Books Your Kid Should Read

Olivia

2009-02-05T14:12:00.004-06:00

Olivia
by Ian Falconer
2001

The Olivia books have quickly become such classics that they hardly need reviewing on this site, but since they are currently among our favorite books, I had to talk about them. Firmly in the Eloise tradition of miniature heroines, Olivia is a confident, imaginative, strong-minded little piglet, who reluctantly puts up with her younger siblings (most of the time) and keeps her parents on their toes with her antics. In the first book, we follow Olivia to the fine art museum and witness her love of Degas and her disdain for Pollock (she does a quite credible pollock-esque mural on the wall when she gets home, just to show that she can. A time-out understandably ensues). We enjoy her wardrobe variations; her love of playing dress-up, her amazing skills at sand-castle building, and the way she turns a lovely pinky color after a day at the beach. This is one of those delightful picture books where the text and the illustrations are equally well crafted, and work in tandem to create Olivia's vivid worlds. Kids will see Olivia as a kindred spirit, and parents will instantly recognize the tired-but-affectionate look on Olivia's mother's face as she tucks her exhausting daughter into bed. "You wear me out, but I love you anyway," she tells Olivia. "I love you anyway, too," Olivia responds. Truer words were never spoke.

Booky News

2009-01-29T21:21:00.003-06:00

This year's Newbery and Caldecott award winners have been announced - always worth checking out. The Newbery went to Neil Gaiman for The Graveyard Book (ages 8-12). You can read his cute blog post about finding out here. The Caldecott went to The House in the Night (ages 4-7), illus. by Beth Krommes.

Also, I have smart friends with kids, and some of them have recently recommended some good reads:

Shan recommends Our Nest (for the 0-3 set).

Mom and Kiddo recommend Keats's Neighborhood: An Ezra Jack Keats Treasury (ages 4-7).

Ellen recommends Ellen's Lion: Twelve Stories by Crockett Johnson (ages 4-7).

You can get 'em all in the bookstore (for keeps) or at your local library (for temps). Enjoy!

The Wicked Enchantment

2009-01-23T13:44:00.004-06:00

The Wicked Enchantment
by Margot Benary-Isbert
1955

So, it's a new year, a new president (yay!), and you're looking for something new to read to or with your kids. Here's a book that might be a little hard to find, but is well worth the hunt. Translated from the original German, Wicked Enchantment tells the story of a girl named Anemone and her dog Winnie, as they embark on a sort of feminist modern-day Cinderella/adventure story. Intrigued? Anemone's dear father has just remarried after the death of Anemone's mother, and in true fairy-tale fashion, the stepmother and her son, Erwin, are terrible additions to the family. Erwin terrorizes all the family animals and shifts the blame to Anemone whenever he's caught out, but (of course) no one will believe that Anemone is suffering from anything other than jealousy. Finally things get so bad that Anemone lights out for her Aunt's house across town, a utopian abode where cats and mice live peacefully together and everything is more magical than it at first seems. With the help of her Aunt, Anemone disguises herself and her dog as a young boy and sets out to determine just what the heck is going on with her new relations. What she uncovers is an evil plot that threatens the entire village of Vogelsang, and forces Anemone to draw on all her intelligence, courage, and common sense (qualities she fortunately possesses in abundance).

This is a book I found by chance at a public library sale when I was in my teens; I picked it up because it looked like it might be interesting, and the book was soon a family favorite. If you're looking for well-written fiction centering around strong, interesting female characters, this book will be right up your alley.

Interested in this book? Get more details or make a purchase at the bookstore.

The Annotated Christmas Carol

2008-12-19T09:46:00.004-06:00

The Annotated Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens
illus. John Leech, George Cruikshank, Gustave Doré, John Tenniel, and "Phiz"
2003 (text orig. 1843)

Look: you gotta have Dickens at Christmas. IT'S THE RULE. And if you've never read the original novella, well, why the heck not? Get thee to a bookstore or library and just do it! There's a reason it's such a classic: the combination of humor, pathos, satire, and ultimate optimism about human nature never gets old. It's the perfect length for annual perusings: in our family we read it aloud every Christmas Eve (and Dickens is one of the best authors to read aloud). This edition includes both the original 1843 text and the 1869 version that Dickens himself used for reading aloud, along with a comprehensively researched introduction and a wealth of notes, anecdotes and illustrations to supplement the story. If you're a nerd like me, the annotations are truly handy for answering all those 'what the heck is THAT?' questions that come up when reading something from a different era.

