These books are aligned with Waldorf Education curriculum and principles. For more information on what I mean by that, please visit this page: What is Waldorf-Aligned?
Published: 2015
Theme: Value of Community
Best for: 9 and 10
“Burdock knew perfectly well he was strictly a barn cat. A barn cat, not a house cat, not even a sometimes-allowed-in-the-house barn cat. But Burdock loved warmth more than just about anything…” The banding together of the animals for a common cause – to save themselves from an impending fire- is the heart of this newly published children’s book.
Published: 2010
Theme: Irish Fairies
Best for: 7 to 9
“Strange, sweet music came from the whistle. The music was both sad and happy. It was full of beauty and hope, pain and sorry. Like the fog over the river, the music seems to blend everything together.” I personally learned a lot more about leprechauns and Irish fairytales after I read this delightful children’s book.
Published: 2000
Theme: Adventure and Fantasy
Best for: 9 and up
“A water rat scuttled away as the children felt their way along the narrow passage. It led to a canal, like so many of Venice’s alleys and passages…Someone had painted “Vietato Ingresso” in clumsy letters on the door- No entry.” Once again, I am dazzled by Cornelia Funke and her masterful way of putting characters and plot together that is memorable and exciting…
Published: 2005
Theme: First Chapter Books
Best for: 6 to 9
“Mr. Gaskitt was minding the baby. It was his turn. And doing the grocery shopping and opening the trunk and feeling in his pocket for the parking-lot ticket and tying his shoelace… and looking the other way.” Imagine the above sentence written with only 4 or 5 words on a line, and you can see why these first chapter children’s books are great for new readers
Published: 2015
Theme: Resilience
Best for: Girls 9 and up
“This semester you will be taking a very difficult course… You will be learning all about How to Find Your Way…You will be graded on the following: pluck, enthusiasm, spirit of adventure, brilliance, and self-reliance.” The moment I saw the motto of “The Great Rapscott School for Girls of Busy Parents” I knew I’d love this children’s book. Quoting Amelia Earhart, “Adventure is worthwhile in itself,”…
Published: 1954
Theme: Space Travel
Best for: boys 8 and up
“Wanted: A small space ship about eight feet long, built by a boy, or by two boys, between the ages of eight and eleven…An adventure and chance to do a good deed await the boys who build the best space ship.” In this delightful early science fiction children’s book, we are introduced to space travel, impossible in 1954, and of course, becoming quite possible only a decade later…
Published: 2006
Theme: Historical Fiction Hero
Best for: 7 and up
“Once there was a boy who could not claim his Father. Kil Dong, as he was called, was the second son of a wealthy and powerful advisor to the king, Minister Hong. But Kil Dong’s mother was not the noble wife of the minister…” This historical fiction, beautifully illustrated ‘graphic’ novel, set in 16th century Korea, tells of the Korean Robin Hood…
Published: 2003
Theme: Best Friends
Best for: 4th grade and up
“I did a play all by my stupid self and I was a blind woman, but it is hard to be a blind woman all by yourself, with no one to talk to but your own stupid self. It doesn’t make a very good play.” Creech’s books often address topics that no one wants to write about for children, and she does it with compassion, and in this case, a great deal of humor…
Published: 1991
Theme: Deep friendship
Best for: 8 and up
“The egg shook in his hands. The dancing colors froze in place. He heard a scratching sound. Suddenly a single, sharp claw pierced the shell. The tiny talon sparkled like a jewel in the moonlight…” This particular children’s book on the theme of raising a dragon has a lovely simplicity and innocence about it…
Published: 1983
Theme: Independence
Best for: 10 and up
“They saw hundreds of horses charging through the forest until the ground rang under their hooves…They’re not frightened- they’re just running winter out of their bodies.” This magical children’s book is like stepping into an ancient fairytale, from who knows where, and who knows when. It has an eternal quality about it…
Published: 2014
Theme: Passion for Cooking
Best for: 8 and up
“Gladys’s dad didn’t believe in recipes, so if Gladys left him alone for even one minute, he’d start throwing in random stuff, saying that experimenting always made a dish taste better. It didn’t…Worst of all, Gladys’s parents… just nuked things in the microwave.” In a lovely role reversal, it’s 11-year-old Gladys who is aching for quality prepared food, while her parents are into take-out pizza, junk food, and worse.
Published: 2012
Theme: Ice Skating and Nature
Best for: 7 and up
“The first ice came on the sheep pails in the barn- a skim of ice so thin that it broke when we touched it.” Twelve Kinds of Ice is a small, inspiring ode to the beauty and simplicity of ice, ice-skating, children, nature, and simple living.
Published: 1975
Theme: Historical Fiction
Best for: 12 to 14
“Why, people ask, why did Leonardo da Vinci choose to paint the portrait of the second wife of an unimportant Florentine merchant when dukes and duchesses all over Italy and the King of France as well, were all begging for a portrait by his hand? Why, they ask, why?” This is quite a lovely way to introduce older children to the world of Leonardo da Vinci, and his painting of the Mona Lisa, and history of the Renaissance.
Published: 2003
Theme: First Chapter Book
Best for: 6 to 9
“And the strange thing was – which Horace noticed- the strange thing was, the baby carriage…was barking.” This “first chapter book” is a treat – it has some humor, as well as unusual elements such as maps and timetables for the reader to follow. It has a simple plot, with an attempt for the story to be a mystery to be solved, but the clues are present on every page.
