The following are some of my favorite children's books.
You can now order most of these books online because of an agreement I have entered into with Amazon.com, an online bookstore that I have been ordering from since 1999. Clicking on the title will take you to the Amazon.com website, will provide you with further information about each book, and will offer you the opportunity to order it online, usually at a savings of 10-50%. For my part in the deal, I receive a small percentage of each order you place that originates on my website. Thanks in advance for your business.
Page updated: 08/04/05 12:17 PM
Reynolds, Peter. The Dot. Candlewick, 2003.
A frustrated grade school artist,
Vashti sits slumped over her blank piece of paper at the end of art class. "I
just CAN'T draw!" she tells her teacher. Her teacher first uses wit, then subtle
yet clever encouragement to inspire her student to go beyond her insecurities
and become, in the words of a younger boy who "can’t" draw either, "a really
great artist."Peter H. Reynolds crafts a quiet, pleasing story in The Dot--one that will strike a chord with children who have outgrown the self-assurance of kindergarten and begun to doubt their own greatness. His marvelous watercolor, ink, and, yes, tea illustrations are appealing in a Quentin Blakey way, especially as Vashti begins to go wild with her dots. The delightfully open-ended conclusion will have readers of all ages contemplating how they can make their own mark in the world. Highly recommended.
Shannon, David.
A
Bad Case of Stripes. Blue Sky, 1998.
A highly original moral tale
acquires mythic proportions when Camilla Cream worries too much about what
others think of her and tries desperately to please everyone. First stripes,
then stars and stripes, and finally anything anyone suggests (including tree
limbs, feathers, and a tail) appear vividly all over her body. The solution:
lima beans, loved by Camilla, but disdained for fear they'll promote
unpopularity with her classmates. Shannon's exaggerated, surreal, full-color
illustrations take advantage of shadow, light, and shifting perspective to show
the girl's plight. Bordered pages barely contain the energy of the artwork;
close-ups emphasize the remarkable characters that inhabit the tale.
McBrier, Paige. Beatrice's Goat. Atheneum, 2001.
When her
family's fat, sleek new goat arrives in her poor Ugandan village, little
Beatrice hugs her close and whispers, "Mama says you are our lucky gift...." And
indeed it is true. Soon the goat bears two kids and provides enough milk to both
feed the family and sell for profit. Until the goat arrived, life was very hard
for Beatrice and her five brothers and sisters. The family could not afford to
send the children to school, and it was difficult to make ends meet. Magically
this one small animal, one of 12 given the village, opens up a new world of
health and prosperity. Before the year is out, Beatrice happily realizes her
dream of becoming a school girl and her delighted family moves into a sturdy new
house.Based on the true account of one family who received aid from Heifer Project International, a charitable organization that donates livestock to poor communities around the world, this moving story is eloquently and gracefully recounted. Vividly evoking the lush tropical landscape of central Africa, Lohstoeter's rich, deeply-hued illustrations perfectly complement the text and make Beatrice and her world affectingly real. Although she may live far removed from the comfortable middle-class lives of many young readers, it is clear that Beatrice is a girl of unusual heart and, like any child, filled with hopes and dreams. In her afterword Hillary Rodham Clinton writes, "Beatrice's Goat is a heartwarming reminder that families, wherever they live, can change their lives for the better." A portion of the publisher's proceeds goes to support the Heifer Project.
Coles, Robert. The Story of Ruby Bridges. Scholastic, 1995.
Ruby Bridges was the sole African
American child to attend a New Orleans elementary school after court-ordered
desegregation in 1960. Noted research psychiatrist Coles tells how federal
marshals escorted the intrepid six-year-old past angry crowds of white
protestors thronging the school. Parents of the white students kept them home,
and so Ruby "began learning how to read and write in an empty classroom, an
empty building." Although there are disappointingly few words from Ruby herself,
Coles's use of quotes from her teacher adds to the story's poignancy ("Sometimes
I'd look at her and wonder how she did it.... How she went by those mobs and sat
here all by herself and yet seemed so relaxed and comfortable"). The story has a
rather abrupt ending; the concluding page reprints the prayer that Ruby said
daily, asking God to forgive the protesters. Coles cursorily finishes the tale
of Ruby's unsettling year in an afterword (two boys and then the rest of the
students returned to school; the mobs dispersed by the time Ruby entered second
grade). Ford (Bright Eyes, Brown Skin; Paul Robeson) contributes affecting
watercolors that play up Ruby's moral courage.
Spinelli. Eileen. Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch. Sagebrush, 1999.
Colorless Mr. Hatch--who works in
a shoelace factory and eats a cheese and mustard sandwich for lunch every day
with, just occasionally, a prune--is jarred from his reserve by receiving a huge
Valentine box of candy with a card that says only, ``Somebody loves you.''
Amazed, he samples it, shares it at work and, buoyed by his friendly reception,
sympathetically helps several people out on the way home (e.g., he watches the
newspaper stall so that its proprietor can take his cold to the doctor). He's
soon baking brownies, hosting a neighborhood picnic, and reading to the local
kids. Then the postman arrives with the news that the candy was delivered to the
wrong address, putting poor Mr. Hatch into a funk; but his devoted new friends
rally round to bring him back into their cheerful society. Told with warmth and
a light touch, the story easily transcends its predictability. It's much
enhanced by Yalowitz's mellow color- pencil illustrations. His unique elongated
characters with their extra-tall heads are at once animated and serene; the
smooth clarity of his scenes is enlivened with many amusing details. A charming
book with a real plot, its amiable tone beautifully complemented by the
intriguing illustrations.
Cooney, Barbara. Miss Rumphius, Puffin, 1985.
