this one.
STANDIFORD, Natalie.
Bravest
Dog Ever, The True Story of Balto. Great as a supplement to the
animated movie (see Videos and Music).
STEIG, William.
Doctor
De Soto. A compassionate and clever mouse-dentist outwits a fox with
a toothache ... and an appetite.
STEIG, William.
Doctor
De Soto Goes to Africa.
Dr. De Soto, called to Africa to help an elephant with a toothache, is
kidnapped by the evil Honkitonk.
ATWATER,
Richard and Florence.
Mr.
Popper's Penguins. Illustrated by Robert Lawson. The Popper family
ingeniously deals with its twelve penguin pets.
BLIZZARD, Gladys S. Come Look with Me.
Enjoying
Art With Children. High-quality color reproductions of 12 paintings
showing children, with a series of questions on the facing page aimed at
encouraging children to observe paintings closely. Below the questions are a
few paragraphs about the painting. Included are works by Goya, Holbein the
Younger, Manet, Bouguereau, and Renoir and Picasso (one early and mediocre,
the other later and horrid).
LEPSCKY, Ibi.
Albert
Einstein. Translated by Ruth Parl Craig. A brief account of
Einstein's childhood.
LEPSCKY, Ibi.
Amadeus
Mozart. Translated by Ruth Parl Craig. A brief account of Mozart's
childhood.
LEPSCKY, Ibi.
Leonardo
Da Vinci. Biography of Leonardo as a child, emphasizing his curiosity
about many different fields and how he integrated his knowledge.
LEPSCKY, Ibi.
Marie
Curie. Translated by Marcel Danesi. Biography of Marie Curie as a
child.
LEPSCKY, Ibi.
William
Shakespeare. Biography of Shakespeare as a child.
POTTER, Beatrix.
The
Great Big Treasury of Beatrix Potter, With Her Original Illustrations.
Nineteen stories, superbly written and not at all politically correct,
including the tales of Peter Rabbit, the Tailor of Gloucester, Tom Kitten and
Jemima Puddle-Duck. My daughter and I read this together, and later she read
it herself, over and over and over.
SCHWARTZ, David M.
How
Much Is a Million? Illustrated by Steven Kellogg. This
discussion of the values of large numbers is too amusing to count as a
textbook. Illustrated by Steven Kellogg, who has written or illustrated many
excellent childrens' books.
STEIG, Jeanne.
Alpha
Beta Chowder. Illustrated by William Steig. Silly poems for each
letter of the alphabet, with a much more elevated vocabulary than usual for
children's books.
SUKACH, Jim. Dr. Quicksolve Mysteries. At
about five, logical puzzles began to fascinate my child. They'll give your
brain a workout as well. In the series:
Clever
Quicksolve Whodunit Puzzles,
Baffling
Whodunit Puzzles,
Challenging
Whodunit Puzzles,
Great
Quicksolve Whodunit Puzzles.
Ultimate
Visual Dictionary 2001. Over 600 pages of excellent photos
and drawings, giving the names of wholes and parts of everything from the
solar system to downhill ski equipment, with gothic cathedrals and CD players
in between. A fascinating book for children to flip through (leave it open on
a table), and incidentally a useful reference for the materials and
terminology of painting, sculpture, music and architecture.
ALGER, Horatio.
Ragged
Dick and Mark the Match Boy (2 works in 1 vol.). The formula
stays the same for every book (courageous, intelligent boy overcomes
hardships to achieve his goals), but after reading some of the more recent
Newbery-Medal winners, I've come to appreciate this stress on the values of
thought and hard work. The vocabulary is challenging for a six-year-old; I
think my husband or I always read these with our daughter.
ALGER, Horatio.
Struggling
Upward, Or, Luke Larkin's Luck.
ANDREWS, J.A.
The
Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles. My daughter loves this book,
and has reread it at least 4 times. I've tried to get through it, and can't.
Go figure.
BANKS, Lynne Reid.
The
Indian in the Cupboard. Illustrated by Brock Cole. Omri's magical
cupboard makes plastic figurines come alive - but the tiny cowboys and
Indians are real, strong-willed people, not content to be treated like toys.
BANKS, Lynne Reid.
The
Return of the Indian.
BENDER, Michael.
Waiting
for Filippo: The Life of Renaissance Architect Filippo Brunelleschi. A Pop-Up Book.
