Picturing the World: Picture books for grown ups and the toddlers who love them

We have a ritual on Tuesday mornings: wake up early, exercise, get big kids up and ready for school, go to Mass with the high schoolers, who have a late start day, then have breakfast and coffee, start the laundry, finish the dishes, and then head to the library at 10 am for storytime. The next two hours are dedicated to books. We might go to the park before lunch, if we finishing picking out our books for the week, but often we lounge around the library after storytime, looking at books, picking a movie for the weekend, and chatting with neighbors. 

We have read a lot of good picture books the last couple of years. I sometimes fear we are neglecting our own poor picture books, but we have a few favorites that come off the shelves frequently at bedtime. 

I wish I were better at keeping track of the picture books we love. Elephant and Piggie books come home with us often, and sometimes we pick up the knock-offs featuring a pig and a rabbit. I like to pick out books that have pretty pictures or a good story, or showed up on a recommended reading list, or that fit our theme of the week for co-op (this week is t for transportation). LK likes to pick out books with pink princesses (although she loves Richard Scarry, too). I don't know why kids keep coming back to books that are painful for parents to read - Pinkalicious and Dora books being at the top of my list. Add to that any television/franchise tie-in book.  Froggy, Fancy Nancy, and Berenstain Bears books are bearable in small doses. I have been known to hide Pinkalicious and Disney tie-in books, so that she can't find them. Sorry, librarians. 

Lately, I've had a few that I just loved looking at. They were bearable to LK, but I think a five or six year-old would have really enjoyed Leo and Diane Dillon's To Every Thing There is a Season. It has beautiful illustrations of the verse from Ecclesiastes 3, each one rendered in a different style of art from around the globe and through history. This would be a great text for a home schooling family because it incorporates scripture, art, history, geography, science, and sociology. I bet you could pull out some other topics from it, as well. A key in the back of the book provides simple explanations of the style and subject, but you could spend hours studying the pictures. I took a few photos to share and to remind myself to buy it or check it out again in the future. 

Farming in ancient Japan.

Greek civilization building and destroying.

Medieval funeral and wedding celebrations

A walkabout with an Aborigine family

Faith Ringgold's We Came to America is a prose poem, but the rhythm is off just enough to make it a little less enjoyable to read with a youngster than it would be if it had a more regular rhythm, at least in my opinion. Nevertheless, I love the way this book takes on the timely topic of immigrants in America, but does so without preaching. Instead, it emphasizes the migration of families in times of strife and struggle. It also illustrates the culture and traditions, like music and dance and religion, that immigrants bring with them that enrich their new home.

Martha Hickman's Then I Think of God is more sentimental. Each spread shows a child presented with a mystery, a challenge, or a wonder that leads him to ponder the everyday miracles gifted to us by God. The text and illustrations combine to convey a simple but beautiful way to look for God's fingerprints on our lives. I teared up reading the page about the birth of the new baby sister.

I've always appreciated Jean Fritz's short histories of famous people from history, but I had never stumbled across her collaboration with Trina Schart Hyman, who illustrated other favorites like A Child's Calendar and St. George and the Dragon, on The Man Who Loved Books. Maybe I skipped over some recommendation of this book, but it's another one I wish I had had when I was home schooling, and I'm tempted to buy it just for my own enjoyment. This is Fritz's 1981 biography of St. Columba, the Irish monk who spread Christianity and literacy around Ireland and beyond. The story focuses on his love of books rather than his love of God, but his faith can be seen in his love of the Word and love of his Fatherland. His love for books caused him to illicitly copy a friend's new manuscript, which led to a war, and self-imposed exile. His faithfulness to his vow never to set eyes on his beloved Ireland again led him to blindfold himself years later when he was urged to return to settle a dispute. That kind of heroic virtue is illustrated here in an inspiring rather than insipid way, making the great saint of Ireland both very human and very holy.

And a bonus shot: The Winter issue of Image magazine featured photos of Flannery O'Connor's school journal. "I attribute everything I have done to prayer."

Wordless stories

I think I have mentioned that one of my favorite days of the week is Tuesday, when we go to a mom and tot exercise class and then head to the library for toddler storytime, followed by play at the park when the sun is shining, and I don't have anything else pressing.

Our library stocks a lot of new books and displays them temptingly along the top shelf in the children's section.  In the years between our youngest moving on from picture books to this newest one, some very lovely picture books have been published.  Also some very dull and ugly books have been put in print - I really can't stand to read Dora books, and Pinkalicious books are almost as trying. I was jubilant when an errant Pinkalicious easy reader was rediscovered behind the dresser. I did not want to have to pay for a replacement copy at the library. Why do I check these out? It is kind of a give and take agreement.  I have the same terms with my teenagers: you can read this stupid YA fairy tale knockoff romance if you read a book of my choice every 2 or 3 books.  I will read Pinkalicious if we can also look at my picture book pics.

Fortunately, we have discovered several that we both love.

