Published: 2013 Theme: Give and Take Best for: 5 and up, new readers "Maggie said, "Let's go for a ride, Bramble!" Bramble knew about rides. The rider sat in the saddle. The horse did all the hard work." From the opening line of this little "first chapter book," I loved it. I've been on the lookout for early reader children's books since I began this website, hoping to help the younger struggling readers...
I'm often asked why Litkidz.com doesn't cover books for older children. Although I have added a 12-14 category, it is really not the focus of this website, nor are older children. There's one main reason, and that is because by the time children are over 14, they are making reading decisions themselves, based on peers.…
Published: 2012 Theme: Courage and Perseverance Best for: 11 and older "Food is considered a luxury in Carthyan orphanages. They operate on whatever money an orphan inherited upon the deaths of his parents, which inevitably is little more than the shirt on his back after debts were settled." I cannot explain what it is about the writing style in these children's books, but from beginning to end, it is impossible to put the book down.
Recently I gave a talk at a local bookstore about the subject of selecting good children's literature, which is basically what this website is all about. My good friend John McCormick, author of Dad, Tell Me a Story, was able to extract the highlights of that talk and add some useful information for parents. His…
Published: 2013 Theme: Heroism Best for: ages 9 and up "In what way was attacking a peaceful neighboring country heroic? He degraded Erick's men for being thieves even as he planned to steal all of Carthya from me. My fingers itched to pick up my knife and start the fight." I love heroic characters. I don't have much tolerance for fighting. Somehow they always seem to go together. Yet in The Runaway King, the fighting seems to be somewhat tolerable, especially because the good guy always wins...
Published: 2009 Theme: Grieving and Healing Best for: ages 9 and up "The knuckleball wasn't just a pitch. It was an attitude toward life; it was a way of being in the world. It was a philosophy. "You don't aim a butterfly," her father used to say. "You release it." This is a book anyone could love. Boys who love baseball could surely appreciate it. Girls who want to try something out of the ordinary could love it. I certainly loved it...
Published: 1959 Theme: Respecting Differences Best for: ages 10-12 "He used to live up on Hessian Hill, Onion John did, in a house he built out of piled up stone and four bathtubs and no running water. Once a month he'd get up in the middle of the night, according to the way the moon was, to cook up a stew...It was a stew to get gold out of the moon..." I read this children's book with some trepidation, turning each page expecting something bad to happen. Yet, in fact, it turned out to be a rather heartwarming turn of events that I enjoyed...
Published: 2001 Theme: Perserverance Best for: ages 9 and up "Your mind knows that you are going to Songdo. But you must not tell your body. It must think one hill, one valley, one day at a time. In that way, your spirit will not grow weary before you have even begun to way." In this lovely, art-inspired children's book about a potter and his apprentice, the feeling of the way of the ancients comes through loud and strong. The image of the apprentice who serves the master potter for the love of the art is...
Published: 1992 Theme: Following Your Dream Best for: Girls 9-12 "They had walked up a drive with a notice: QUEEN'S CHASE. HER MAJESTY'S BALLET JUNIOR SCHOOL, and stood gazing at the big cream-stuccoed and porticoed house with pavilions on either side..." The classic British author, Rumer Godden, probably had one very specific audience for this little children's book: young girls who love the ballet. However, times have changed...why wouldn't a boy who loves dance enjoy this equally well?
Published: 1996 Theme: Putting Others First Best for: ages 6 to 10 'Now she really did cry, with tears that seemed to burn. The crowds, the lights, the whole mela seemed to be laughing at her as had the nasty fat stall-keeper when he cheated her over the bangle." Rumer Godden skillfully weaves in Bengali words, as well as vivid descriptions of Diwali, the festival of lights, giving the reader a full picture of ....
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