Brief biography of one of the great figures of the early Renaissance, the
sculptor, engineer and architect Brunelleschi, who completed the dome of
Florence's Cathedral. This book includes pop-ups of his most famous
buildings; the text is considerably more advanced than is usual for pop-up
books.
BERENZY, Alix.
A
Frog Prince. A frog prince searches for his true love. The illustrations
are quite lovely.
BLUNDELL, Tony.
Beware
of Boys. Intrepid boy outwits ravenous wolf. Great illustrations,
funny recipes.
BURNETT, Frances Hodgson.
A
Little Princess.
BURNETT, Frances Hodgson.
Little
Lord Fauntleroy. An intelligent, considerate young boy raised in
America learns that he will inherit an earldom, but to do so will have to
live with his curmudgeonly grandfather rather than his beloved mother.
BURNETT, Frances Hodgson.
The
Lost Prince. Samavian patriots Marco Loristan and his father must
secretly prepare for the day when the Lost Prince will return to his war-torn
country. This edition is abridged.
BURNETT, Frances Hodgson.
The
Secret Garden. This classic tale of three children who discover a
dying garden and strive to revive it is "a mysterious adventure story
about children who become awakened to the joy of life" (Lisa Van Damme,
*The Intellectual Activist* 13:3, p.13).
CLEMENTS, Andrew.
Frindle.
Illustrated by Brian Selznick. How does a new sound become a recognized
new word? I suspect I liked this one better than my daughter--philological
adventure stories are so rare.
D'AULAIRE, Ingri & Edgar Parin.
D'Aulaires'
Book of Greek Myths. Well-written retellings of the principal Greek
myths, from Gaea and the Titans to Heracles, King Midas and the Golden
Fleece.
FRITZ, Jean.
And
Then What Happened, Paul Revere? Illustrated by Margot Tomes. Well-written biography of Paul
Revere. All Fritz's books on famous Americans are excellent; my daughter read
them again and again.
FRITZ, Jean.
Can't
You Make Them Behave, King George? Illustrated by Tomie dePaola.
The American Revolution from the British point of view, more or less.
FRITZ, Jean.
George
Washington's Breakfast. Illustrated by Paul Galdone. A boy named
after George Washington tenaciously tries to learn what the first president
ate for breakfast.
FRITZ, Jean.
Shh!
We're Writing the Constitution. Illustrated by Tomie dePaola. Covers
the major issues and events surround the writing of the U.S. Constitution and
its ratification, written at a level a grade-school child could understand.
At the end of the text, the Constitution is reprinted.
FRITZ, Jean.
What's
the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?
FRITZ, Jean.
Where
Do You Think You're Going, Christopher Columbus? Illustrated by Margot Tomes.
Fascinating account of Columbus and his voyages.
FRITZ, Jean.
Where
Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May? Patrick Henry's life and
career, including excerpts from his most famous speech.
FRITZ, Jean.
Who's
That Stepping on Plymouth Rock? A "biography" of Plymouth
Rock.
FRITZ, Jean.
Why
Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams? Illustrated by Trina Schart
Hyman. Biography of one of the Founding Fathers.
FRITZ, Jean.
Will
You Sign Here, John Hancock? Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman.
Biography of the Founding Father who was also the richest man in New England.
GARDINER, John Reynolds.
Top
Secret. Illustrated by Marc Simont. Everyone thinks Allen's school
science project, human photosynthesis, is a joke--except the government, which
sees him a national security risk and sends agents to capture him.
GRIFFIN, Judith Berry.
Phoebe
the Spy. During the Revolutionary War Phoebe, daughter of the owner
of Fraunces Tavern in lower Manhattan, spies for the Americans. It makes for
an exciting story, although the guides at the Tavern declare it's completely
untrue. I liked this one better than Allegra did.
HADDIX, M.P.
Running
Out of Time. Intriguing premise, like 1800-house with the inhabitants
(of a whole village, in this case) not knowing that there's a more advanced
world outside.
HEIDE, Florence Parry, and Judith Heide Gilliland.
House
of Wisdom. Illustrated by Mary Grandpre. A boy growing up in
ninth-century Baghdad discovers the wonders of the House of Wisdom, one of
the greatest libraries in the medieval world. A map and some historical
background are included at the end. This is another one that I loved, but my
daughter was indifferent to.
HENRY, Marguerite.
Misty
of Chincoteague. Classic story for horse-lovers.
HENRY, Marguerite.
Stormy,
Misty's Foal.
JUSTER, Norton.