The Carl the Dog series by Alexandra Day was not new to me, but there are some additional books in the series that I had never seen before. I really liked Carl's Sleepy Afternoon and Carl's Snowy Afternoon. In both books, the expressions on the children and Carl are what draw me in. LCJ really pored over Good Dog Carl and the Baby Elephant, the newest book, which wasn't my favorite since it had more text and a less believable story line, although the adventures of a baby and a Rottweiler about town on their own requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief.


Carl's negligent baby sitter

Why doesn't Madeleine's mom catch on?

Similarly enchanting because of the facial expressions are the Flora books by Molly Idle. I don't like to keep these in the house too long because they are pop-up books and thus easily damaged, but they are beautiful in their simplicity:

Here is Flora and the Flamingo from Amazon.com:

Flora and the Penguin from the author's delightful blog

:
And Flora and the Peacocks:

Flora is graceful and expressive in her toddler body. And right now my toddler is entranced by dance and music and colors, so she enjoys these books immensely. I wish I were organized enough to come up with a soundtrack to go with them -  maybe something along the lines of the international dances from the Nutcracker would fit the mood?

Another find that brings great amusement to the toddler are the Where's Walrus books by Stephen Savage. These books, too, could have a fun musical accompaniment, something along the lines of a Keystone Kops caper song. Here's a fun video promo:

Here's an image from Where's Walrus? Where's Penguin?

I love to discover the toddler sitting on the couch studying a book.  The other image that brings me joy is seeing the 10 and 12 year olds equally enthralled by these picture books. A good story well illustrated appeals to all ages.

Closing with a haiku by Basho - wish I could remember where I came across it, but i - that seems to express something of the homesickness for the idea of home, or nostalgia for an age that never really existed. In many ways wordless picture books are very akin to haiku.

Even in Kyoto -

Hearing the cuckoo's cry -

I long for Kyoto. 

I checked the punctuation here.

Picture book history and theology

Our local library is not huge, but it regularly adds new titles to its catalog. (I always wonder what the the librarians do with the old books.)  Here are a couple of newly published picture books I picked up last week, not to read to the toddler, but to let my older kids enjoy.  They still like to skim through the library books I bring home and will read to their baby sister regularly. 

I also like to learn from picture books. With all the recent interest in Alexander Hamilton because of the musical, this picture book about the similarities and differences between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton was readily picked up by my readers of all ages. It doesn't really explore their political differences carefully, but it does give an brief introduction to their roles in American history, but political and cultural.  And although I'm sure it was inspired in part by the musical, it provides some interesting comparisons to the recent election in terms of illustrating how bitter political divisions can become. 

This other newer book, Dear Pope Francis, follows in the footsteps of other books of letters to previous popes. This one has cute illustrations, and some of Pope Francis's responses are instructive to adults as well as children.  The letter pictured below is the one that was most memorable to me, partly because the question comes from an older child concerned for his grandpa, and partly because Pope Francis's response uses imagery that seems all too literal for this community.  The local iconic bridge was closed again yesterday for "police activity," which is how the traffic alert texts read when the police are trying to intervene in a suicide attempt.  The bridge is high; the water is deep. We pray for God's mercy in the fall.

These letters read:

Your holiness,

Will my grandpa, a non-Catholic who is not a person willing to do something evil, go to heaven when dies? In other words, if someone never makes any penances, how big a sin must he commit for him to go down to Hell?
God bless you, Ivan

Age 13, China

Dear Ivan,

Jesus loves us so very much, and he wants all of us to go to Heaven. God's will is that everybody would be saved. Jesus walks with us until the very last moment of our lives, so that we can be with him always. Now appearance can certainly deceive us. But in fact, Jesus is beside us throughout our lives -- to the very last moment! -- to save us.

Once, a woman went to a holy priest whose name was John Maria Vianney. He was the pastor of the parish in Ars, in France. The woman began to cry, because her husband had committed suicide by jumping off a bridge. She was desperate because she thought that he husband had certainly ended up in hell. But Father John Maria, who was a saint, said to her, "Look, between the bridge and the river, there is the mercy of God."

Franciscus

Our latest geography lesson comes from an older book that is also subtly educational: Richard Scarry's Busy, Busy World. The copy the library has is a new edition reprinted for the 50th anniversary of the original.

Emily Arnold McCully has a new book out about Clara the rhinoceros who was paraded around Europe as a means of entertaining and educating the royalty and others around the time Hamilton and Burr were feuding.  A bittersweet story, it hints at both the joy animal companionship can provide and the problems of removing a wild animal from its natural habitat. I've always liked having animals around the house, but have usually returned all of our rescued pets - turtles, a baby squirrel, baby birds, hermit crabs,- back to the wild for fear they will die on us. Clara lives because her owner is willing to make great sacrifices to keep her alive, but I'm afraid McCully makes Clara so adorable that many children will want a pet rhinoceros.

The toddler regularly sniffs out and requests Frozen books. Our library does not display movie tie-in books in prominent places, happily, but somehow she finds them readily.  I don't know how she manages to locate these books - other children leave them out, or she finds them on the reshelving cart - but I'm trying to combat their allure by finding other princess and ballerina books.  Here are a couple newer editions of classic tales illustrated by Jen Corace and retold by Cynthia Rylant. I loved the illustrations, but both stories were a little melancholy for the Baby.