As
a child Great-aunt Alice Rumphius resolved that when she grew up she would go to
faraway places, live by the sea in her old age, and do something to make the
world more beautiful--and she does all those things, the last being the most
difficult of all.
I found out about this book while reading the following article in the Boston Globe:
A Beautiful Way to Help Children
Boston Globe, 8/10/04
A routine school assignment landed little Kaylee Wallace in Children's
Hospital yesterday -- which was just what she wanted.
Kaylee's first-grade teacher at Wellfleet Elementary School, on Cape Cod, had
asked the class to write about how they would make the world more beautiful.
Kaylee, 7, wrote that she would buy toys for sick children. Then, she told her
parents, who had adopted her from China six years ago, that she actually wanted
to do it.
"She said, 'We're going to sell lemonade,' " recalled Kaylee's father, John
Wallace.
That's how Kaylee raked in more than $850 to buy toys that filled several large
boxes, which she and her parents delivered to a playroom in Children's Hospital
yesterday. The toys will be distributed to the hospital's several playrooms.
The writing assignment that inspired Kaylee was given after her class read
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, a story told by a young girl about her
great-aunt, who scatters flower seeds around the world because her grandfather
had told her when she was little that she needed to do something to make the
world more beautiful.
Fox, Mem. Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge. Kane/Miller, 1985.
A small boy, Wilfrid Gordon
McDonald Partridge, knows and likes all of the old folks in the home next door,
but his favorite is Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper she has four names, too.
Hearing that she has lost her memory, he asks the old folks what a memory is
("Something from long ago" ; "Something that makes you laugh;" "Something warm;"
etc.), ponders the answers, then gathers up memories of his own (seashells
collected long ago last summer, a feathered puppet with a goofy expression, a
warm egg fresh from the hen) to give her. In handling Wilfrid's memories, Nancy
finds and shares her own. The illustrations splashy, slightly hazy watercolors
in rosy pastels contrast the boy's fidgety energy with his friends' slow,
careful movements and capture the story's warmth and sentiment.
Lindsay, Norman.
The
Magic Pudding: Being the Adventures of Bunyip Bluegum and His Friends Bill
Barnacle & Sam Sawnoff (New York Review Children's Collection).
The Magic Pudding is a pie, except when it's something else, like a steak, or
a jam donut, or an apple dumpling. But it's also alive. It walks, it talks, and
it's got a personality like no other. A meaner, sulkier, snarlinger Pudding
you've never met. So discovers koala Bunyip Bluegum when he joins a sailor and a
penguin as members of Noble Society of Pudding Owners, whose "members are
required to wander along the roads, indulgin' in conversation, song and story,
and eatin' at regular intervals from the Pudding." Wild and woolly, funny and
outrageously fun, The Magic Pudding stands with Alice in Wonderland as one of
the craziest books ever written for young readers.
Review by Phillip Pullman in Salon.com
Young, Ed. Seven Blind Mice. Philomel, 1992
A
many-talented illustrator (Lon Po Po, 1989, Caldecott Medal) uses a new
medium--collage--in an innovative reworking of ``The Blind Men and the
Elephant,'' with splendid results: a book that casually rehearses the days
of the week, numbers (ordinal and cardinal), and colors while memorably
explicating and extending the theme: ``Knowing in part may make a fine
tale, but wisdom comes from seeing the whole.'' The mice (first seen as an
intriguing row of bright tails on the elegantly spare black title spread)
are the colors of the rainbow plus white; they, the white text, and the
parts of the elephant (as they really are and as the mice imagine them) are
superimposed on a dramatic black ground. The real elephant is skillfully
composed with textured and crumpled paper in gentle earth tones; in a sly
philosophical twist, the form each mouse imagines is the color of the
mouse: e.g., Green Mouse says the trunk is a snake, shown as green. On
Sunday, White Mouse (the only female) runs over the entire elephant,
getting the others to join her; now, at last, with her help, they all
understand the whole. Exquisitely crafted: a simple, gracefully honed text,
an appealing story, real but unobtrusive values and levels of meaning, and
outstanding illustrations and design--all add up to a perfect book.
Couric, Katie. The
Brand New Kid. Doubleday, October 10, 2000.
On
Ellie and Carrie's first day of second grade there's a brand new kid in
the class. But when the teacher asks her students to welcome the
ultrablond, blue-eyed, pink-lipped, loud-voiced, accent-sporting Lazlo S.
Gasky to Brookhaven School, they all mock him instead: "Too
different and strange to fit in they all feared." Lazlo grows
unhappier by the minute, as he is ostracized and taunted by his
classmates. One day, however, when Ellie sees his sad-looking mother
walking forlornly toward her car ("Her son's having trouble, she
might pull him out, / this school may be wrong for him, she's full of
doubt"), things begin to look up for Lazlo. At that moment Ellie
begins to wonder what it must be like to be a new kid, feeling so
"different and strange," and she decides to take steps to get
to know him, even at the risk of facing her friends' ridicule. ("At
school the next day the kids stopped her and said, / 'You were walking
with Lazlo, are you sick in the head?' / Ellie paused and replied, 'Now I
know him, you see, / Lazlo isn't that different from you and from
me.'"
NBC News' Today coanchor Katie Couric's
rhyming book provides a healthy approach to treating people who may be
perceived as different, and works well as a springboard to discussion.
Though the suddenness of Ellie's turnaround in attitude seems a bit
unnatural and the rhymes are often forced ("They arrived at his door
greeted by his French poodle / and Mrs. Gasky was there with a plate of
warm strudel!"), the message of The Brand New Kid will certainly not
be lost on children. As Couric writes in her introduction, "It
sometimes takes courage, but I hope this story will inspire all of us to
reach out and make someone feel a little less scared and a little less
lonely." Hear, hear. Caldecott Honor artist Marjorie Priceman's
watercolor spreads are positively delightful, washing warmly over the
pages in a free, buoyant style. (Ages 4 to 8)
Foltz Jones, Charlotte. Mistakes that Worked. Doubleday, 1991.