Interested in this book? Get more details or make a purchase at the bookstore.

The Christmas Alphabet

2008-12-17T22:17:00.003-06:00

Christmas Alphabet Deluxe Anniversary Edition
by Robert Clarke Sabuda
2004

When it comes to pop-up books, Robert Sabuda is king. His simple, fanciful designs make his books as much works of art as works of text. He's done several winter and holiday themed books, and they're all worth having. The Christmas Alphabet takes simple white paper and transforms it into animated letters of the alphabet all with a Christmas theme. Whether it's two reindeer kissing (for "K") or a beautiful poinsettia blooming (for "P"), each pop-up is like a new gift to open. A perennial favorite.

Interested in this book? Get more details or make a purchase at the bookstore.

My Penguin Osbert

2008-12-15T22:02:00.002-06:00

My Penguin Osbert
by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
illus. H. B. Lewis

Oh, my, this is a cute book. A classic be-careful-what-you-wish-for tale, this is the story of young Joe, who has a history of being a little disappointed in his Santa gifts. It's not that he doesn't get what he asks for (e.g. a red fire engine), it's just that they aren't quite what he meant (only 3 inches long). So this year, he decides to be really specific with his list, and sure enough - waiting for him under the tree Christmas morning is the pet penguin he asked Santa to bring him. At first Joe is overjoyed ... but then the realities of penguin ownership kick in, and Joe slowly realizes that he maybe didn't think this wish through. Funny all year long, with wonderful illustrations that add to both the humor and the cute factor (which is considerable).

Interested in this book? Get more details or make a purchase at the bookstore.

A Christmas Memory

2008-12-15T10:31:00.000-06:00

A Christmas Memory
by Truman Capote
illus. Beth Peck
1956

I only discovered this story in the last few years, but it's rapidly become one of my faves. I'm not usually a huge Capote fan, but this tale of a young southern boy and the eccentric elderly cousin who is his best friend is a great American Christmas story. It starts in "fruitcake weather" as Buddy and his cousin gather the ingredients (some - the pecans from the orchard - are free, and some - the whiskey - are more illicit) for the cakes they make each year to send to people they admire. As the story moves on they engage in other timeless Christmas rituals, secure in their fast friendship despite the deprivations of poverty and other family members who have little time for them. It's a beautiful, poignant tale, wonderful to read aloud and sure to be enjoyed by all but the smallest children (I'd say it's best for age 7 and up).

Interested in this book? Get more details or make a purchase at the bookstore.

The Nativity

2008-12-14T09:54:00.005-06:00

The Nativity
illus. Julie Vivas
1986

In religious terms, I tend to refer to myself as a militant agnostic: I don't know and you don't either. But the nativity is a pretty good story, whatever your beliefs, and this picture book version absolutely captivated me from the first minute I saw it as a lowly bookstore clerk back in the early 90s. The text is taken from the King James version of the book of Luke, familiar to anyone who's watched the Charlie Brown Christmas special year after year. But what makes the book special are the amazing illustrations, which depict Mary, Jesus, Joseph, the angels, and the whole crew not as stiff, gilded medieval royalty, but as quintessentially everyday folk. The drawings are rendered in playful watercolors, showing angels with raggedy wings and unlaced muddy workboots sharing a cup of coffee with a tired looking Mary. The infant Jesus is so stinking cute you want to pick him up and squeeze him, which - for me, at least - is a novel and enjoyable response to depictions of the birth of Christ. The overall effect of the book is to make the nativity supremely joyful, earthy, and ... plausible. Wonderful for reading aloud this time of year.

Interested in this book? Get more details or make a purchase at the bookstore.

... Aaaaand, we're back.

2008-12-13T20:49:00.002-06:00

Oh, the irony. Or perhaps sheer bad luck. Right after I put up the last post, Google flagged my blog as spam and locked the whole thing down. And then took their own sweet time about fixing the error. So ... sorry about that! Right now I've gotta go exert the force of my will on some Christmas projects that Must. Get. Done. But I promise that the yuletide book reviews will commence tomorrow, and won't stop until Santa's come and gone! Thanks for your patience.