 

I enjoyed this last title, Some Things I've Lost, by Cybele Young, more than anyone else in the household, because I have a long catalog of beloved objects that have been lost or broken along the way, or sometimes I have given away things that were hard to part with. For instance, I just donated a blanket to a drive for homeless people organized by one of my CRE students, but I had hard time doing it because the blanket was a going away gift from the kids' school principal from their little school in Mississippi.  She had received it after Hurricane Katrina from someone who made it out of two old sheets - one a pretty floral and one a soft faded green flannel. They were just knotted together, not truly quilted or pieced - except on one side where there is some piecing that must cover a flaw or a stain. I should have photographed it.  I gave it away because it has been sitting in my blanket box for five years.  We don't use it, nor do I pull it out and say, "Look, kids, this blanket represents someone's generosity after a great tragedy and then someone else's generosity to us when we were heading out on another adventure."  Now I wish I had done something of the sort.  But it is gone. I didn't have any other blankets to give - they have either been donated or they are in use. And I think the original creator had intended it to be used by someone in need. So it will continue its life keeping someone else warm.  Just as this book imagines a new life for lost things, it helps to imagine the crafter and the multiple recipients of that blanket being knit together in some metaphysical, communion of saints way of connecting. 

A Reading Frenzy

After slogging slowly through Dickens for a month, I have raced through some contemporary authors in the past couple weeks. I've been reading so much lately, that I think I've forgotten something that I read. I know I picked up and put back down the new Joyce Carol Oates book and a literary cookbook anthology called Books that Cook by Melissa Goldthwaite.  But I think I turned something else in at the library that I finished and forgot. . . Oh well - no impression, no review!

Here are the books that were memorable:
I quickly read the rather repetitive Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up  by Marie Kondo, the latest self-help craze.  I linked to it earlier.  I got through it quickly because I didn't bother to do anything she recommended, although I did add a few more clothes to the give away bag that I started when we moved in. The catch for me is that she recommends you touch everything you own to decide whether or not to keep it.  I JUST DID THAT when we moved. I'm not about to pull my books off the shelf or clothes out of the closet or mementos out of the garage again. And I made a valiant effort to give away two boxes of books before we left. I also tossed out a lot of papers, a lot of clothes, a few furniture items, etc.

But still I have mementos in boxes that I didn't deal with. I have little doodads like bobby pins and paper clips roaming the house instead of being stylishly and simply contained in one place.  I don't store things vertically but might try.  I'll apply Kondo's mantra of "Does this give me joy" in a few years when it is time to move again.  I made some notes, and I am determined to get rid of things that hide in the backs of closets, the darkness of boxes, or that never get admired or used. The nice thing is that she doesn't advocate keeping just a certain number of pants, dresses, and tops (although that might actually be helpful), but determining which things are really appreciated, even if they aren't used all that often, like one of my favorite dance dresses.

So next time we move, I am ready to tell my unappreciated items, "Goodbye. Thank you for teaching me what doesn't look good on me" or "Thank you for helping me understand what books I really like and don't like" or "Thank you for reminding me of a happy time that is over now." Since I don't have a hard time getting rid of things that are used up, broken or ruined, but I have a terrible time getting rid of potentially useful items, I think that acknowledging that a thing's usefulness to me has come to an end will be helpful.

******

The other book I appreciated but more as a sort of historical artifact was Selma Lanes' Down the Rabbit Hole: Adventures and Misadventures in Children's Literature. It is a collection of previously published essays about children's lit or authors, and as a book about books, quite good. But as a book written in 1973, it was very much dated, particularly the chapter on books about black children or by black authors.  On the other hand, I found it interesting to read both her evaluations of authors/illustrators who have stood the test of time - Maurice Sendak, Julius Lester, Leo Lionni  - versus those whose books now look very dated, like Uri Shulevitz, Edward Ardizzone, and Lore Segal, whom I never even heard of.  She praised Sendak and Seuss, who is one of my least favorite authors. I find him preachy and boring to read and I don't like his illustrations either. Sorry to offend any Seuss lovers (Lanes claims he understands children's psyche) - but I don't identify.  She also is not a fan of Richard Scarry, whom I love.  But we share an appreciation for Kate Greenaway over Joan Walsh Anglund, for books that challenge children and aren't just repackaged reprints or concept books (ABC or counting books - which can have charm but often don't) or serials that are written to reap financial rewards.  She does however appreciate the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew for their escapist fictions and example of energetic, curious, enterprising teens. The chapter on America's lack of fairy tales was  also interesting - her thesis was that because America's belief in the individual spirit, in hard work over magic, we have more tall tales and "wonder tales" like the Wizard of Oz rather than fairy tales.  She praises the ability of children's lit to provide catharsis in confirming the "benign nature of the universe" - for adults and children.