This
intriguing book reveals the often bizarre stories behind the accidental
invention or naming of many of today's successful products, including
ice-cream cones, aspirin, and doughnut holes. Comical ink-and-watercolor
illustrations capitalize on the quirkiness of the theme.
Finchler, Judy.
Testing Miss Malarky. Walker & Company, 2000.
Ages
6-9. Miss Malarkey is back, this time dealing with standardized tests, but the
tone of this story is surprisingly sarcastic. The Principal is literally
flipping his wig over which pencils to order, students in art class learn the
correct way to fill in circles, and Mr. Fitanuff is teaching yoga to help
de-stress kids before the test. Even worse, children are denied recess, and
parents are concerned about property values. The last illustration shows
teachers celebrating under a banner proclaiming "County Champions," but it's
clear the children are unaware of the honor. Listeners will enjoy the silly
humor and joyful, creative illustrations, with thought balloons providing snappy
asides, but the book may be most appealing to adults who have already done their
share of test preparation.
Stock, Gregory.
The Kids' Book of Questions. Scott Foresman, 1988.
Here
is a collection of questions specially designed to challenge, provoke, entertain
and expand young minds. Discovery and controversy lurk in every question,
whether discussed kid to kid, in class or with the whole family. Poses
thought-provoking questions to the reader about such issues as trust, fear,
ethics, family problems, social pressures, and friendship.
Spinelli, Jerry.
Loser. HarperCollins, 2002.
Just like other kids, Zinkoff rides his bike, hopes for
snow days, and wants to be like his dad when he grows up. But Zinkoff also
raises his hand with all the wrong answers, trips over his own feet, and falls
down with laughter over a word like "Jabip."
Other kids have their own word to describe him, but Zinkoff is too busy to hear
it. He doesn't know he's not like everyone else. And one winter night, Zinkoff's
differences show that any name can someday become "hero."
Sachar, Louis.
There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom. Random, 1987.
Fifth
grader Bradley Chalkers is bright, imaginative, antisocial and friendless.
Unlike the kids at school, who hate him, Bradley's collection of chipped and
broken little pottery animals allows him to be brave, smart and vulnerable; he
uses them to resolve the rejection of peers and adults. Jeff, a new boy at
school, offers friendship but then withdraws his offer, because Bradley is hard
to like. Enter Carla Davis, new school counselor, who is caring and funny, and
who gradually helps restore Bradley's self-confidence. Feelings and emotions are
strongly evoked in this touching and serious story of a disturbed child that is
infused with humor and insight.
Rowling. J.K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, 2000.
In
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling offers up equal parts
danger and delight--and any number of dragons, house-elves, and
death-defying challenges. Now 14, her orphan hero has only two more weeks
with his Muggle relatives before returning to Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry. Yet one night a vision harrowing enough to make
his lightning-bolt-shaped scar burn has Harry on edge and contacting his
godfather-in-hiding, Sirius Black. Happily, the prospect of attending the
season's premier sporting event, the Quidditch World Cup, is enough to
make Harry momentarily forget that Lord Voldemort and his sinister
familiars--the Death Eaters--are out for murder.
Readers, we will cast a giant invisibility cloak over any more plot and reveal only that You-Know-Who is very much after Harry and that this year there will be no quidditch matches between Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Instead, Hogwarts will vie with two other magicians' schools, the stylish Beauxbatons and the icy Durmstrang, in a Triwizard Tournament. Those chosen to compete will undergo three supreme tests. Could Harry be one of the lucky contenders?
But quidditch buffs need not go into mourning: we get our share of this great game at the World Cup. Attempting to go incognito as Muggles, 100,000 witches and wizards converge on a "nice deserted moor." As ever, Rowling magicks up the details that make her world so vivid, and so comic. Several spectators' tents, for instance, are entirely unquotidian. One is a minipalace, complete with live peacocks; another has three floors and multiple turrets. And the sports paraphernalia on offer includes rosettes "squealing the names of the players" as well as "tiny models of Firebolts that really flew, and collectible figures of famous players, which strolled across the palm of your hand, preening themselves." Needless to say, the two teams are decidedly different, down to their mascots. Bulgaria is supported by the beautiful veela, who instantly enchant everyone--including Ireland's supporters--over to their side. Until, that is, thousands of tiny cheerleaders engage in some pyrotechnics of their own: "The leprechauns had risen into the air again, and this time, they formed a giant hand, which was making a very rude sign indeed at the veela across the field."
Long before her fourth installment appeared, Rowling warned that it would be darker, and it's true that every exhilaration is equaled by a moment that has us fearing for Harry's life, the book's emotions running as deep as its dangers. Along the way, though, she conjures up such new characters as Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, a Dark Wizard catcher who may or may not be getting paranoid in his old age, and Rita Skeeter, who beetles around Hogwarts in search of stories. (This Daily Prophet scoop artist has a Quick-Quotes Quill that turns even the most innocent assertion into tabloid innuendo.) And at her bedazzling close, Rowling leaves several plot strands open, awaiting book 5. This fan is ready to wager that the author herself is part veela--her pen her wand, her commitment to her world complete. (Ages 9 and older)
Rowling, J.K. Harry
Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5). Scholastic,
June 21, 2003.
From
the publisher: "We are thrilled to announce the publication date.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is absolutely superb and will
delight all J.K. Rowling's fans. She has written a brilliant and utterly
compelling new adventure, which begins with the words:
"The hottest day of the summer so far was drawing to a close and a drowsy
silence lay over the large, square houses of Privet Drive.... The only
person left outside was a teenage boy who was lying flat on his back in a
flowerbed outside number four."