Heh heh ... whoops!

2008-12-01T21:25:00.006-06:00

So ... a two month absence since my last post. How did THAT happen? I don't exactly know, but I suspect that my toddler and my pregnancy had something to do with it. At any rate, I abjectly apologize, and to make it up I'm going to be posting a wealth of great holiday-related books from now until the New Year. So buckle up, check out the new links for my bookstore (left and in the menu above) and Barefoot Books (in the righthand sidebar), and I promise I'll be posting more regularly!!!

Freckles

2008-09-24T22:24:00.000-05:00

Freckles
By Gene Stratton-Porter
Illus. Gene Stratton-Porter
1904

I inherited my copy of Freckles from my mom, who had supplemented the author's illustrations with a few of her own in the margins (really good ones, actually; she's quite the illustrator). I think she inherited the book from her mom - at any rate, the copy I have is quite old, from when the book was first published. I think I was nine or ten when I read it for the first time, and it immediately became one of my favorites. The writing style is unabashedly sentimental, full of heightened emotional reactions to the events that unfold. It's not a style that would be at all popular nowadays, but certain bookish pre-adolescents will eat it up. (And actually, I still enjoy the hell out of it.) The events take place in turn of the century Indiana, largely at a lumber camp preparing to take out some high value trees (oaks and other hardwoods) from a big swath of old-growth forest. Freckles, the title character, shows up at the camp one day looking for work. He's a half grown orphan, missing one hand, who knows nothing about his heritage and has a lot to prove. Since he obviously can't work at the camp itself, the manager, a Scot with a soft heart, takes a chance on giving him a job as Limberlost guard - the person responsible for watching over the parts of the forest that the camp hasn't yet begun to work. Freckles, urban to his core, has an uphill battle to navigate the raw nature of the Limberlost trail, but in the course of doing so he develops a deep interest in and love of nature, meets the love of his life, and ultimately discovers his roots. The story is steeped in naturalist's lore (the author was herself a noted naturalist and all-around interesting character) and while the environmental politics of the story are problematic by contemporary standards, the book also imparts a love of nature and a conservationist perspective that balances out the lumbercamp setting. It's also an excellent look back into midwest America at the turn of the twentieth century, with its blend of immigrant cultures, the deep contrasts between urban and rural life, and engaging characters from all social strata and both genders. Try it for free at Project Gutenberg.

All Creatures Great and Small

2008-09-21T21:26:00.002-05:00

All Creatures Great and Small
by James Herriot
1972

This is a perennial favorite in my library. I've probably re-read Herriot's books about ten times, and they never fail to make me laugh and cry out loud. All Creatures Great and Small chronicles the first years of Herriot's life as a country vet in the Yorkshire Dales, but it's a wonderful story even if you have no interest whatsoever in animals, Yorkshire, veterinarians, or country life. Herriot is a born storyteller, an acute observer of both human and animal character, with a gentle and self-effacing sense of humor that will win over even the most post-ironic hipster. This book and the four that follow it are WONDERFUL read-aloud books - the whole family will enjoy the stories, and Herriot's masterfully simple prose lends itself beautifully to the spoken voice. They're also great books for giving kids a sense of British life pre- and post-WWII, with the seizmic shifts that happened in social interactions, industrialization, and cultural norms. But it's the magical rendering of country life amid the characters - human and otherwise - of the Dales that will keep you coming back to this one again and again.

Also recommended: All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Things Wise and Wonderful, The Lord God Made Them All, and Every Living Thing.

Frog and Toad series

2008-09-16T21:51:00.004-05:00

Frog and Toad series
by Arnold Lobel
Illus. Arnold Lobel
1970-1979

My little sister and I used to act out the Frog and Toad stories sometimes. I was always Frog and she was always Toad. We practically had all the stories memorized from hearing them so often, and they're the perfect length for performing to grandparents and other favorable audiences. They're such simple tales, it's hard to put your finger on just what makes them so memorable. Part of it is the perfection of the illustrations, certainly. Another part of the attraction is the inimitable personalities of the two amphibian friends: Frog, amiable and easy-going; Toad, more serious and easily ruffled. Like real friends, they don't always agree with one another, but they always find a way to work things out in the end. The woodland setting of Frog and Toad's world evokes a gentle serenity that's balm to the parental soul, and the antics they get into will entertain kids from preschool into second grade. Great for beginning readers, but also wonderful for reading aloud.