******

Which is exactly what The Penderwicks in Spring, Jeane Birdsall's fourth Penderwick family tale, does.  Although disaster and heartache are hinted at (the beloved next door neighbor is in the Army off fighting in a war, romances are broken off, the death of the original Mrs. Penderwick is described), in general the story remains a heartwarming tale of a lovable bunch of sisters and one brother, who all have special gifts and are a family closely united.  Birdsall has a gift for making the Penderwicks seem like real people, but also too good to be true, without making them seem like goody-goodies.  Enough romance is hinted at innocently to satisfy a pre-teen girl's curiosity and romanticism, but not even close to enough to make a mother snatch the book away. My 13 year old and I argued about whose turn it was to read it. I can see how a reader who loves realism and despises the sentimental might scoff at this book, but I think there is enough adversity and change for the sisters to face that the book doesn't seem saccharine to me. I give it and the other Penderwick books unqualified two thumbs up.

*****

On the other hand, the last book that I want to mention has no danger of being described as sweet.  I can't decide if it was dark comedy or light tragedy. I know it is supposed to be comedic, but all the foibles of the married couples in David Lodge's Souls and Bodies are heart rending - perhaps because they altogether too familiar. I had trouble falling asleep for thinking about it.  The book has an ensemble cast of young couples who come of age in the early 50's, marry, and then are shaken about by the changes of the 60's and Vatican II. It ends in 1979 with the election of Pope John Paul II, with a (sardonic?) note of hope.

 Lodge, according to Wikipedia, has described himself as a "Catholic agnostic," and he incorporates many of his own experiences and emotions into the story by divvying them about among the couples - an English professor, a father of a child with Down's, a television show producer - and allowing authorial intrusion.  The couples' attitudes and faith change as they age and the world around them changes rapidly, very much as it has continued to do in the following 30 years.  Lodge tells their story wryly, as if he has sympathy for his characters' early convictions, but is compelled to acknowledge the insufficiency of their faith.  His description of all the ramifications of Humanae Vitae are spot on, and his characters experience both the good and the bad effects of relying on their consciences to make a decision about contraception.

It's a compelling read, and I'd love to discuss it with someone. But it is a book I would hesitate to recommend to just anyone. On the one hand, it is way too Catholic for a secular reader, unless it was someone interested in that time in history. I think my generation is unaware of how earth shattering the changes that seem mundane to us now were, (receiving communion on the hand, speaking English) so a casual reader might be confused and bored by the conflicts felt by the main characters.  For a Catholic reader fed up with the Church's stance on domestic issues or already questioning his faith, this book might be a confirmation of everything he suspected.  For a Catholic who has tried to remain faithful, the book is both a challenge and a confirmation.  Some of the characters appear downright silly in the way they embrace change. Or heartbreaking in the way their marriages suffer.  Or prescient in they way they foresee more changes to come. But it is telling that Lodge calls himself an agnostic because the book seems to express to me a deep longing for faith, for something True and Good to believe in.  Despite the politics and the theological mind benders - or faith crushers as the case may be - I can't help but set the book down shaken, but reassured by a sense that the desire for God, for the reality of Love and Forgiveness, permeates the story. Lodge seems to struggle to answer if it all boils down to physical relationships or is there something more?

I almost need another dose of the Penderwicks to recover.

Children's book lists

You know when you order books and Amazon gives you recommendations?  I enjoy looking at these and trying to guess who is like me. Some of the "other people who bought this book also bought..." books are rather obvious - only Catholic home schoolers are buying certain texts that get recommended in the same small subculture.  Other combinations are surprising.

I particularly enjoyed this list of 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime.   I've actually read most of them.  It's kind of an eclectic list, but all the ones that I know on the list are books that I really like. There are some here I'd like my kids to read. I'm happy to report the almost 7th grader and almost 5th grader have become more ready readers. The almost 3rd grader still doesn't care for chapter books, but we've been reading Stuart Little together the last few nights, and she's enjoying listening, even if she doesn't want to read herself.  It amuses me when my high schoolers give the youngers a hard time - "I was reading that book in first grade!"  They scold me for not making the youngers read more.  I know, I know.

The 60s kids classic A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Inspiring readers for centuries The Classic Treasury of Aesop's Fables by Don Daily Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Everyone has bad days Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Go down the rabbit hole Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Mixed-up housekeeper Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish Print

Modern family And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson Print

A spirited young woman Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery Print | Kindle | Audiobook

The ultimate parenting story Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman Print | Kindle

The angst of adolescence Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume Print | Kindle | Audiobook

A mischevious rabbit Beatrix Potter The Complete Tales (Peter Rabbit) by Beatrix Potter Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Best friends Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace Print | Kindle | Audiobook

For animal lovers Black Beauty by Anna Sewell Print | Kindle

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban Print

Friendship and loss Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Monkey business Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Vintage Roald Dahl Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Timeless tale Charlotte's Web by E. B. White Print | Audiobook

Alphabet fun Chicka Chicka Boom Boomby Bill Martin Jr. Print | Kindle

It's raining…food Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett Print | Kindle | Audiobook

A ghostly story Coraline by Neil Gaiman Print | Kindle | Audiobook

The lovable bear Corduroy by Don Freeman Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Gods and goddesses D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths by Ingri d'Aulaire Print | Audiobook

For reluctant readers Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney Print | Kindle | Audiobook

One funny bird Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems Print | Audiobook

