"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 Did This Weekend--Complete with a Recipe
Well it was another fabulous weekend Chez Moi, so here's some of the things I did on Sunday:
1)Baked a cake and four dozen cupcakes. The cake was for JR's birthday and she barely ate her piece. I am going to get the Man to take the rest to work--it's not that tempting to me because it's yellow cake and I am a chocoholic, but it DOES take up space. The cupcakes are getting delivered to JR's preschool this afternoon for her friends in the extended day program. The kids will probably mainly just eat the frosting, but at least I won't have to watch......
2)Bought a flat of strawberries and thus fated myself to make strawberry jam, something I don't think I have done since the girls came along. As a matter of fact, I seem to recall buying a pregnancy test the same day I made jam the last time, and since I wouldn't have been running one in spring for JR, that means SC and that WAS ten years ago!
3) Made five pints of jam, which look good, but not picture perfect, so we'll probably use it ourselves. There are still 6 quarts of strawberries left to do.
4)Made my sister in law's fabulous salmon recipe for dinner. Easy enough to do even when exhausted--especially if you've frozen it in advance. Enjoy!!!
Rosie's Bourbon & Brown Sugar Salmon
(I have no idea where my sister in law got this recipe, but it is fabulous!)
MARINADE: (This will marinate at least 2 lbs of fillets)
3 TBS of Bourbon (cheap bourbon works fine)
2 TBS Soy Sauce
2 TBS Corn or Canola Oil
1/4 cup brown sugar.
Combine ingredients in a gallon zipper bag--you can just pour everything into the bag and mix gently. Add salmon fillets and close bag. Make sure the fish is immersed in the marinade.
Open the bag to let excess air out and reclose. Fold the bag over until the fish is tightly packaged and secure with one or two large rubber bands.
(You may want to seal this in a second bag--I haven't had a leak yet, but.......)
Let the fish marinate AT LEAST 4 hours--though overnight or more is best.
Heat oven to 450 degrees.Remove fish from marinade. Place in an oiled, broiler safe pan.
Bake until nearly done. (The rule is 10 minutes an inch, but fillets can cook quickly--watch it)
When just about done (flakes easily and turns coral pink) remove from oven to broiler, or switch oven to broiler. Broil for 1-3 minutes, until the top browns nicely.
You can also just broil this from the start, but be careful--the sugars carmelize and it tends to burn!
Fish can be frozen in the marinade and cooked later, though I'd advise freezing it flat--pieces freeze together in marinade and are hard to separate. Bake from frozen--you may have to double the cooking time.
