"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
More On The "Budget" Project
SC finished her dratted extra credit math project. Or rather, she and I finished the project because I helped her quite a bit. And as a matter of fact, I'm still waiting for a "thank you" for the help!
She did the budget BOTH ways, once with her teacher's twitty figures and once with some revisions based on what a REAL social worker makes in our city. The starting salary was pretty close to the teacher's numbers, but she included health care and pension costs, both of which are paid for by the city!
Twitty stuff the teacher had in her budget:
Saving 20 (Yes, TWENTY) percent of your salary. I know that's the ideal, but if you WERE a social worker with 3 kids and no other income, would you really be able to save ANYTHING?
Utility bills. If you live in a apartment, odds are you don't pay for gas or electricity. And no one living in an apartment around here pays a water bill. Hell, I live in a condo and we don't pay for water or gas--just electricity!
And the idiot left off the bill that ANY working parent knows can break your bank--and nearly did ours in the days when SC was in preschool and JR was a baby.
Day Care!
This could've been a GREAT lesson. And I improved on it at home--I think SC learned quite a bit.
But it was poorly planned and researched. And as a librarian myself, I have limited tolerance for either.
I spoke to the councellor at SC's school about the situation. I told her everything. EVERYTHING--the telling them their grades publically (she clicked at that), the budget bit, the crap about SC's "attitude", and that I think if she stays in the class, things will only get worse. She told me to call the 6th grade assistant principal.
The principal was more non-committal, but she agreed it needed looking into. She observed SC's class and she talked with her after class. And I hope SC told her how she felt--including the fact that she does NOT feel the same way in her remedial math class.
The principal didn't call me back, but she did indicate to SC that she will try to get her into another math class. It means taking a class with a different "team", but hopefully she will be able to continue with the rest of her teachers on her own team, even if it is at different times of the day. She LIKES all her other teachers!
Oh well. The project's done. The weekend's almost here.
And I'm off all 3 days of the holiday. No major school projects, no major home projects, aside from clearing out the junk in our bedroom left over after the holidays and some laundry.
Heaven!