The Dark is Rising Sequence

2008-09-12T21:54:00.004-05:00

The Dark is Rising Sequence
By Susan Cooper
1965-77

I didn't stumble on The Dark is Rising sequence until I was a senior in high school, which is exceedingly odd if you know what my reading tastes were back then (and still are, if I'm being brutally honest). But it wasn't until I was living with my parents in Salzburg during the autumn of my senior year that I happened upon the books at the American Library. Desperate for some new leisure reading material (you can only pack so many books when you're traveling overseas for a semester), I took a chance on the books, and oh, how glad I am that I did! Cooper's books are firmly in the lineage of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein, but set in the late 60s and 70s, so a little more modern. They deal with all the classic british fantasy themes: Arthurian legend, the eternal fight between good and evil, the alliance of mortals with forces beyond mortal knowing, etc., etc. Your standard stuff. But wow, is the writing ever good. These books will transport you to the shores of Cornwall; to Welsh farm country; to the coziness of a British village in the depths of winter. Old traditions like the building of the greenman and the legend of Herne the Hunter are effortlessly threaded through the plot, grounding it in British folkloric tradition. The main characters are the three Drew children, caught up in the fight between dark and light through their "Uncle" Merriman (a loosely disguised Merlin character), and Will Stanton, an 11-year-old boy who discovers on his eleventh birthday that he is the last of the "Old Ones," mystical beings who possess great magical powers and fight for the light. Sure, sure, it can sound hokey if you're a jaded Gen-X formerly hip parental unit. But if you're an imaginative 11-18-year-old, this stuff is pure magic. A great option for kids who've gotten through Harry Potter and are looking for something in the same vein.

Little Bear

2008-09-09T15:22:00.003-05:00

Little Bear
by Else Holmelund Minarik
Illus. Maurice Sendak
1957

Ah, Little Bear. I think these were the first books I ever read to myself, when I finally learned to read at age 6. But I'd fallen for their charm quite a bit earlier. Minarik's simple stories of a bear, his family and his friends are enduring because of their classic themes of friendship, family, and imagination. The books are now a popular animated series on Noggin, but I hope it goes without saying that there's no comparison to the books. Minarik's lifelike rendering of Little Bear as a determined, inventive, outgoing young child will ring true to both parents and toddlers, and if the stories are old fashioned, it's only in the best sense of the word. Sendak's illustrations delightfully capture the ambiguously late-Victorian era of the tales (I believe the technical term for the setting would be "long ago" or "in olden times"), and overall the books are the kid's lit equivalent of snuggling up in a comfy chair with a nice cup of tea.

Also recommended: Father Bear Comes Home (1959), Little Bear's Friend (1960), Little Bear's Visit (1961), A Kiss For Little Bear (1968)

Everywhere Babies

2008-09-08T14:13:00.005-05:00

Everywhere Babies
by Susan Meyers
Illus. Marla Frazee
2001

This board book was just introduced to me by a friend, and I immediately loved it so much I had to put it on this site. Everywhere Babies is a simple rhyming book enumerating the many activites and accoutrements of the baby set, from how they get carried, to how they get fed, to how they play and make friends. The language is rhythmic and repetitive in a way that preschoolers and babies alike will find soothing (every day, everywhere babies are born, every day everywhere babies are carried, etc.), but as with many of the best board books, it's the illustrations that truly make this story special. Frazee's images are chock full of character and life, and she clearly knows her way around a baby. From the priceless expression on the face of the baby learning to walk to the true-to-life exhaustion of the breast-feeding mama, these pictures will ring true for the whole family - and each page is crammed with lots of activity. Even better, to this tree-hugging liberal mama's mind, is the wonderful diversity of families depicted in the book. Gay families, straight families, black and white families, multiple generations and single parents - they're all represented here, and in a way that celebrates different family arrangements without ever being preachy or PC. A wonderful, loving book that would be a great addition to any toddler's library.

