"Classic" Children's Novels I Recommend To Patrons and Friends
All of A Kind Family
by Sydney Taylor
First in a series about 5 little girls growing up at the turn of the century on the Lower East Side of New York. I learned a lot about Jewish culture from these books, but above all they're great family stories.
Anne of Green Gables
and all other books by L.M. Montgomery
They are aimed at children, but the picture of life in turn of the century Prince Edward Island is a delight for adults!
Ballet Shoes
by Noel Streatfield
Very English and very charming.
Betsy-Tacy
First of the series, by Maud Hart Lovelace
My older daughter(10) loves these too.
The Story of Doctor Dolittle
First in the series by Hugh Lofting.
Don't settle for the movie messes made of these wonderful books!
Heidi
by Johanna Sypri
This is not that easy for a kid to read--and some may find it saccharine. But it's always enchanted me...
Little House in the Big Woods
first in the series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Another series my daughter loves as much as I do!
A Little Princess
by Frances Hodgson Burnett
There's only been one good version of this on film--a BBC mini series. If you haven't seen that one, you don't know this story!
Little Women
and all other books by Louisa May Alcott.
I read this first in 6th grade, but I didn't understand a lot of it until college..
The Moffats
by Eleanor Estes
A family you'd love to belong to.
Pinky Pye
also by Eleanor Estes
You don't have to be a cat lover to love this, and if you're not, Pinky just might convert you!
Mr Popper's Penguins
by Florence Atwater
The tone is deadpan but the humor is pure slapstick.
A well loved read aloud.
The Secret Garden
by Frances Hodgson Burnett
There have been good films of this, but nothing beats the book, especially with the delicate Tasha Tudor illustrations!
The Trumpet of the Swan
by E.B. White
I love Charlotte's Web , but kids should also meet Louis the mute swan who gains a voice and a love. And if you liked Make Way For Ducklings (another favorite of mine) you'll recognize one of the settings......
The Wind in the Willows
by Kenneth Grahame
Not a young child's book at all,but a beautifully written book about friendship, greed, self centeredness and love.
The best illustrations are by Ernest Shepherd. He was also the first (and only REAL!) illustrator of Winnie the Pooh!
Blueberries For Sal (& One Morning In Maine)
and other books by Robert McCloskey
The Nutshell Library
4 book set by Maurice Sendak
The music to go with the books is on:
Really Rosie by Carole King
Where the Wild Things Are
also by Maurice Sendak!
The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge
by Hildegarde Swift
(A beloved NY landmark!)
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
and every other book by Eric Carle
Caps For Sale
by Esphyr Slobodkina
Madeline
by Ludwig Bemelmans
Beloved by little girls long before the toys or the movies!
Yes, I Read "Grownup" Books Too--When They're Worth It!
And These Are:
Silver Pigs
(1st of the Marcus Didius Falco mysteries) by Lindsey Davis
Welcome To Temptation
(and all other books) by Jennifer Crusie
Breakup
(Kate Shugak mysteries)by Dana Stabenow
And Ladies of the Club
by Helen Hooven Santmyer
The Cazalet Chronicles
(4 books) by Elizabeth Howard
Poldark
(the whole series)by Winston Graham
The Mitford Years
(series) by Jan Karon
Stranger In A Strange Land
(& just about any other book) by Robert Heinlein
What I've Been Reading This Week
Two books I've read this week are great examples of the genre. Clicking on the titles will take you to the Amazon.com listing, but I have these in my library, and your library should have them too!
The Vanishing Point This is based on the life of Lavinia Fontana, a noted artist of 16th century Italy. Daughter of a painter, Vini longs to join the students in her father's studio, but in a time when women seldom leave the house unaccompanied, let alone become painters, her dream seems unlikely. Louise Hawes' story is not just of how Vini manages to realize her ambition, but how along the way she grows in her understanding of the world around her. Some critics have found this a bit melodramatic, but that should appeal to teens, and the prose is as rich and wonderful as a Renaissance work of art!
Annie Between the States This is set during the Civil War, but it's no "Gone With the Wind"--which is in my mind one of the most highly overrated books in history! Annie Sinclair and her family live just outside Washington,DC. The war is at times literally on their front doorstep. As they deal with invading troops, serious illness, Annie's younger brother's fierce ambition to join in the Confederate cause, and their fears for Annie's soldier brother, Laurence, the family fights to survive. Annie's worldview is torn between her admiration for the dashing Confederate Colonel J.E.B. Stuart, and her growing relationship with a Union officer her family cared for after he was wounded. A good deal of the book is based on real people, but though Annie herself is fictional, she is well drawn. This book would be excellent to read along with Ann Rinaldi's In My Father's House, which is set in the same place and time.
Rinaldi, by the way, is one of the best historical fiction writers for young adults around today. I highly recommend other titles she has written as well as books that not only young adults, but adults of all ages can enjoy!