The
Phantom Tollbooth. Illustrated by Jules Feiffer. An intriguing story
full of marvelous, silly word-play. A sample:
"I don't think you understand," said Milo
timidly as the watchdog growled a warning. "We're looking for a place to
spend the night."
"It's not yours to spend," the bird shrieked
again, and followed it with the same horrible laugh.
"That doesn't make any sense, you see - " he
started to explain.
"Dollars or cents, it's still not yours to
spend," the bird replied haughtily.
"But I didn't mean - " insisted Milo.
"Of course you're mean," interrupted the bird,
closing the eye that had been open and opening the one that had been closed.
"Anyone who'd spend a night that doesn't belong to him is very mean."
(pp. 204-5)
KING-SMITH, Dick.
Babe:
The Gallant Pig. Even better than the children's movie of the same
name.
KULLING, M.
Great
Houdini: World-Famous Magician & Escape Artist. Read it after
watching the Breaking the Magician's Code videos.
LEVINE, Gail Carson.
Cinderellis
and the Glass Hill. A lonely farm lad uses his ingenuity to win a
princess' hand. One of Levine's Princess Tales series.
LEVINE, Gail Carson.
Ella
Enchanted. A wonderful, unexpectedly different retelling of the
Cinderella story, with a spunky, intelligent heroine to whom a fairy has
given a severe handicap: if given a direct order, she must always obey. This
is one of the books we started reading with my daughter, and she snuck off
and read more of it by herself after lights out. (So my husband and I, who
were really interested, read the book separately ourselves, which does NOT
often happen with children's books.)
Read Ella Enchanted, watch Ever After and
Disney's Cinderella, then have a long chat with your child (or your
significant other) about which Cinderella is your favorite and why. What does
each one want? What resources does she have to get it? What's preventing her,
and how does she overcome that obstacle?
LEVINE, Gail Carson.
Princess
Sonora and the Long Sleep. Sleeping Beauty retold, with an extra
prince, new fairy gifts and a flock of balding sheep. One of Levine's Princess
Tales series.
LEVINE, Gail Carson.
The
Fairy's Mistake. A fairy's gift and punishment have unexpected
results. One of Levine's Princess Tales series.
LEVINE, Gail Carson.
The
Princess Test. Revamped Princess and the Pea story. One of Levine's
Princess Tales series.
LEVINE, Gail Carson.
The
Two Princesses of Bamarre. When her heroic and charismatic older
sister falls ill with the dreaded Gray Death, mouse-hearted Addie must find
the courage to search for the cure.
LEVINE, Gail Carson.
The
Wish. A little old lady grants ordinary Wilma her wish to be most
popular girl in middle school, with unexpected results.
Mad Libs. Hilarious results, and if
being hilarious isn't enough, it's good for grammar and spelling as well.
Great for car rides. A random sampling from the many available:
Mad
Libs
Vacation
Fun Mad Libs
Mad
Mad Mad Mad Mad Libs
Goofy
Mad Libs
McCAUGHREAN, Geraldine.
The
Random House Book of Stories from the Ballet. Illustrated by Angela
Barrett. Retells the stories of Swan Lake, Coppelia, Giselle, Cinderella,
La Sylphide, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, The Firebird, Petrouchka and
The Sleeping Beauty. Still being reread at age 10.
PATERSON, Katherine.
The
King's Equal. To inherit his father's crown, spoiled Prince Raphael
must find and marry a woman who is his equal in beauty, intelligence and
wealth.
PAXTON, Tom.
The
Marvelous Toy. Illustrated by Elizabeth Sayles. Words and joyful
illustrations of the boy and the toy from one of my favorite Christmas songs:
"It went ZIP when it moved, and BOP when it stopped, and WHIRRR when it
stood still; I never knew just what it was, and I guess I never will.".
Piano music on the flyleaves.
PRELUTSKY, Jack.
A
Pizza the Size of the Sun: Poems. One of my daughter's favorite
poets.
PRELUTSKY, Jack.
It's
Raining Pigs & Noodles.
PRELUTSKY, Jack.
The
New Kid on the Block.
PRELUTSKY, Jack.
Something
Big Has Been Here.
QUACKENBUSH, Robert.
Daughter
of Liberty: A True Story of the American Revolution. Daring heroine
rescues George Washington's documents from the Morris-Jumel Mansion (still
standing in upper Manhattan).
REY, H.A.
Find
the Constellations. A well-written discussion of basic astronomy.