On Break

2008-09-01T10:50:00.003-05:00

I know it's bad form to go on hiatus so soon after starting this blog, but I'm on vacation this week and my internet access is slim-to-none, so whaddyagonnado? Regular posting will resume on Sunday. Please consider this post an invitation to recommend your own favorite kid's books.

Ballet Shoes

2008-08-28T22:32:00.003-05:00

Ballet Shoes
by Noel Streatfeild
1936

If the only way you've ever heard of the Shoe books by Noel Streatfeild is from Meg Ryan's mention of them in You've Got Mail, boy have you been missing out. Ballet Shoes, the first of the books, is the story of Pauline, Petrova, and Posy Fossil, three orphans who are found and sent home to London as unusual souvenirs by Matthew Brown, an elderly and eccentric geologist. Pauline is a survivor of a shipwreck, Petrova is from Russia, and Posy arrives with only a pair of ballet shoes (her mother's) in her possession. The three are placed in the care of Matthew's niece, Sylvia, while he goes off on his endless travels. Soon enough the money runs out, and Sylvia must take in boarders and find a way to educate the three girls so they can care for themselves once they are of age. And so they are sent to The Children's Academy of Dancing and Stage Training, where Pauline quickly discovers her talent as an actress, Posy comes into her dancing heritage, and Petrova ... well, Petrova finds her own route. Streatfeild worked in the theatre for many years before becoming a writer, so the rendering of the training regimen, backstage life, and performing arts in general all ring true. This was one of the first books that gave me insight into the seriousness and legitimacy of a life in the arts - the rigor of it, the discipline, and the commitment it takes as well as the magic and joy it can confer. The three central characters are great role models, young women who take charge of their own destinies and are always there for each other despite disparate origins and very different personalities. And the rendition of 1930s London is vivid and memorable - a wonderful way for kids to enter into a different historical era. Many other Shoes books would follow (Theatre Shoes, Dancing Shoes, Party Shoes, Family Shoes, etc.), but I think it's always good to start at the beginning. (The books all have different settings and characters, but the Fossil girls have cameos in several of them.) It was also apparently made into a movie last year starring Emma Watson (Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter films) - which looks pretty good. But read the book first!

In The Night Kitchen

2008-08-27T13:15:00.004-05:00

In The Night Kitchen
by Maurice Sendak
Illus. Maurice Sendak
1970

A young boy, perhaps three years old, is in bed one night when he hears loud noises downstairs. Falling from his bed and out of his clothes, he mysteriously ends up in a surreal kitchen environment, peopled by three large chefs who bear a striking resemblance to Oliver Hardy. The chefs try to bake the boy into their cake batter, apparently mistaking him for the milk. The boy escapes, creates a plane from bread dough, and flies off to a ginormous milk bottle to get the requisite fluid. He pours the milk into the batter; the bakers finish making the cake; and the boy mysteriously finds himself back in his bed, back in his pajamas, with only the lingering memory of his night's adventure.

If In The Night Kitchen sounds like an extremely weird book, that's because, um, IT IS. Weird and wonderful in that way that only Maurice Sendak can completely pull off. The vivid dreamlike illustrations fill the page, with the text appearing in almost comic-book form, as part of the image rather than separate from it. And kids just EAT IT UP. The book has a history of controversy because Mickey (the boy) is naked in large parts of the book, and sometimes (gasp!) you can actually see his penis. It's a completely innocent and childlike representation, but apparently some people can't get over it, because it's consistently in the top 50 most challenged books. If you're easily offended by accurate (if cartoonish) representations of three-year-old anatomy, then this book maybe isn't for you. But for the rest of us, it's a weird, wonderful trip to the land of dreams.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

2008-08-26T09:06:00.001-05:00

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
by Betty MacDonald
Illus. Hilary Knight
1947