Published: 2000
Theme: Social Justice
Best for: 9 and up
“Abuelita smiled, reached over, and pulled the yarn, unraveling all of Esperanza’s rows. “Do not be afraid to start over,” she said.” What better way for children to become true citizens of the world than by reading honestly written books about serious issues, in this case the treatment of Mexican immigrant farmworkers during the depression…
Published: 2015
Theme: Power of Music
Best for: ages 10 and up
“Have you ever considered that one person might play the mouth harp and pass along her strength and vision and knowledge? So that the next musician who plays it might feel the same? It is true…” The thread that weaves the three main characters together is the power of music to redeem even the darkest of situations…
Published: 2010
Theme: Live your dream
Best for: 8 and up
“He peeked out… and saw that the wind had also possessed his mittens. They looked like ghostly hands waving good-bye in the Chilean sky. Where were they headed? Whose hands would they cover next? ..’Where is the storehouse of lost and found?'” As I put this exquisite children’s book down, I wiped my eyes, and marveled at the quick journey I had just taken into the heart and mind of Pablo Neruda…
Published: 1972
Theme: Cultural Survival
Best for: 9 and up
“Miyax pushed back the hood of her sealskin parka and looked at the Arctic sun. It was a yellow disk in a lime-green sky; the colors of six o’clock in the evening and the time when the wolves awoke.” Part of the fifth grade Waldorf curriculum, this authentic story allows a glimpse into a world where people were one with wild nature.
Published: 2003
Theme: Faith in Goodness
Best for: 9 and up
“Tears spilled out of my eyes. With no more thought of caution, I poured out our story. “My parents have both been arrested and sent to Siberia. My papa has been sent to a coal mine, and my mama has been exiled to Dudinka… We are going to her…” In this riveting historical fiction children’s book, we journey across Russia to Siberia, in search of Mayra and Georgi’s exiled parents during Stalin’s regime.
Published: 2005
Theme: Genuine Sacrifice
Best for: 10 and up
“In so loud a voice I was sure her words carried over the hills, Nai Nai said, “Send us a boy to care for us in our old age and not another worthless girl.” I, Chu Ju, was that worthless girl. Nai Nia’s harsh words made my eyes sting with tears.” In another beautifully written children’s book of historical fiction, Whelan brings alive a foreign culture and foreign era, making us live and breathe with it.
Published: 2015
Theme: Imagination
Best for: 9 and up
“In those days, possibilities fell to the ground like rain. Each one was a brilliant bit of light, etched with a message. ‘It’s a possibility,’ people would say whenever they found one and, if they liked what it said, they’d pop it into their mouths and chew on it.” In this allegorical children’s book, similar to The Phantom Tollbooth, we journey to an imaginative land, The Land of Possibilities, which is now in a sorry state.
Published: 2015
Theme: Friendship
Best for: 7 and up
“Dragons weren’t the only ones who were mistreated so the different magicals agreed to keep their powers secret or hide from humans altogether. We’ve done such a good job that most humans consider all magicals imaginary.” I smiled and often laughed out loud as I read this very silly fantasy book, peopled with all kinds of magical creatures, as well as a very admirable 10-year-old girl…
Published: 2014
Theme: Perseverance
Best for: 5 to 8
“This is a regular girl and her best friend in the whole wide world. They do all kinds of things together. They race. They eat. They explore. They relax…” Right from the opening lines, you fall in love with this nameless little girl and her best friend, a very quirky looking dog …
Published: 2012
Theme: Light-hearted Mystery
Best for: 6 to 9
“Nice people smile a lot, and Precious Ramotswe was one of the nicest girls in Botswana. Everyone said so.” Oh joy! My favorite adult author, Alexander McCall Smith, has recreated his No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency as a series for young children.
Published: 2012
Theme: Overcoming Hardships
Best for: 5th grade
“We are going to Colorado! Pa told us. He just came home from his first trip to Colorado Territory and announced that he and Ma and I were moving west to strike it rich.'” Set in 1858, this delightful historical fiction is an easy and informative read, based on a real incident in Colorado history…
Published: 2008
Theme: Magic
Best for: 9 and up
“Magic is just a way of setting things right…” The quote says it all, and explains why I love this book. Magic is given it’s rightful place as we watch two children from two different times meet and bond…
Published: 2015
Theme: Melting Pot
Best for: 9 and up
“Sarah’s parents had been planning their escape to America for two years before the attack on their village. To prepare for their new life, Sarah had been studying English with the son of the village wool merchant.” In a fresh new children’s book, we revisit America through the eyes of a new immigrant, a young girl who has just lost both her parents…
Published: 2011
Theme: Pride of Heritage
Best for: 8 and up
“Margie’s mother said, “Why do you keep telling the teacher you don’t speak Spanish, m’hijita? Spanish was the first language you spoke. Spanish is the language of your abuelitos and your tios y tias…” “But we live in America, Mom.” This excellent children’s book captures the ambivalence so many Mexican-American children have, born in the USA, while their families carry a living experience of their home culture…
Published: 2001
Theme: Courage
Best for: girls 9 to 12
“Today Bamarre needed a hero more than ever… I was no hero. The dearest wishes of my heart were for safety and tranquility. The world was a perilous place, wrong for the likes of me.” Ogres, dragons, fairies, specters, gryphons, and sorcerers fill the pages of this adventure, dedicated to sisterly love.
Published: 1963
Theme: Diversity is Good
Best for: 5 to 8
“All the other Tatrajanni …had glittering white hair like snow crystals, and the eyes of every one of them, without exception, were the color of light shining through ice: a cool greenish hue.” This book steps out of the mold of Enright’s other books. It is pure fantasy, with an imaginary land, animals, and people…