Seuss classics Dr. Seuss's Beginner Book Collection by Dr. Seuss Print

A child's first detective story Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol Print | Kindle | Audiobook

A story of immigration in the 1930s Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Museum mystery From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg Print | Kindle | Audiobook

First published in 1947 Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown Print | Audiobook

Bedtime for the building-obsessed Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Favorite fairy tales Grimm's Complete Fairy Talesby Jacob Grimm Print | Kindle | Audiobook

A father's love Guess How Much I Love Youby Sam McBratney Print

Imagination opens doors Harold and the Purple Crayonby Crockett Johnson Print | Audiobook

A budding journalist Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Meet the boy wizard Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling Print | Kindle

Unusual punishment Holes by Louis Sachar Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Alone on an island Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell Print | Kindle | Audiobook

A game comes to life Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg Print | Kindle

Childhood on the frontier Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder Print

The March sisters Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Rhyming reassurance Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Twelve little girls Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans  Print

A garden of ducks Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey Print | Kindle | Audiobook

The boy who runs Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Old-fashioned hard work Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Performing pets Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Helping your neighbor Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien Print | Audiobook

Magical cures for bad habits Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald Print | Audiobook

Courage and independence My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George Print | Audiobook

Precocious pig Olivia by Ian Falconer Print | Kindle | Audiobook

A blankie turned hankie Owen by Kevin Henkes Print | Audiobook

A Great Lakes journey Paddle-to-the-Sea by Holling C. Holling Print | Audiobook

First touch and feel book Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt Print

Never-ending childhood Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie Print | Kindle | Audiobook

One smart, clever girl Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren Print | Audiobook

Reader participation Press Here by Hervé Tullet Print

An accidental wish Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig Print | Audiobook

Wicked good fun The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Tiny people under the floor The Borrowers by Mary Norton Print | Kindle | Audiobook

An orphan mystery The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Of dogs and men The Call Of The Wild by Jack London Print | Kindle | Audiobook

A monkey, a man, a yellow hat The Complete Adventures of Curious George by H. A. Rey Print | Kindle

A musical cricket in NYC The Cricket in Times Squareby George Selden Print | Kindle | Audiobook

If crayons could talk The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt Print | Kindle

The power of a story The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce Print | Kindle

Classic dystopia The Giver by Lois Lowry Print | Kindle | Audiobook

A boy, a bear, a honeypot The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Visionary illustration The Invention of Hugo Cabretby Brian Selznick Print | Audiobook

Famous animal fables The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Monsters, Mythology, and a boy The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1) by Rick Riordan Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Discover Narnia The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis Print | Kindle | Audiobook

I think I can The Little Engine That Couldby Watty Piper Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Unique and universal The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Kindle | Audiobook

A daring mouse The Mouse and the Motorcycleby Beverly Cleary Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Everyday machines The New Way Things Work by David Macaulay Print

Role reversal The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch Print | Kindle

An odd and original journey The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster Print | Kindle

Classic nursery rhymes The Real Mother Goose by Blanche Fisher Wright Print | Kindle | Audiobook

A hidden wonder The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett Print | Kindle | Audiobook

For children of all ages The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew, Book 1) by Carolyn Keene Print | Kindle | Audiobook

A day of exploration The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Little elephant, big city The Story of Babar: The Little Elephant by Jean De Brunhoff Print

A gentle bull The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf Print

A great adventure The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Solving mysteries since 1927 The Tower Treasure (The Hardy Boys No. 1) by Franklin W. Dixon Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Baby's first book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle Print | Audiobook

Civil rights story The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Witty coming-of-age novel The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt Print | Kindle | Audiobook

A twisty mystery The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Mole, Toad, Rat, and Badger The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Over the rainbow The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum Print | Kindle | Audiobook

"buccaneers and buried gold" Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Print | Kindle | Audiobook

The lure of immortality Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit Print | Kindle | Audiobook

A tale of family Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Rabbits on a journey Watership Down by Richard Adams Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Fantasy and Folklore Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin Print | Kindle | Audiobook

A boy and his dogs Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls Print | Kindle | Audiobook

The joys of imagination Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein Print

Let the wild rumpus start! Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak Print | Audiobook

Kindness counts Wonder by R. J. Palacio Print | Kindle | Audiobook

Here's a list of reader favorites from Goodreads. More commercial. I've made some comments on the right