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is the kind of old lady everyone wishes lived in their neighborhood. A kindred spirit to children everywhere, she lives in a magical upside-down house, there's buried treasure in her backyard, and her home always smells like freshly-baked cookies. The kids in her town know they'll always find a friendly face and comforting advice over at Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's place, but it's their parents who are really in her debt. You see, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has a cure for just about any kind of bad habit or mischievous behavior a kid can get up to. Whether it's not wanting to bathe, staying up all hours of the night, or fighting with their siblings all the time, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle knows a clever (and enormously fun to read about) way to get it to stop. The stories are presented from a kid's perspective, meaning that the adults (with the exception of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle) often come off as amusingly dim. Each chapter is its own self-contained story, making this a perfect book for bedtime reading aloud (if you can stick to just one story, which is difficult). Though the stories are technically about behavior and etiquette, they're never moralistic or condescending. The true-to-life depictions of kids' tantrums and misbehavings, along with the highly unusual tactics recommended by Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle to cure them, make a compelling read even if you don't care a whit about manners and morals. And if they get your kid to think twice before pitching a fit at bedtime, so much the better. With really excellent illustrations by Hilary Knight (of Eloise fame).

Also recommended: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic (1949), Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm (1954), and Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (1957).

Emily of New Moon Series

2008-08-25T09:55:00.000-05:00

Emily of New Moon; Emily Climbs; Emily's Quest
by L. M. Montgomery
1923-27

Almost everyone who's had or been a kid knows Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series, but fewer know the Emily trilogy, which I - blasphemer! - actually like better. Don't get me wrong, I loooooooooove the Anne of Green Gables books, and I'm sure I'll feature them here at some point, but the Emily books are something special. They chart the life of Emily Starr, who is sent as a young girl to live with distant relatives when her father dies of consumption (her mother having passed away earlier). The theme of an orphan stranded in a strange and often unsympathetic environment is similar to Anne's story, but these novels are darker and less romanticized than the Anne books. Emily (who Montgomery claimed most closely resembled her) is a passionate person with enormous capacities for joy and sorrow. She is driven, always, by her innate urge to write, and by her desire to make intimate connections with the people and worlds around her. The first book chronicles her settling in at New Moon Farm, and the second and third detail her journey to becoming a professional writer, and her various romances. As with any Montgomery book, even the secondary characters are wonderfully drawn, and her ear for dialogue and sense of life's inherent tragicomedic qualities is as strong as ever. If you've read the Anne books, give these a try as a slightly more adult work; if you haven't, go on out and get them and these. You won't be sorry you did.

Come Play With Me

2008-08-22T09:12:00.000-05:00

Come Play With Me
by Margaret Hiller
Illus. Kinuko Craft
1975

As you may have noticed from previous entries, I'm a total sucker for good illustrations, and Kinuko Craft is one of my favorite illustrators. I first saw her work as a little kid in the book Come Play With Me, which features simple rhymes for beginning readers. The poems are perfectly nice, but it's the pictures that really make the language come alive. A verse about a ball going up and down is much more interesting when it's being bounced by an elf at twilight; a poem about a boy playing with his father is made magical when you see that the father and son are centaurs; a game of hide-and-seek is positively idyllic when set in an arcadian landscape. New readers will take pride in reading the simple words, and pre-readers (and parents!) will have their imaginations sparked by the beautiful images. May be difficult to find, but it's worth the look.

The Pet of the Met

2008-08-21T10:25:00.000-05:00

Pet of the Met
by Don and Lydia Freeman
Illus. Don and Lydia Freeman
1953

This was one of my favorite childhood books, and only recently came back into print; my mom brought it as a gift for my daughter and it was like travelling back in time 30-some years - it had been that long since I'd even *thought* about this book. I'm so glad it's easily available again, though, because it really is wonderful. Pet of the Met tells the story of Maestro Petrini, the mouse whose job it is to turn pages for the prompter at the Metropolitan Opera house. A true devotee of opera, the only blot on Petrini's existence is the constant presence of his arch-enemy, Mefisto the cat. The two manage to co-exist peacefully until one day Petrini is carried away by a production of The Magic Flute and ends up giving the performance of his life. The story introduces kids to all kinds of great theatre and opera terms, and gives a magical window into backstage activities. And the pictures are simply marvellous, as you'd expect from the illustrator of the Corduroy stories. An excellent book to read aloud, over and over again.