Rey's descriptions of the constellations fit in especially well after reading
D'Aulaires'
Book of Greek Myths. Of course, this book's even more useful if you
live in the country, and can actually see the stars at night.
SABIN, Louis.
Thomas
Alva Edison: Young Inventor. Illustrated by George Ulrich. Focuses on
how Edison's childhood led to his later scientific work; a bit heavy on
narrative, but nevertheless very interesting.
SABIN, Louis.
Wilbur
and Orville Wright: The Flight to
Adventure. Illustrated by John Lawn. Focuses on how the childhood of the
Wright Brothers prepared them for their pioneering experiments in flight; a
bit heavy on narrative, but nevertheless very interesting.
SZIESZKA, Jon. The Time Warp Trio series, not at
all realistic but very entertaining. My daughter started reading these around
age 6, and four years later she still rereads them. They're based on history
and myth, so some of the jokes she certainly didn't get the first time
through. If you’re child’s interested in a particular subject or period (the
Wild West, Ancient Egypt, etc.), try the book that’s related to that first.
Knights
of the Kitchen Table (Time Warp Trio, 1). King Arthur's court.
The
Not-So-Jolly Roger (Time Warp Trio, 2). On a pirate ship.
The
Good, the Bad, and the Goofy (Time Trio, 3). Wild West.
Your
Mother Was a Neanderthal (Time Warp Trio, 4). Stone Age.
2095
(Time Warp Trio, 5). Late 21st century.
Tut,
Tut (Time Warp Trio, 6). Ancient Egypt.
Summer
Reading Is Killing Me! (Time Warp Trio, 7). The Time Warp Trio among
characters from classics of children's literature: an easy way to get your
child interested in such works.
It's
All Greek to Me (Time Warp Trio, 8). Ancient Greece.
Sam
Samurai (Time Warp Trio, 9). Japan, ca. 1600.
See You Later, Gladiator (Time Warp Trio,
10). Ancient Rome.
Hey
Kid, Want to Buy A Bridge? (Time Warp Trio, 11). During construction
of the Brooklyn Bridge, with guest start Thomas Edison.
SZIEZCKA, Math
Curse. Bemused student finds that almost everything in his life is a
math problem.
THURBER, James.
The
Great Quillow. Illustrated by Steven Kellogg. Courageous inventor
struggles to rid his small town of a destructive and ravenously hungry giant.
This is one of my all-time favorites, exciting and hilarious. Illustrated by
Steven Kellogg, who has written many excellent childrens' books. Woddly,
woddly, woddly.
THURBER, James.
Many
Moons. Illustrated by Louis Slobodkin. What a parent thinks a child
is asking for is not always what a child wants.
TWAIN, Mark.
Adventures
of Huckleberry Finn. Great story for reading aloud with kids; the
sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. This edition includes reproductions
of the illustrations for the 1885 edition, by E.W. Kemble.
TWAIN, Mark.
The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Great story for reading aloud with kids.
This edition includes reproductions of the True T. Williams illustrations
commissioned by Twain for the first edition.
UNTERMEYER, Louis, ed.
The
Golden Books Family Treasury of Poetry. This wonderful illustrated collection
includes many familiar poems by authors ranging from Robert Louis Stevenson,
William Blake and Robert Browning to Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allan Poe and
Ogden Nash. It's particularly strong on story-poems like "The
Highwayman" and "The Pied Piper of Hamelin."
WISNIEWSKI, David.
The
Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups. Extremely silly answers to such
questions as : Why eat your vegetables? Why drink milk? Why comb your hair?
Why not jump on your bed? My daughter still reads this and giggles at age 10.
WISNIEWSKI, David.
The
Secret Knowledge of Grown-ups: The Second File.
Seventh year Back to top of page
BAUM, L. Frank.
Wonderful
Wizard of Oz. Warn the kids that the movie version didn't faithfully
follow the book, which dates to 1900 and whose original illustrations are
reproduced in this edition.
ENZENSBERGER, Hans Magnus.
The
Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure. Illustrated by Rotraut Susanne
Berner. A fantasy introducing the wonder of numbers: infinite, prime,
Fibonacci, rational, irrational and more. It won't teach a child how these
work or why, but might arouse his interest.
JACQUES, Brian. The Redwall series, with
anthropomorphic animals.