1		Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)  by J.K. Rowling  4.38 of 5 stars	I admit to being  an HP fan. And these books have helped several of my kids bridge to chapters.
2		Charlotte's Web  by E.B. White  4.11 of 5 stars	Favorite.
3		The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)  by C.S. Lewis  4.15 of 5 stars	Wish the kids liked this one more than they did.
4		Where the Wild Things Are  by Maurice Sendak  4.23 of 5 stars	Another favorite
5		Goodnight Moon  by Margaret Wise Brown  4.26 of 5 stars
6		The Cat in the Hat  by Dr. Seuss  4.13 of 5 stars	I am not a fan of Dr. Suess.
7		Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket, #1)  by Roald Dahl  4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 avg rating — 336,279 ratings score: 12,664, and 137 people voted
8		Where the Sidewalk Ends: The Poems and Drawings of Shel Silverstein  by Shel Silverstein  4.25 of 5 stars	Weird author. Kids love.
9		A Wrinkle in Time (Time, #1)  by Madeleine L'Engle  4.04 of 5 stars
10		The Secret Garden  by Frances Hodgson Burnett  4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 avg rating — 462,273 ratings score: 11,642, and 126 people voted	I want one.
11		The Hobbit  by J.R.R. Tolkien  4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 avg rating — 1,535,779 ratings score: 11,638, and 126 people voted
12		Little Women (Little Women, #1)  by Louisa May Alcott  3.99 of 5 stars 3.99 avg rating — 940,728 ratings score: 11,573, and 124 people voted	I wanted this to be my life
13		The Very Hungry Caterpillar  by Eric Carle  4.27 of 5 stars 4.27 avg rating — 188,146 ratings score: 11,423, and 126 people voted
14		Green Eggs and Ham  by Dr. Seuss  4.29 of 5 stars 4.29 avg rating — 343,306 ratings score: 10,511, and 119 people voted
15		The Giving Tree  by Shel Silverstein  4.38 of 5 stars 4.38 avg rating — 486,621 ratings score: 10,208, and 115 people voted
16		The Giver (The Giver #1)  by Lois Lowry (Goodreads Author)  4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 avg rating — 832,351 ratings score: 9,943, and 106 people voted
17		Little House in the Big Woods (Little House, #1)  by Laura Ingalls Wilder  4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 avg rating — 110,343 ratings score: 9,259, and 104 people voted	Another life I longed for.
18		The House at Pooh Corner  by A.A. Milne  4.35 of 5 stars 4.35 avg rating — 55,294 ratings score: 9,252, and 102 people voted
19		To Kill a Mockingbird  by Harper Lee  4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 avg rating — 2,013,642 ratings score: 8,948, and 108 people voted
20		Matilda  by Roald Dahl  4.25 of 5 stars 4.25 avg rating — 287,188 ratings score: 8,815, and 100 people voted
21		The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz, #1)  by L. Frank Baum  3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 avg rating — 172,981 ratings score: 8,789, and 97 people voted	Didn't read until I was an adult. Rare example of move was better
22		How the Grinch Stole Christmas!  by Dr. Seuss  4.34 of 5 stars 4.34 avg rating — 170,158 ratings score: 8,688, and 102 people voted
23		Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3)  by J.K. Rowling  4.46 of 5 stars 4.46 avg rating — 1,252,550 ratings score: 8,627, and 98 people voted
24		Pippi Longstocking  by Astrid Lindgren  4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 avg rating — 86,080 ratings score: 8,591, and 96 people voted
25		Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2)  by J.K. Rowling  4.29 of 5 stars 4.29 avg rating — 1,207,885 ratings score: 8,476, and 97 people voted
26		Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass  by Lewis Carroll  4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 avg rating — 296,797 ratings score: 8,259, and 95 people voted
27		The Velveteen Rabbit  by Margery Williams  4.27 of 5 stars 4.27 avg rating — 134,858 ratings score: 8,110, and 96 people voted
28		Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1)  by L.M. Montgomery  4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 avg rating — 380,603 ratings score: 7,892, and 94 people voted	And a third girlhood I coveted
29		Black Beauty  by Anna Sewell  3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 avg rating — 137,615 ratings score: 7,735, and 89 people voted	I love, kids don't
30		Madeline  by Ludwig Bemelmans  4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 avg rating — 104,323 ratings score: 7,729, and 86 people voted	Geography and a great story.
31		Bridge to Terabithia  by Katherine Paterson  3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 avg rating — 236,986 ratings score: 7,646, and 90 people voted
32		Holes (Holes, #1)  by Louis Sachar  3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 avg rating — 457,989 ratings score: 7,502, and 87 people voted	Read as an adult and enjoyed
33		Island of the Blue Dolphins (Island of the Blue Dolphins #1)  by Scott O'Dell  3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 avg rating — 178,923 ratings score: 7,497, and 87 people voted	Loved. So did my 6th grader
34		Heidi  by Johanna Spyri  3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 avg rating — 121,431 ratings score: 7,479, and 89 people voted	I liked this one, but haven't made the kids read it.
35		The Tale of Peter Rabbit  by Beatrix Potter  4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 avg rating — 111,387 ratings score: 7,453, and 93 people voted
36		The Book Thief  by Markus Zusak (Goodreads Author)  4.36 of 5 stars 4.36 avg rating — 620,402 ratings score: 7,401, and 85 people voted
37		Curious George  by H.A. Rey  4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 avg rating — 85,810 ratings score: 7,385, and 90 people voted	Have to love George. Just avoid some of the knock-offs