The Diddakoi

2008-08-20T10:08:00.000-05:00

The Diddakoi
by Rumer Godden
1972

Rumer Godden is on my top ten list of the all-time best children's book authors around, so it's a shame that she's known primarily in the States as the inspiration for Demi Moore's and Bruce Willis's daughter's name. (No, really: that's where they got it.) Godden, a British author, wrote books for children and adults from the 1930s all the way until her death in the late 1990s, but her best stuff for kids (in this blogger's opinion) was published in the 60s and 70s. The Diddakoi, which won the Whitbread Award, tells the story of Kizzy Lovell, a gypsy child whose world is turned upside down when her beloved grandmother dies and she's force to leave her traditional lifestyle and start attending regular school as a ward of the county. Godden has a real feeling for culture clashes of this kind, and Kizzy's story is treated with sensitivity and affection. Godden's distinctive style really draws the reader into the story, making it feel immediate and vital: Kizzy's spirited (and often downright naughty) defense of her gypsy ways; the courage of the single woman council member who defends Kizzy and provides a safe haven for her; and the cruelty of Kizzy's schoolmates in the face of Kizzy's "otherness," are all beautifully rendered. It's a wonderful book for learning something about a vanishing culture, but Kizzy's story will resonate with anyone who knows what it feels like to be stranded in a new place, feeling scared, unloved, and unwanted.

Tuesday

2008-08-19T11:49:00.000-05:00

Tuesday
by David Wiesner
Illus. by David Wiesner
1991

Oooh, I love this book. I first found it when I was working at a wonderful local bookstore in Columbus, OH while attending grad school (anyone remember Nickelby's?). I was straightening out the children's section and surreptitiously checking out the picture books. The Caldecott sticker on the front of this one made me take a second look, and boy, I was hooked. Wiesner is an absolute genius at telling a story with few or no words; he simply doesn't need them, so rich and detailed - and hilarious! - are his pictures. Tuesday chronicles an unusual evening in the lives of some pond frogs, whose lily pads mysteriously rise into the air one night ("around 8 pm") and take them on a wild adventure. They encounter confused dogs, sleeping grandmas, paranoid insomniacs, and baffled police officers, before settling back down into their swampy homes ... only to pave the way for next Tuesday's odd happening. Now I will admit that I have a slightly obsessed love of things froggy, so I was predisposed to like this book for that reason alone. But trust me, you don't have to be fond of amphibian life to love Tuesday, any day of the week.

Meet the Austins

2008-08-18T10:29:00.000-05:00

Meet the Austins
by Madeleine L'Engle
1960

If I had to pick the one author who was most important to my teenage years, it would have to be Madeleine L'Engle. Reading her books always made me feel less awkward, less nerdy, less of a weirdo for having an artistic, academic family or being interested in big questions about life and death, love and morality. L'Engle reassured me that I wasn't the only one out there like myself, and that the teen years were just a brief episode in my life story. L'Engle's time trilogy books (starting with A Wrinkle in Time) are better known - and they're wonderful, too - but her books about the Austin family (there are four more novels after this one) have their own homey appeal. Daughter Vicky, who's 12 years old in Meet the Austins, is a sympathetic narrator of sibling squabbles, family crises, and her own rocky road through early adolescence. L'Engle has a true ear for dialogue and personality, and the Austin family manages to be extraordinary and endearing without ever being cloying or precious. I first read the book in the early 1980s, some twenty years after its original publication, and didn't find it one bit out of date. I suspect the same could be said for today's readers: sure, you might have to explain what a "phonograph" is, or why none of the kids have cell phones, but the situations and relationships are as timely now as they've ever been.