Redwall
(Book 1, Redwall)
Mossflower
(Book 2, Redwall)
Mattimeo
(Book 3, Redwall)
Mariel
of Redwall (Book 4, Redwall)
Salamandastron
(Book 5, Redwall)
Martin
the Warrior (Book 6, Redwall)
The
Bellmaker (Book 7, Redwall)
Outcast
of Redwall (Book 8, Redwall)
The
Pearls of Lutra (Book 9, Redwall)
The
Long Patrol (Book 10, Redwall)
Marlfox
(Book 11, Redwall)
The
Legend of Luke (Book 12, Redwall)
Lord
Brocktree (Book 13, Redwall)
Taggerung
(Redwall, Book 14)
Triss
(Book 15, Redwall)
Also worth buying, if you have trouble sorting out the
characters or visualizing the setting, are
Redwall
Map & Redwall Riddler and
Redwall
Friend and Foe. My daughter has read every book in this series
several times.
KONIGSBERG, E.L.
From
the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Claudia and her
brother run away to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they try to
discover whether a beautiful statue is the work of Michelangelo.
LOON, Hendrik Willem van.
The
Story of Mankind. Updated by John Merriman. An entertaining,
well-written narrative history of the human race, from 500,000 BC to the
present. Although aimed at children, it's written in such an engaging way
that it's useful for adults who want to fill in the gaps in their education.
(I used it as a homeschool history text with my 8-year-old daughter, and we
both learned a lot.) *The Story of Mankind* won the Newbery Medal for
children's books in 1922, the first year the Medal was awarded.
NELSON, O.T.
The
Girl Who Owned a City.
PAULSEN, Gary.
Hatchet.
Suspenseful, often grim story of a thirteen-year-old who must use his
courage, know-how and determination as the sole survivor of an airplane crash
in the wilderness. My daughter read this with me with breathless fascination,
but would never reread it on her own.
ROWLING, J.K. Harry Potter series.
"It is true that Harry Potter lives in a world where hats and paintings
speak, broomsticks fly and goblins run banks---but these are non-essential
details. The essential element is the inspiring depiction of a boy's
triumphant struggles. These books tell the story of an eleven-year-old
orphan, despised by the relatives he lives with, who discovers he has a rare
talent and works hard to develop it. In the course of his education, he
learns to think for himself, to be honest and to be self-confident. He finds
friends who share his values and he earns the respect of his teachers. He
battles the class bully as well as the most evil wizard on earth ... The
Harry Potter series appeals to so many children (and, incidentally, adults)
because ... it shows a world in which happiness can be achieved, villains can
be defeated, and the means of success can be learned" (Dianne Durante,
"Vitamins, Minerals
and Harry Potter,” op-ed on the Ayn Rand Institute website).
Rowling's plots, style and characterization are head and
shoulders above any others being published today: the Harry Potter books are
bound to become classics. At age 7 my daughter read them by herself, but a
four- or five-year-old can follow them if you read them aloud.
Year 1:
Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
Year 2:
Harry
Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Year 3:
Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Year 4:
Harry
Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
SIS, Peter.
Starry
Messenger. Galileo's
life is told in large type, with additional information in captions and
marginalia, e.g., quotations and the title page of his Starry Messenger.
ALEXANDER, Lloyd. The Chronicles of Prydain
series, often recommended to those who enjoy Harry Potter. Although the
plots, characterization and style are not as good, and the sense of life is
not as uplifting, the series is still an enjoyable read.
Book 1:
The
Book of Three
Book 2:
The
Black Cauldron
Book 3:
The
Castle of Llyr
Book 4:
Taran
Wanderer
Book 5:
The
High King
ALEXANDER, Lloyd.
Drackenberg
Adventure. One of the Vesper Holly series. My daughter liked these
very much, but for months rather than years. Others in the series:
The
El Dorado Adventure
The
Illyrian Adventure
American Girl Library.
Games
and Giggles Just for Girls. Great car book. Another in the series:
More
Games and Giggles: Wild About Animals.
American Girl Library.
Oops!:
The Manners Guide for Girls. It's apparently easier to read about
phone etiquette and table manners than to listen to parents lecture on them.
Fine by me.
GRAHAME, Kenneth.
The
Reluctant Dragon. Illustrated by
Michael Hague. Originally published in 1898, this charming story
of an intelligent and civilized dragon who refuses to fight St George is
nicely illustrated.
PULLMAN, Philip. The His Dark Materials trilogy
is grimmer than the Harry Potter books (more evil characters, more deaths),
but with unique, well developed characters moving purposefully in suspenseful
plot. The discussions of Dust will be fascinating to many adults. My daughter
rates this slightly lower than the Harry Potter series, but has reread it
several times.