"Later in the novel, J.K.Rowling writes:
"Dumbledore lowered his hands and surveyed Harry through his half-moon
glasses. 'It is time,' he said 'for me to tell you what I should have told
you five years ago, Harry. Please sit down. I am going to tell you
everything.'"
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is over 255,000 words compared to
over l9l,000 words in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The new book is
38 chapters long, one more than Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Polacco, Patricia. Thank
You, Mr. Falker. Philomel Books, 1998.
Tricia,
who has a yearning to learn to read because of her family's love of
learning, discovers that letters in books seem to be all wiggling shapes.
As she progresses through school, her classmates scorn her as dumb. She
believes them . . . until Fifth Grade when she is blessed with a
wonderful teacher, Mr. Falker.
Based on her own bleak difficulties in elementary school, the author/illustrator has dedicated this touching picture book memoir to the real Mr. Falker. Every classroom should not only have this book, it should be read aloud. Without saying the word "dyslexia" or preaching, Polacco has produced a compassionate story that will comfort the troubled and trouble the comfortable. A 1998 Parents' Choice® Gold Award.
Calmenson, Stephanie. The Principal's New Clothes. Scholastic, 1991.
A
takeoff on Andersen's he Emperor's New Clothes features the principal,
Mr. Bundy, the sharpest dresser in town, and a pair of con artists.
Clever, sly illustrations add a great deal to Mr. Bundy's appearance at
assembly, clad only in his underwear. Funny for the early grades.
Sachar, Louis. There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom. Random, 1987.
Fifth
grader Bradley Chalkers is bright, imaginative, antisocial and friendless.
Unlike the kids at school, who hate him, Bradley's collection of chipped and
broken little pottery animals allows him to be brave, smart and vulnerable; he
uses them to resolve the rejection of peers and adults. Jeff, a new boy at
school, offers friendship but then withdraws his offer, because Bradley is hard
to like. Enter Carla Davis, new school counselor, who is caring and funny, and
who gradually helps restore Bradley's self-confidence. Feelings and emotions are
strongly evoked in this touching and serious story of a disturbed child that is
infused with humor and insight.
Babbitt, Natalie. Tuck Everlasting. Sunburst, 1988.
Imagine
coming upon a fountain of youth in a forest. To live forever--isn't that
everyone's ideal? For the Tuck family, eternal life is a reality, but their
reaction to their fate is surprising. Award winner Natalie Babbitt (Knee-Knock
Rise, The Search for Delicious) outdoes herself in this sensitive, moving
adventure in which 10-year-old Winnie Foster is kidnapped, finds herself helping
a murderer out of jail, and is eventually offered the ultimate gift--but doesn't
know whether to accept it. Babbitt asks profound questions about the meaning of
life and death, and leaves the reader with a greater appreciation for the
perfect cycle of nature. Intense and powerful, exciting and poignant, Tuck
Everlasting will last forever--in the reader's imagination. An ALA Notable Book.
(Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter
Monsell, Mary. Underwear! Albert Whitman and Company, 1988.
"Just a'struttin' and a'prancin' and bedecked to beat the band in heart-splattered drawers comes Bismark the Buffalo--but only after a remarkable metamorphosis . . . Munsinger's zany pen-and-ink perky-colored illustrations are a perfect foil for the text. . . . A great read-aloud choice."
Martin, Jane Read. Now Everybody Hates Me. HarperTrophy, 1996.
Ages
5-8. It's not difficult to see why Patty Jane won't win the title of Miss
Popularity. She's sour and stubborn, and (surprise!) there's no reversal in
this picture book to change her into anything sweeter. After bopping her
brother on the head ("I did not hit Theodore. I touched him
hard."), she's sent to her room. She quickly pledges never to emerge
(except for Lisa's birthday sleepover next Saturday) and spends a glorious,
very funny few pages musing on the myriad ways she can make the most of her
punishment and avenge herself, particularly on her brother. Chast, whose
work has appeared in The New Yorker, uses expressive, snappy, slightly
sophisticated ink-line cartoon drawings, washed in watercolor, to interpret
Patty's tale of childhood woe. Bursting with funny details, they add extra
punch to the wonderful dry humor of the telling. A book with an obstinate,
contrary heroine who, like it or not, may remind readers a little of
themselves.
Ryan, Pam. Riding Freedom. Scholastic, 1998.
In
a lively historical novel, Ryan draws on the true life story of Charlotte Darkey
Parkhurst ("One-Eyed Charley"), in the mid-nineteenth century, who
disguised herself as a boy at the age of 12 and ran away from a grim New
Hampshire orphanage. Always hiding the fact that she was female, she made a life
for herself working with horses, first as a stable hand, then as an expert
coach-driver, and later, out west, where she found her own place at last.
Middle-schoolers will love the horse adventures and the stories of her trickery
(she even used her male disguise to vote, more than 50 years before women were
allowed to do that). Brian Selznick's full-page shaded pencil illustrations show
the quiet, daring young woman in man's stiff clothing; they express her yearning
and loneliness as well as her deadpan mischief and her bond with the horses she
loved.
Best
Children's Books of the Century
San Francisco Chronicle, 12/26/99
With the century coming to an end soon, there are all sorts of "best'' lists out there: top 10 this, top 20 that. But drawing up a short list of the best kids' books from the past 100 years isn't easy.
Children's literature has truly come of age in the 20th century. "Children's Books in Print 1999'' indexes more than 125,000 books available in the United States alone. So how to choose?
Myers, Walter Dean. Glorious Angels -- A Celebration of Children. Harper Trophy, 1997.