2008-08-17T11:18:00.001-05:00

The House At Pooh Corner
by A. A. Milne
Illus. Ernest H. Shepard
1928

If your only familiarity with Pooh Bear comes from the Disney cartoons, hie thee to a bookstore and buy some of the original stories, pronto. Don't get me wrong: as a child of the 1970s I have as many fond memories as anyone of watching those Disney animations of a Sunday. But there's really nothing to compare with the language, imagery, and wit of Milne's words and Shepard's pictures. The House At Pooh Corner is the second storybook devoted to Pooh and his pals (Winnie-the-Pooh being the first), and it's got to rank as one of the all-time great sequels in literary history. No, really! Not only are we introduced to Tigger, a scene stealer in the fine tradition of such "secondary" characters as Sam Weller or Mr. Toad, but Owl's house gets blown down in a storm, Piglet and Pooh build Eeyore a "new" house, and the wonderful game of Poohsticks is invented. As usual with A. A. Milne's work, there's as much to entertain the adults who are reading the stories as the children listening to them. As I reread it recently (To myself, since you ask. At bedtime. You got a problem with that?) I was struck anew by the poignancy of the latter chapters of Pooh Corner. Christopher Robin is growing up, and though the assurances in the final sentence that "wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the Forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing" are sufficient to quiet any younger reader's fears, the older reader can't help but acknowledge how hard it is to find that enchanted place sometimes. Fortunately, there are always the Pooh books to help us out.

Sandra Boynton Board Books

2008-08-16T22:21:00.003-05:00

Sandra Boynton Board Books
by Sandra Boynton
Illus. by Sandra Boynton
1977-present

OK, I know it's cheating a little to have just one entry for ALL of Boyton's board books, but they're all so flippin' good I couldn't choose an individual one to feature. Boynton's signature goofy animals and irreverent prose fulfill my top requirement for board books: they're good enough to read over-and-over-and-over-and-over-and-over-and-OVER again without making you want to stab your eyes out with a fork. These were hands down my daughter's favorites from 0-2 years, and they're still in the top 10. I honestly think we own 95% of what Boynton's written, and we love them all, but the creme de la creme in our household are: The Belly Button Book; Blue Hat, Green Hat; What's Wrong, Little Pookie? (for real, so cute it could injure someone); But Not the Hippopotamus; Hippos Go Berserk; and Hey! Wake Up!

The Wind in the Willows

2008-08-15T22:00:00.002-05:00

The Wind in the Willows
by Kenneth Grahame
Illus. Ernest H. Shepard
1908

I read The Wind in the Willows for the first time when I was maybe 8 or 9, and I've re-read it every few years ever since. Grahame's characterization of life on an English river (and thereabouts) through the eyes of a mole, a water rat, and the inimitable Mr. Toad is by turns lyrical, mystic, clever, and laugh-out-loud funny. Will appeal equally to boys and girls, and animal lovers will be in pure heaven. You HAVE to get the edition with Ernest Shepard's illustrations - don't be fooled by imitations! Shepard's ink and watercolor drawings absolutely capture the tone and feel of Grahame's text (yes, that's the same Shepard who illustrated all the Winnie-the-Pooh books, so he knows from woodland creatures.) Splurge on a hardcover; trust me, you'll want a copy that withstands multiple readings.

Goodnight Moon

2008-08-14T21:27:00.003-05:00

Goodnight Moon
by Margaret Wise Brown
Illus. Clement Hurd
1947

Simple verse, lulling rhythm, and beautiful, cozy pictures detail a young bunny's bedtime routine.
The all-time, best-ever bedtime book. If you don't like Goodnight Moon, you may be dead inside.

About This Blog

2008-08-13T16:41:00.002-05:00

As readers of my other blogs will already know, I am an ... opinionated person. Ahem. One thing about which I am especially opinionated is kids' lit. I read, and was read to, voraciously as a child, and lived as fully in numerous fictional worlds as I ever have in the "real" one. I didn't fully realize what a gift it was to be a book-lover until I got to college, and all those obscure literary references suddenly started to be useful. As I've aged, my tastes have (naturally) developed beyond the children's classics on which I was raised, but I've still got a huge soft spot for those characters and places. Even before I had children of my own, I kept up with (and occasionally purchased) new publications and award winners in kids' books, and my daughter's arrival has only intensified that interest. Having recently gotten to that age where all my friends are having kids, I found that often I'd be recommending a story or series to a fellow parent only to find that many of the books I consider "must-reads" were completely unfamiliar to them. It struck me that there might be children out there who reach the age of consent never having been exposed to Goodnight Moon. THE HORROR.

Hence, this blog, wherein I will feature a completely arbitrary selection of the books I think your kid should read. Some of them you'll have heard of, some you won't; some you'll agree are wonderful, some you'll think I'm insane for even suggesting. That's OK. Hopefully if you stick around you'll come across something that looks right for your kid, maybe something you wouldn't have looked at before. And then this opinionated book-lover will be happy.