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December 1, 2008 | |||||||
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 Where The Wild, Er, Good Books Are December 14, 2000 Here's a holiday guide to help you make sure the best books get into the hands of the big and small Harry Potters and Hermiones in your life. Dear readers, Remember the TV commercial where adults, masked in shadow, admitted to liking Frosted Flakes cereal? Well, that's a little bit how I feel right now. I'm a pushing-40, grown-up woman who loves children's books. There. I admitted it. Why is this on my mind? Well, it's the gift-giving season, for one, and children's books make great gifts. They reflect the tastes of the giver and the spirit of the recipient. Nothing generic about a children's book. The "person who has everything" can't have too many. And certainly no child can ever have a library large enough for his or her imagination. Another reason: a co-worker was recently given a selection of books to cheer her up. Several were straight-ahead, grown-up books. But the others were children's books: the third Harry Potter title and the other, well, the other is possibly my all-time favorite -- The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (illustrated by the New Yorker cartoonist, Jules Feiffer). The fantastical plot and whimsical language in this book made me an English major and then a children's book editor for 15 years. Yes, children's books are fun to read. Yes, they're beautiful on the bookshelf. But they're most engaging when they're shared. Read aloud. Retold. Relived. But where to begin? Here's how to make the cream to rise to the top. == (1) Re-connect with your own favorite children's books. What the Dormouse Said: Lessons for Grown-Ups from Children's Books | Compiled by Amy Gash A good starting point, it excerpts such classics as Charlotte's Web, Peter Pan, Eloise, Goodnight Moon, and many others. Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. == (2) Give a book that lights YOU up -- whether it's the language, a topic that you care about, or the illustrations. Share that enthusiasm with the recipient. You'll know it when you see it. The language in these books delights me every time I reread them: Yo! Yes? | by Chris Raschka 34 energetic, expressive words long. Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. King Bidgood's in the Bathtub | by Audrey and Don Wood The king refuses to leave his tub. You'll laugh at the predicament and marvel at the gorgeous illustrations. Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. Harriet the Spy | by Louise Fitzhugh I must have read this book 10 times as a child. It was one of the first children's books to honestly portray such feelings as loneliness and betrayal. Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. Harold and the Purple Crayon | by Crockett Johnson This 1955 tribute to the imagination never gets old. Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. If I Were in Charge of the World and Other Worries | by Judith Viorst 41 clever poems guaranteed to make you look at the world -- and children -- in a new way. Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. == (3) Give an award-winner. Sure-bets are winners of either the Newbery Medal (for most distinguished contribution to American literature for children) or the Caldecott Medal (for most distinguished picture book). Smoky Night | by David Diaz and Eve Bunting (1995 Caldecott Medal) Inspired by the LA riots, this uniquely illustrated book is guaranteed to spark discussion. Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. Jumanji | by Chris Van Allsburg (1982 Caldecott Medal) Forget the movie. This book is positively scary and thrilling with an ending worthy of Hitchcock. Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. Bud, Not Buddy | by Christopher Paul Curtis (2000 Newbery Medal) Confronts racism with the rhythms of jazz and the innocence of a child. Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. == (4) Give a book that can be reread and appreciated on different levels. And beware of slavishly following age-level recommendations on children's books. Fantasy/adventure books have fast-paced, intriguing plots that even three-year-olds can appreciate when read aloud, but also themes that older children and adults can appreciate. Of course, the very best: The Chronicles of Narnia | by C. S. Lewis Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. A Wrinkle in Time | by Madeleine L'Engle Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. The Lord of the Rings trilogy | by J. R. R. Tolkien Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. The Harry Potter series | by J. K. Rowling Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. James and the Giant Peach | by Roald Dahl Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. And don't forget picture books with exquisitely detailed art that can be "reread," too: Animalia | by Graeme Base An ABC book that even the most sophisticated adult will enjoy. Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. The Mysteries of Harris Burdick | by Chris Van Allsburg Each picture is a mystery around which you create your own story. Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. == (5) Or give several books around a similar theme. Here's a "gift pack" for the ecologically minded. The Lorax | by Dr. Seuss Does for kids what Rachel Carson's Silent Spring did for adults, in Dr. Seuss' own inimitable, rhyming way. Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. Just a Dream | by Chris Van Allsburg Just buy every book by this author. THE most original art, bar none. Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. The Great Kapok Tree | by Lynne Cherry A vibrantly illustrated, modern tale about preservation of the rainforest, as told by those who live there. Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. River Ran Wild: An Environmental History | by Lynne Cherry A New England river over time, concluding with one woman's efforts to clean it up. Sound heavy-handed? It isn't. And the richly detailed pictures can be "reread" over and over again. Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. On The Day You Were Born | by Debra Frasier Few books so gracefully and creatively connect your child or your favorite kid to the planet. The illustrations are stunning. Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. == (6) Give a collection of variant tales -- tales with similar plots and themes, but told from unique cultural perspectives. Of the 600 Cinderella variants out there, these are particularly lovely: Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China | Retold by Ai-Ling Louie Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale | by John Steptoe The Rough-Face Girl (an Algonquin Cinderella tale) | by Rafe Martin Cinder-Elly (contemporary, rhyming and rapping NYC tale) | by Frances Minters Also: Three Little Javelinas | by Susan Lowell "All the better to eat you with" chili sauce! Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf | As told to Jon Scieszka The wolf was framed. . . . Buy it from [powell's] or [amazon]. (And don't miss this author's ridiculous retelling of other fairy tales: The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales.) But most of all, have fun. Read aloud. Delight in words and pictures and conversation. And remember: children's books aren't just for kids anymore. Happy reading, Julie A few of Julie's favorite goodthings: Strunk & White, public radio, outdoor concerts at sunset, a leather chair by the fire, chatting with passers-by, saying thank you.... == TALK ABOUT IT What's your favorite child reading? Tell us. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT Think you have the perfect idea for a children's book? Write it yourself! Find out how. READ MORE What to look for in a children's book: try the Children's Book Council. See what kids are saying about their favorite books. Fractured Fairy Tales, wonderful spins on your all-time favorites. Readers Respond Dear goodthings, Thanks so much for the list of children's books. I was happy to see so many of my favorites and am looking forward to trying many of the others. As a mother and a lover of children's literature, I know how difficult it can be, as you said, to find the "needle in the haystack." One of my favorite sources for great children's books is the mail order catalog, Chinaberry. This catalog is filled with beautiful children's books. It is obvious that Chinaberry spends a lot of time researching their choices. The descriptions they provide are as delightful to read as the books themselves. Chinaberry makes searching for children's books fun and easy. It is definitely among my list of "goodthings." Sincerely, Caroline Abzug Ceisel Mundelein, IL == Dear goodthings, My favorite children's book is Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. It's one of the best because it's told from the horse's point of view in a dramatic and heartwarming way. It's great for all horse lovers no matter what age! Kathi Erickson Seattle, WA == Dear goodthings, You asked for our favorite children's books. My two all-time greatest books that I first read when young (and still read over and over) are: 1. The Westing Game | by Ellen Raskin 2. Jacob Have I Loved | by Katherine Paterson The Westing Game is a brilliant use of language and mystery -- the book is itself a game that sucks the reader right in. Jacob Have I Loved is a challenging book about difficult family relationships -- just as challenging for adults as for children. Both books are Newbery Award winners, if I remember correctly. Sara Bellevue, WA == Dear goodthings, As the mother of two growing girls with active imaginations, books are a critical element to sanity in my house. To read a book is actually something to enjoy! We have many of the books on the list. But there is a new series of historical fiction out there that my nine year old is eating up. It's called The Royal Diaries. These are written in diary form from princes, princesses, etc., as early teenagers. Such famous royal figures as Marie Antoinette, Anastasia, Queen Elizabeth and their lives are brought to dinner every night. We find out the latest episode! Not only is my daughter reading -- but making "friends" and learning about life in times and places much different than our own. Don't forget other really good kids books that can be shared across generations -- like any of Shel Silverstein's books. Both my girls (9 and 3) giggle at some of those antics. Classics like Make Way for Ducklings (ok, so I was raised in Boston), One Morning in Maine and other Robert McCloskey classics. This list of good children's books is probably endless, and the real key is finding something they are interested in reading -- but also that a grown up has enough interest to talk about with them. Thanks for the additional suggestions. I think B&N is on the shopping list this weekend. A loyal goodthings reader! Karen New York, NY == Dear goodthings, Hi there. I read your list of children's books that you love, and I want to add a couple: Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends and The Giving Tree (A Light in the Attic is good, but not monumental) Never Tease A Weasel (by Jean Conder Soule) -- My personal favorite as a child. My parents read it to me so much when I was very small that they thought I could read at two. Turns out that I had memorized it. I'm sure the list could go on for days, but I wanted to add a few of my personal favorites! Thanks for the goodletter, I love getting good news. I think you are really on to something here. Amani Seattle, WA == Dear goodthings, I love the subject of this piece :) My college roommate and I never tire of extolling the virtues of children's books. This was a lovely start to a Friday! Thanks! Jenny Seattle, WA == Dear goodthings, Kudos to Julie on a super list! Forwarded to a few Potter loving pals. Simon Shoreline, WA |
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