As
a companion to his Brown
Angels (Harper), Myers has put together another album of wonderful old
photographs of children, but this time the children come from a wide variety of
racial and ethnic backgrounds. In spite of the time and cultural differences,
the photographs display the universality of childhood. The pictures are woven
together with a poem of celebration that may appeal more to adults than to
children.
Thanks to my friend, Thea Maestre, who showed this book to me yesterday!
Myers, Walter Dean. Brown Angels -- An Album of Pictures and Verse. Harper Trophy, 1996.
Myers's
collection of antique photographs of African-American children from the turn
of the century, sharply reproduced in black and white or sepia, inspired
eleven evocative poems that affirm the African-American experience in a
lyrical, tender, and sometimes humorous voice. A beautiful, unique album.
Sachar, Louis. Holes (Newberry Medal Book, 1999). Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1998.
"If
you take a bad boy and make him dig a hole every day in the hot sun, it will
turn him into a good boy." Such is the reigning philosophy at Camp Green
Lake, a juvenile detention facility where there is no lake, and there are no
happy campers. In place of what used to be "the largest lake in Texas"
is now a dry, flat, sunburned wasteland, pocked with countless identical holes
dug by boys improving their character. Stanley Yelnats, of palindromic name and
ill-fated pedigree, has landed at Camp Green Lake because it seemed a better
option than jail. No matter that his conviction was all a case of mistaken
identity, the Yelnats family has become accustomed to a long history of bad
luck, thanks to their
"no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather!" Despite
his innocence, Stanley is quickly enmeshed in the Camp Green Lake routine:
rising before dawn to dig a hole five feet deep and five feet in diameter;
learning how to get along with the Lord
of the Flies-styled pack of boys in Group D; and fearing the warden, who
paints her fingernails with rattlesnake venom. But when Stanley realizes that
the boys may not just be digging to build character--that in fact the warden is
seeking something specific--the plot gets as thick as the irony.
Rowling, J.K. Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Arthur J. Levine Books, 1998.
Say
you've spent the first 10 years of your life sleeping under the stairs of a
family who loathes you. Then, in an absurd, magical twist of fate you find
yourself surrounded by wizards, a caged snowy owl, a phoenix-feather wand, and
jellybeans that come in every flavor, including strawberry, curry, grass, and
sardine. Not only that, but you discover that you are a wizard yourself! This
is exactly what happens to young Harry Potter in J.K. Rowling's enchanting,
funny debut novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. In the nonmagic
human world--the world of "Muggles"--Harry is a nobody, treated like
dirt by the aunt and uncle who begrudgingly inherited him when his parents
were killed by the evil Voldemort. But in the world of wizards, small, skinny
Harry is famous as a survivor of the wizard who tried to kill him. He is left
only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined
sensibilities, and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite,
yes, altogether different from his aunt, uncle, and spoiled, piglike cousin
Dudley.
A mysterious letter, delivered by the friendly giant Hagrid, wrenches Harry from his dreary, Muggle-ridden existence: "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Of course, Uncle Vernon yells most unpleasantly, "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" Soon enough, however, Harry finds himself at Hogwarts with his owl Hedwig... and that's where the real adventure--humorous, haunting, and suspenseful--begins. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, first published in England as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, continues to win major awards in England. So far it has won the National Book Award, the Smarties Prize, the Children's Book Award, and is short-listed for the Carnegie Medal, the U.K. version of the Newbery Medal.
Rowling, J.K. Harry
Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Arthur J. Levine Books,
1999.
Given
the furor this book has already caused in the U.S., it seems almost redundant to
review it; however. . . . Harry Potter's exploits during his second year at
Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry completely live up to the bewitching
measure of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, a Booklist Editors' Choice,
1998. Harry's summer with the spiteful Dursleys is as dismal as his life with
them before Hogwarts, and not only that, a neurotic house-elf suddenly appears
to warn him against returning to school. Harry, of course, goes back to school.
Once there, he finds himself in danger, as predicted by the house-elf. Strange
things are happening. Why can only Harry hear an eerie voice talking about
escaping and killing? Who or what has put several students into a petrified
state? Harry and his sidekicks, Ron and Hermione, work furiously to get to the
bottom of it all. It doesn't help that the rumor spreads that Harry is the
long-dreaded heir of Slytherin, one of the school's founders, who purportedly
created a Chamber of Secrets that houses a grotesque monster that can only be
released by the heir. The mystery, zany humor, sense of a traditional British
school (albeit with its share of ghosts, including Moaning Myrtle who haunts the
girls' bathroom), student rivalry, and eccentric faculty, all surrounded by the
magical foundation so necessary in good fantasy, are as expertly crafted here as
in the first book. Fans who have been thirsting for this sequel will definitely
not feel any disappointment. In fact, once they have read it, they will be
lusting for the next.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and Prisoner of Askaban. Arthur J. Levine Books, 1999.
The
Harry Potter epic (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, p. 888, etc.)
continues to gather speed as Harry enters his third year at the Hogwarts School
for Witchcraft and Wizardry and does battle with the traitor behind his parents'
deaths. Besides coping with the usual adversariessneering classmate Draco Malfoy,
evocatively-named Potions Master Snapethe young wizard-in-training has a new
worry with the escape of Sirius Black, murderous minion of archenemy Lord
Voldemort, from the magicians' prison of Azkaban. Folding in subplots and
vividly conceived magical creaturesAzkaban's guards, known as dementors, are the
very last brutes readers would want to meet in a dark alleywith characteristic
abandon, Rowling creates a busy backdrop for Harry as she pushes him through a
series of terrifying encounters and hard-fought games of Quidditch, on the way
to a properly pulse-pounding climax strewn with mistaken identities and
revelations about his dead father. The main characters and the continuing story
both come along so smartly (and Harry at last shows a glimmer of interest in the
opposite sex, a sure sign that the tides of adolescence are lapping at his toes)
that the book seems shorter than its page count: have readers clear their
calendars if they are fans, or get out of the way if they are not.