38		Peter Pan  by J.M. Barrie  4.1 of 5 stars 4.10 avg rating — 122,059 ratings score: 7,321, and 88 people voted
39		Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales  by Jacob Grimm  4.29 of 5 stars 4.29 avg rating — 106,164 ratings score: 7,278, and 84 people voted
40		Wonder  by R.J. Palacio  4.42 of 5 stars 4.42 avg rating — 116,587 ratings score: 7,214, and 82 people voted
41		The Story of Ferdinand  by Munro Leaf  4.35 of 5 stars 4.35 avg rating — 46,650 ratings score: 7,188, and 82 people voted	Another favorite author
42		The Adventures of Tom Sawyer  by Mark Twain  3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 avg rating — 368,182 ratings score: 7,187, and 86 people voted
43		The Wind in the Willows  by Kenneth Grahame  3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 avg rating — 89,637 ratings score: 7,185, and 84 people voted	A little dull for me.
44		A Little Princess  by Frances Hodgson Burnett  4.19 of 5 stars 4.19 avg rating — 138,162 ratings score: 7,173, and 87 people voted	Can I be Sara Crewe?
45		The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn  by Mark Twain  3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 avg rating — 805,978 ratings score: 7,162, and 90 people voted
46		The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1)  by Rick Riordan (Goodreads Author)  4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 avg rating — 749,035 ratings score: 7,117, and 84 people voted
47		The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew, #1)  by Carolyn Keene  3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 avg rating — 32,354 ratings score: 7,111, and 84 people voted	Oldest daughter just started ND series
48		Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel  by Virginia Lee Burton  4.17 of 5 stars 4.17 avg rating — 29,828 ratings score: 7,095, and 83 people voted	My older boys loved this one
49		From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler  by E.L. Konigsburg  4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 avg rating — 97,674 ratings score: 7,064, and 82 people voted	Another great read from middle school
50		Harold and the Purple Crayon  by Crockett Johnson  4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 avg rating — 78,517 ratings score: 6,988, and 86 people voted
51		The Phantom Tollbooth  by Norton Juster  4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 avg rating — 129,680 ratings score: 6,959, and 78 people voted	Never really got into this one
52		The Little House Collection (Little House, #1-9)  by Laura Ingalls Wilder  4.33 of 5 stars 4.33 avg rating — 104,937 ratings score: 6,954, and 92 people voted
53		Oh, the Places You'll Go!  by Dr. Seuss  4.32 of 5 stars 4.32 avg rating — 166,837 ratings score: 6,896, and 87 people voted	Bleh
54		The Snowy Day  by Ezra Jack Keats  4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 avg rating — 55,052 ratings score: 6,825, and 84 people voted	Smile
55		Number the Stars  by Lois Lowry (Goodreads Author)  4.07 of 5 stars 4.07 avg rating — 265,600 ratings score: 6,803, and 83 people voted	Lowry was a favorite in Middle school
56		The Boxcar Children (The Boxcar Children, #1)  by Gertrude Chandler Warner  4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 avg rating — 59,216 ratings score: 6,788, and 86 people voted
57		Amelia Bedelia  by Peggy Parish  4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 avg rating — 49,639 ratings score: 6,748, and 87 people voted
58		The Diary of a Young Girl  by Anne Frank  4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 avg rating — 1,280,086 ratings score: 6,685, and 95 people voted
59		The Westing Game  by Ellen Raskin  4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 avg rating — 82,495 ratings score: 6,434, and 79 people voted	Came across this one recently and want kids to read.
60		Going Over  by Beth Kephart (Goodreads Author)  3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 avg rating — 239 ratings score: 6,357, and 73 people voted	?
61		Alice in Wonderland (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland #1)  by Lewis Carroll  3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 avg rating — 202,136 ratings score: 6,356, and 80 people voted
62		Because of Winn-Dixie  by Kate DiCamillo (Goodreads Author)  3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 avg rating — 108,617 ratings score: 6,296, and 84 people voted	Sweet. Got the 3rd grader to read and enjoy but hard names
63		The BFG  by Roald Dahl  4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 avg rating — 149,861 ratings score: 6,276, and 80 people voted
64		Press Here  by Hervé Tullet  4.42 of 5 stars 4.42 avg rating — 6,758 ratings score: 6,246, and 77 people voted	Fun. Sent to a nephew
65		The Graveyard Book  by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author)  4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 avg rating — 193,018 ratings score: 6,245, and 80 people voted	Loved. I admit to being a Neil Gaiman fan.
66		Ender's Game (The Ender Quintet, #1)  by Orson Scott Card  4.28 of 5 stars 4.28 avg rating — 607,467 ratings score: 6,243, and 86 people voted	Never read
67		Are You My Mother?  by P.D. Eastman  4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 avg rating — 100,520 ratings score: 6,167, and 90 people voted	Family fav
68		Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH  by Robert C. O'Brien  4.1 of 5 stars 4.10 avg rating — 105,929 ratings score: 6,143, and 86 people voted	I loved. Kids didn't
69		The Call of the Wild  by Jack London  3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 avg rating — 165,151 ratings score: 6,076, and 86 people voted
