"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
Winter Blues
I'm no fun either at this time of the year.
Now I know I shouldn't be complaining. After all, in that other Washington--the state that is--I hear there's been rain on a daily basis for the past 3 weeks. On the other hand, that's the normal sort of winter weather out there, and is part of the reason Seattle is one of the coffee bar capitols of the world.
But here in the DC area we usually get a fair amount of SUNSHINE in the winter. Snow and ice and rain--we get those too. But we usually get a fair number of days when the sky is blue and bright. And as I noted here the other day, it's been warm and gray out for most of the past 2-3 weeks.
During the holidays, when I was off from work, I was able to go to bed late and wake up late, which is my natural preference. I've always been a bit of a night owl, but unfortunately little things like work and getting my kids to school have cramped my style that way in recent years. But now I am back to work and having to get up in the dark again.
I finally realized this week that I am having a mild bout of Seasonal Affective Disorder. This is something that used to bug me a lot in the halcyon (so to speak) days before I had kids, but has not seemed to effect me in recent times.
Perhaps this has been because being exhausted is my normal state of being. For all I know, I may have had S.A.D. every winter. Maybe it's just this year, with my kids getting older and less needy I actually had time to NOTICE I'm exhausted!
Now that I've figured out what's eating me, I'm trying to combat it. I'm getting a "light therapy" box. And we had sunshine on Thursday and Friday and that did help.
I have to work Saturday, but the kids can sleep in, so I can get up an hour later. And Sunday and Monday I am going to SLEEP IN as much as I can.
I do feel better.
But it's a long, long way till spring and Daylight Savings Time.
Yawnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn..................................