Avi. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. Avon Books, New York, 1990.
Accused
and convicted of murder, thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle decides to reveal what really
happened aboard the Seahawk--a ship piloted by a tyrannical captain and crewed by mutinous
seamen--during the summer of 1832. (Reading Level: Young Adult)
Windcatcher. Avon Books, New York, 1991.
While
learning to sail during a visit to his grandmother's at the Connecticut shore,
eleven-year-old Tony becomes excited about the rumors of sunken treasure in the area and
starts following a couple who seem to be making a mysterious search for something.
(Reading Level: Ages 9-12)
Banks, Lynne Reid. The Indian in the Cupboard. Avon Books, New York, 1980.
The
Indian in the Cupboard is one of those rare books that is equally appealing to children
and adults. The story of Omri and the Indian, Little Bear, is replete with subtle
reminders of the responsibilities that accompany friendship and love. For kids, it's a
great yarn; for most parents, it's also a reminder that Omri's wrenching decision to send
his toy back to its own world is not so different from the recognition of their children's
emerging independence. (Reading Level: Ages 9-12)
Baylor, Byrd. I'm in Charge of Celebrations. Alladin Paperbacks, New York, 1996.
The
three-time Caldecott Honor partnership of Baylor and Parnall presents a radiant prose-poem
about a girl who shares her love of desert life as she tells of treasured experiences such
as dancing in the wind on Dust Devil Day and sleeping outside during the Time of the
Falling Stars. Full color. (Reading Level: Ages 4-8)
The Desert is Theirs. Aladdin Books, New York, 1975.
"Baylor
tells us about the desert, describing selected flora and fauna, and respectfully paying
tribute to the Desert People who know its secrets and would live nowhere else . . . A
striking mood piece."--Booklist. Caldecott Honor Book; ALA Notable Children's Book.
(Reading Level: Ages 4-8)
Boone, Debbie. Nightlights -- More Bedtime Hugs for Little Ones. Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon, 1997.
The
many lights that bring comfort and joy to a child's world are celebrated in this
delightful new picture book from bestselling children's author Debby Boone and her
husband, artist Gabriel Ferrer. Ferrer's fantastic watercolors of fireflies, flashlights,
and lighthouses illuminate Boone's lyrical prose. (Reading Level: Ages 4-8)
Brown, Margaret Wise. Goodnight Moon. HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 1947.
Perhaps
the perfect children's bedtime book, Goodnight Moon is a short poem of goodnight wishes
from a young rabbit preparing for--or attempting to postpone--his own slumber. He says
goodnight to every object in sight and within earshot, including the "quiet old lady
whispering hush." Clement Hurd's illustrations are simple and effective, alternating
between small ink drawings and wide, brightly colored views of the little rabbit's room.
(Reading Level: Ages 4-8)
Wise Brown, Margaret & Hurd, Clement. My World: A Companion to Goodnight, Moon. HarperCollins, 9/2001 (Reprint)
For
a small bunny, the big world can be boiled down to "My slippers. / My
pajamas. / Daddy's pajamas," and "Mother's chair. / My chair. / A low
chair. / A high chair. / But certainly my chair." Back in print after more
than 30 years, My World by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd is every
bit as reassuring and appealing to young children as its more famous
companion,
Goodnight Moon. Using the same format, this tale features the
rabbit family as they go through their day: brushing teeth, eating
breakfast, going fishing, reading stories, and climbing into bed.
Black-and-white illustrations alternate with full-color scenes depicting
the ever-expanding (yet still comfortably contained) boundaries of a
child's life. In one image, the young bunny, clad in blue coveralls,
hammers happily on his wooden truck, while Daddy, in matching coveralls,
works on his own (real) car just outside the garage. Very young fans of the
classic Goodnight Moon will delight in recognizing the characters,
illustration style, and gentle rhythmic words in this over-50-year-old
picture book. For that matter, older fans will be pretty tickled, too!
(Ages 2 to 6)
Bruchac, Joseph. Thirteen
Moons on a Turtle's Back -- A Native American Year of Moons. Putnam and
Grossett Publishing, New York, 1992.
In
many Native American cultures it is believed that the 13 scales on Turtle's shell stand
for the 13 cycles of the moon, each with its own name and a story that relates to the
changing seasons. A Notable Children's Trade Book in the Language Arts, An IRA Teachers'
Choice Book, A Reading Rainbow Review Book. (Reading Level: Ages 4-8)
Celsi, Teresa. The Fourth Little Pig. Steck-Vaughn, Austin, TX, 1990.
Currently
one of my favorite books to read aloud as a adjunct to discussions of risk-taking during Cooperative
Adventures programs. I especially like the fact that a female has the strong,
positive role. (Reading Level: Ages 4-8)
Cole, Babette. Princess Smartypants. Putnam Publishing, New York, 1986.
"Truly
comical watercolors in soft glowing colors complement this fairy tale parody perfectly . .
. It presents a new slant on the traditional fairy tale princess in a light-handed,
tongue-in-cheek manner. A refreshing alternative."--School Library Journal.
Full-color illustrations.
Frasier, Debra. On the Day You Were Born. Harcourt Brace and Company, New York, 1991.
Come
across our round planet as the moons pull, the tides rise, the rain falls, and then a baby
is born. Join in Frasier's celebration of our natural world as she extends a loving
welcome to each member of our human family.
George, Jean Craighead. Julie of the Wolves. HarperTrophy, New York, 1972.