70		A Bear Called Paddington (Paddington, #1)  by Michael Bond  4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 avg rating — 44,815 ratings score: 6,043, and 87 people voted	Another I couldn't ever get into
71		Bread and Jam for Frances  by Russell Hoban  4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 avg rating — 20,337 ratings score: 6,011, and 80 people voted	I could read Frances over and over
72		The Lorax  by Dr. Seuss  4.36 of 5 stars 4.36 avg rating — 155,674 ratings score: 5,907, and 85 people voted	Not this one.
73		Blueberries for Sal  by Robert McCloskey  4.16 of 5 stars 4.16 avg rating — 39,090 ratings score: 5,743, and 80 people voted	And I could read this one many many times
74		Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (Ramona, #6)  by Beverly Cleary  4.07 of 5 stars 4.07 avg rating — 46,753 ratings score: 5,621, and 81 people voted	Just read with the 8 yr old. Looking forward to reading with LCJ
75		Tuck Everlasting  by Natalie Babbitt  3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 avg rating — 127,907 ratings score: 5,616, and 82 people voted
76		The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #1)  by Lemony Snicket (Goodreads Author)  3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 avg rating — 188,567 ratings score: 5,576, and 82 people voted	Clever
77		The Paper Bag Princess  by Robert Munsch  4.32 of 5 stars 4.32 avg rating — 23,810 ratings score: 5,519, and 78 people voted
78		A Light in the Attic  by Shel Silverstein  4.33 of 5 stars 4.33 avg rating — 203,749 ratings score: 5,501, and 80 people voted
79		Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs  by Judi Barrett  4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 avg rating — 77,208 ratings score: 5,466, and 80 people voted
80		Ella Enchanted  by Gail Carson Levine (Goodreads Author)  3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 avg rating — 236,463 ratings score: 5,361, and 80 people voted
81		The Day the Crayons Quit  by Drew Daywalt  4.41 of 5 stars 4.41 avg rating — 6,939 ratings score: 5,349, and 76 people voted
82		Tuesday Tucks Me In: The Loyal Bond between a Soldier and his Service Dog  by Luis Carlos Montalván (Goodreads Author)  4.22 of 5 stars 4.22 avg rating — 209 ratings score: 5,275, and 53 people voted	Don't know this one, either. Sounds hokey, and I'm patriotic and a dog-lover
83		The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (The Herdmans #1)  by Barbara Robinson  4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 avg rating — 19,860 ratings score: 5,261, and 77 people voted	Kids' favorite read-aloud
84		Frog and Toad Are Friends (Frog and Toad, #1)  by Arnold Lobel  4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 avg rating — 47,377 ratings score: 5,258, and 83 people voted	My favorite easy reader
85		Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day  by Judith Viorst  4.22 of 5 stars 4.22 avg rating — 105,594 ratings score: 5,250, and 84 people voted	Fun to read aloud. But not as fun as Skippyjonjones
86		Hatchet (Brian's Saga, #1)  by Gary Paulsen  3.63 of 5 stars 3.63 avg rating — 138,744 ratings score: 5,180, and 77 people voted	Boys enjoyed
87		James and the Giant Peach  by Roald Dahl  3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 avg rating — 189,548 ratings score: 5,084, and 80 people voted	Weirdly enjoyable
88		Treasure Island  by Robert Louis Stevenson  3.79 of 5 stars 3.79 avg rating — 199,122 ratings score: 4,996, and 80 people voted
89		Corduroy  by Don Freeman  4.25 of 5 stars 4.25 avg rating — 117,472 ratings score: 4,930, and 77 people voted
90		The Witch of Blackbird Pond  by Elizabeth George Speare  3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 avg rating — 78,788 ratings score: 4,815, and 77 people voted	Loved this one as a pre-teen
91		One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish  by Dr. Seuss  4.1 of 5 stars 4.10 avg rating — 93,023 ratings score: 4,701, and 77 people voted
92		Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site  by Sherri Duskey Rinker (Goodreads Author)  4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 avg rating — 2,733 ratings score: 4,676, and 68 people voted	This one sounds boring to me. How about Goodnight Gorilla?
93		The Complete Tales  by Beatrix Potter  4.34 of 5 stars 4.34 avg rating — 42,275 ratings score: 4,657, and 79 people voted
94		A Child's Garden of Verses  by Robert Louis Stevenson  4.29 of 5 stars 4.29 avg rating — 15,776 ratings score: 4,654, and 75 people voted
95		Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret  by Judy Blume  3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 avg rating — 121,341 ratings score: 4,476, and 70 people voted	Secretly intrigued when I read it as a fifth grader
96		If You Give a Mouse a Cookie  by Laura Joffe Numeroff  4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 avg rating — 125,524 ratings score: 4,422, and 74 people voted	not my favorite picture book - don't like the knock-offs either - but the kids liked it.
97		The Little Engine That Could  by Watty Piper  4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 avg rating — 60,767 ratings score: 4,369, and 78 people voted	Love!
98		Flora and the Flamingo  by Molly Idle  4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 avg rating — 1,397 ratings score: 4,325, and 66 people voted	Never heard of.
99		Miss Nelson Is Missing! (Miss Nelson, #1)  by Harry Allard  4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 avg rating — 54,829 ratings score: 4,319, and 69 people voted	Love!
100		Rhyme Schemer  by K.A. Holt  4.56 of 5 stars 4.56 avg rating — 61 ratings score: 4,029, and 61 people voted