The
Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, Book 1)
The
Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials, Book 2)
The
Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials, Book 3)
A boxed
set of all three, in paperback, is also available:
His
Dark Materials Boxed Set.
THURBER, James.
White
Deer. Fantastic
events happen when three princes set out on perilous labors set by a princess
who has been transformed into a deer.
American Girl Library.
A
Smart Girls Guide to Boys: Surviving Crushes, Staying True to Yourself
and Other Stuff. Sensible advice, and a good way to encourage a
discussion.
American Girl Library.
Brain
Waves: Puzzle Book. Riddles,
Crosswords, Mazes and Much More! Another good item for a long
trip.
American Girl Library.
Moneymakers:
Good Cents for Girls.
Moneymaking suggestions, including pet care, cooking, babysitting, computer work,
arts and crafts, and tips on running your business.
American Girl Library.The
Care & Keeping of You: The Body Book. Hygiene, puberty,
nutrition, sleep: as usual, common sense that makes a good starting point for
discussion.
American Girl Library.Yikes!:
A Smart Girl's Guide to Surviving Tricky, Sticky, Icky Situations.
SNICKET, Lemony. A Series of Unfortunate Events.
"Miracles are like meatballs," we read in the ninth book of this
series, "because nobody can exactly agree what they are made of, where
they come from, or how often they should appear." I resisted this series
for years, assuming the books would be depressing if not outright malevolent.
It's the charm of the language that finally persuaded me to try one, and got
my daughter addicted. As it turns out, Snicket warns of such disastrous
events that when the worst doesn't happen, you feel almost cheerful.
Although I don't normally recommend books on tape, and I
certainly don't recommend them in place of books, most of the Unfortunate
Events are read hilariously by Tim Curry, and will also teach the proper
pronunciation of words like "ersatz." If your child likes the
books, offer an audiotape and watch what happens to your child's speaking
vocabulary.
Book 1:
The
Bad Beginning. Audiotape:
The
Bad Beginning
Book 2:
The
Reptile Room. Audiotape:
The
Reptile Room
Book 3:
The
Wide Window. Audiotape:
The
Wide Window
Book 4:
The
Miserable Mill. Audiotape:
The
Miserable Mill
Book 5:
The
Austere Academy. Audiotape:
The
Austere Academy
Book 6:
The
Ersatz Elevator. Audiotape:
The
Ersatz Elevator
Book 7:
The
Vile Village. Audiotape:
The
Vile Village
Book 8:
The
Hostile Hospital. Audiotape:
The
Hostile Hospital
Book 9:
The
Carnivorous Carnival. Audiotape:
The
Carnivorous Carnival
VERNE, Jules.
Around
the World in Eight Days. (The Whole Story series.) Who says you have
to stop reading together just because your kid can read by himself? This
edition has nice illustrations and lots of interesting side-notes and maps.
For a child used to continual action, the pace of the narrative will take
some getting used to. Feel free to skip the bits where Verne just seems to be
chronicling lists of places Fogg is passing by.
American Girl Library.
The
Feelings Book: The Care & Keeping of Your Emotions. I haven't
read this cover to cover, but what I have read is good sense, and seems to
help my daughter.
FRITZ, Jean.
Early
Thunder. Illustrated by Lynd
Ward. In 1774 Salem, a teenage Tory deals with events leading to
the American Revolution; nice integration of historical events with the plot.
This is more advanced than Fritz's books on the Founding Fathers, and I don't
know if my 10-year-old will read it even now.
[HOMER].
The
Legend of Odysseus. Retold by Peter Connolly. This retelling of the
Iliad and the Odyssey is geared for budding archeologists: it includes
reconstructions of major sites, illustrations with figures in Bronze-Age
dress, maps and photographs, all in color. Although the volume includes
interesting sections on armor, burial rites, Troy, Pylos, domestic life,
etc., the main text is written with much less appeal than McCaughrean's
version (see next item). At age 10, my daughter has looked at the pictures
but not read the text.
HOMER.
The
Odyssey (Oxford Illustrated Classics). Retold by Geraldine McCaughrean.
Literate retelling of Odysseus' adventures, with well drawn illustrations and
a map. At 10, my daughter likes a made-for-TV version of the Odyssey,
but hasn't sat down to read this abridged version.
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