Protected
by a wolf pack while lost on the tundra, a 13-year-old Eskimo girl begins to appreciate
her heritage--and the oneness with nature that modern man is destroying. This 1973 Newbery
Medal-winning book is "compelling . . . A thrilling adventure story."--School
Library Journal. (Reading Level: Ages 9-12)
Hague, Kathleen. Numbears -- A Counting Book. Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1986.
"With
short poems and lush paintings featuring all manner of bears, the Hagues help children
learn numbers 1 through 12. The pictures are a pure delight. Children will like the
coziness of the book."--Booklist. Full-color throughout. (Reading Level: Ages 4-8)
Alphabears -- An ABC Book. Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1984.
"The
Hagues have created a delightful bear menagerie in Alphabears. Each letter of the alphabet
is introduced through a special teddy bear, whose unique qualities are described in rhyme.
A treasure for family reading and teddy-bear lovers everywhere!"--School Library
Journal. Full color. (Reading Level: Ages 4-8)
Herron, Carolivia. Nappy Hair. Knopf, 1997.
In
a unique and vibrant picture book that uses the African-American call-and-response
tradition, a family talks back and forth about adorable Brenda's hair--it's the nappiest,
the curliest, the twistiest hair in the whole family. The family delights in poking gentle
fun with their hilarious descriptions, all the time discovering the inherent beauty and
meaning of Brenda's hair. (Reading Level: Ages 4-8)
Hunt, Irene. Across Five Aprils. Berkeley Publishing Group, New York, 1981.
The
unforgettable story of young Jethro Creighton, who comes of age during the turbulent years
of the Civil War, by the Newbery Award-winning author of Up a Road Slowly. "An
impressive book both as a historically authentic Civil War novel and as a beautifully
written family story."--University of Chicago Center for Children's Books. (Reading
Level: Young Adult)
Juster, Norton. The Phantom Tollbooth. Random House, New York, 1961.
"It
seems to me that almost everything is a waste of time," Milo laments. "[T]here's
nothing for me to do, nowhere I'd care to go, and hardly anything worth seeing." This
bored, bored young protagonist who can't see the point to anything is knocked out of his
glum humdrum by the sudden and curious appearance of a tollbooth in his bedroom. Since
Milo has absolutely nothing better to do, he dusts off his toy car, pays the toll, and
drives through. What ensues is a journey of mythic proportions, during which Milo
encounters countless odd characters who are anything but dull. (Reading Level: Ages 9-12)
Kraus, Robert. Leo the Late Bloomer. Windmill Books, New York, 1971.
Leo
couldn't do anything right. He couldn't read. He couldn't write. He couldn't draw. When
Leo's father asks what's the matter with Leo, Leo's mother explains that he's simply a
late bloomer. In his own good time, Leo does read, he does write, and he does draw.
"Reassuring for late bloomers, this book is illustrated with beguiling
pictures."--Saturday Review. (Reading Level: Ages 4-8)
L'Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time. Dell Publishing Company, New York, 1962.
A
well-loved classic and 1963 Newbery Medal winner, Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time is
sophisticated in concept yet warm in tone, with mystery and love coursing through its
pages. Meg's shattering, yet ultimately freeing, discovery that her father is not
omnipotent provides a satisfying coming-of-age element. Readers will feel a sense of power
as they travel with these three children, challenging concepts of time, space, and the
triumph of good over evil. (Reading Level: Ages 9-12)
Martin, Bill Jr. & Archambault, John. Knots on a Counting Rope. Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1997.
A
grandfather uses a counting rope to help his blind grandson understand the passage of
time. As the boy and his grandfather talk, the cool night becomes a warm day, and as the
grandfather recounts the boy's birth and struggle for life, he tries to help the child
face the challenge of blindness. Full-color illustrations. (Reading Level: Ages 4-8)
Mayer, Mercer. There's a Nightmare in my Closet. The Dial Press, New York, 1968.
"Childhood fear of the dark and the resulting exercise in imaginative
exaggeration are given that special Mercer Mayer treatment in this dryly humorous
fantasy."--School Library Journal. Full-color illustrations.
Muir, John. Stickeen -- The Story of a Dog. Heyday Books, Berkeley, CA, 1909.
This adventure story, set on the top of an Alaskan glacier, is great reading just
for the adventure. But in the telling, Muir shows us that our "horizontal
brothers" are not merely intelligent, but share many of the emotions, fears, and joys
that we have. Incidentally, this book is in the public domain, and a copy can be found on
the Web at the following URL: http://www.sierraclub.org/history/muir/stickeen.html
Munsch, Robert. Love You Forever. Firefly Books, Ontario, Canada, 1986.
A young woman holds her newborn son and looks at him lovingly. Softly she sings to
him "I'll love you forever, /I'll like you for always/ As long as I'm living/my baby
you'll be".This is the story of how that little boy goes through the stages of
childhood and becomes a man.
O'Neill, Mary. Hailstones and Halibut Bones -- Adventures in Color. Doubleday, New York, 1961.
Since its original publication in 1961, Hailstones And Halibut Bones, Mary
O'Neill's renowned work of poetry about the colors of the spectrum, has become a modern
children's classic. This newly illustrated edition features lavish full-color
illustrations from an award-winning artist, yet the poems have been left intact with all
the powerful rhythm and rich language of the original.
Service, Robert W. The Cremation of Sam McGee. William Morrow, New York, 1987.
Original publication of this poem was in 1907. A fabulous read-aloud!
Silverstein, Shel. Where the Sidewalk Ends -- The Poems and Drawings of Shel Silverstein. Harpercollins, New York, 1974.
The Giving Tree. Harpercollins, New York, 1986.
The Missing Piece. Harpercollins, New York, 1976.
Lafcadio -- The Lion Who Shot Back. Harpercollins, New York, 1978.
A Giraffe and a Half. Harpercollins, New York, 1981.
A Light in the Attic. Harpercollins, New York, 1981.
Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book, Harpercollins, New York, 1985
Smith, Doris Buchanan. A Taste of Blackberries. Scholastic Publishing, New York, 1973.
No one, least of all his best friend, dreamed that Jamie's exuberance and a
harmless prank could end in his sudden death. But when it does, his friend must find the
strength to bear his grief and his feeling that he might have saved his friend. ALA
Notable Children's Book.
Spinelli, Jerry. Fourth Grade Rats. Scholastic, Inc., New York, 1991.
In a funny, believable, pithy look at peer pressure and growing up, Suds enters fourth grade and is pressured by his friend Joey into becoming a true at- pushing first graders off swings, refusing to clean up his room. A terrific choice for the second- or third-grader just venturing into chapter books.
Crash. Knopf Publishers, New York, 1997.
Crash is a star football player. He torments Penn, a classmate who is everything Crash is not -- friendly, small, and a pacifist. When his beloved grandfather comes to live with his family and suffers a debilitating stroke, Crash comes to see value in many of the things he has scorned. Although not entirely convincing, Spinelli's fast-paced, lively novel is great fun to read.
Maniac Magee. Harpercollins, New York, 1992.
The 1991 Newberry Award winner. Also available in audio cassette format.
After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee's life becomes legendary as he accomplishes athletic feats and other extraordinary exploits that awe his contemporaries. Reprint. 1991 Newbery Medal. 1990 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction.
Wringer. Harpercollins, New York, 1997.
Newbery Medal-winning author Jerry Spinelli tells a story of peer pressure so foul, so horrifying, that Wringer should be shelved along with Robert Cormier's The Chocolate War. Nine-year-old Palmer dreads his upcoming 10th birthday. In his town, when boys are 10 years old they become "wringers," the boys who wring the necks of wounded pigeons at the annual Pigeon Day shoot. Palmer is sickened by the whole event. To make matters worse, his new buddies--Beans, Mutto, and Henry--have just discovered that Palmer has been hiding a pet pigeon in his room. What will Palmer do? Will he become a wringer to save face, or will he follow his heart? Wringer will appeal to preteens and younger teens who love to read suspenseful books on their own, but it would also be a good story to read aloud to spark discussion about the perils and nuances of peer pressure.
Space Station Seventh Grade. Little Brown, New York, 1982.
Seventh-grader Jason narrates the events of his year, from school, hair, and pimples, to mothers, little brothers, and a girl.
There's a Girl in My Hammerlock. Simon and Schuster, New York, 1991.
When eighth grader Maisie manages to get onto the wrestling team, her reputation and her life undergo a transformation for which she is hardly prepared. But the more abuse heaped on her, the tougher she becomes. The action zips along with plenty of lively, believable dialogue, and the first-person voice is engaging.
Who Put that Hair in My Toothbrush? Little, Brown and Company, New York, 1984.
The sibling rivalry between twelve-year-old Megin and her older brother Greg intensifies after she ruins his science project and he retaliates by throwing her favorite hockey stick into the pond.
Steptoe, John. Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters -- An African Tale. Scholastic Books, New York, 1987.
This African tale evokes the Cinderella story in its portrayal of two sisters, spiteful Manyara and considerate Nyasha, and the young king who is searching for a bride. Steptoe has illustrated this modern fable with stunning paintings that glow with beauty, warmth, and internal vision of the land and people of his ancestors.
Thaler, Mike. The Teacher from the Black Lagoon. Scholastic, Inc., New York, 1989.
The Principal from the Black Lagoon. Scholastic, Inc., New York, 1993.
The Gym Teacher from the Black Lagoon. Scholastic, Inc., New York, 1994.
The School Nurse from the Black Lagoon. Scholastic, Inc., New York, 1995.
The Librarian from the Black Lagoon. Scholastic, Inc., New York, 1997.
The Cafeteria Lady from the Black Lagoon. Scholastic, Inc., New York, 1998.
Trivizas, Eugene & Oxenbury, Helen. The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig. Aladdin Paperbacks, New York, 1993.
Viorst, Judith. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-good, Very Bad Day. Antheneum Publishers, New York, 1974
"I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day."
Alexander, Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday. Aladdin Publishers, New York, 1980
Alexander's grandparents give him a dollar on Sunday, but by the end of the day all he has left in his pockets are bus tokens. "A rather tongue-in-cheek introduction to money and finance illustrated with crosshatched drawings, which make the most of the humor."--The Horn Book. Full color.
I'll Fix Anthony. Aladdin Publishers, New York, 1988.
A little brother thinks of the ways he will some day get revenge on his older brother.
Walter, Virginia. Hi, Pizza Man! Orchard Books, 1995.
Ages
3-7. This flight of fantasy will appeal to little kids' sense of the ridiculous.
Vivian and her mother are waiting for the Pizza Man, but Vivian's impatience
leads to a game. Vivian will say, "Hi, Pizza Man," when he arrives.
But what if there's a Pizza Woman on the other side of the door? Or a Pizza
Kitty or a Pizza Duck or even a Pizza Dino? What will Vivian say then? Each
two-page spread features ink-and-acrylic wash artwork that boldly introduces a
marvelous menagerie, including a duck sporting a turban and jewelry and a
bow-tie-bedecked snake. How Vivian will greet her odd assortment of pizza
bringers allows readers to woof, moo, hiss, and quack along with her. On target
for the age-group, who will enjoy the noisy fun alone or in groups.
For further information:
Dave Nettell
Cooperative Adventures
P.O. Box 1129
Sausalito, CA 94966-1129
415-723-7112dave@cooperativeadventures.com
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