Children’s books which are generally suitable for children age nine to twelve
by Arthur Ransome first published 1930. Imagine reading an exciting children's book where perhaps many of the terms don't make any sense, but it doesn't matter in the least. As I follow the children's adventures on their sailboats on a lake, I'm right there, even if I don't know starboard from -- what is the opposite? The adventures, and the well developed characters of the children and others is so entrancing, that details don't really get in the way...
by E. B. White, published 1970. What could be more fantastical than a swan who can't make his trumpeting sounds and so carries a trumpet. This wonderful image seems to real because E. B. White makes it so. The wonderful descriptions of nature, the lovely relationship between the boy Sam and the swan, and the feeling of life in the wild all create such a vivid experience that one forgets that perhaps a swan carrying a trumpet is make-believe..
by Frances Hodgson Burnett, first published 1905. "Perhaps there is a language which is not made of words and everything in the world understands it." A Little Princess is one the best children's books I've read so far. It turns out I'm not alone in my assessment, as it continually rates in the top 100 lists among teachers, education associations, and others. Illustrating through example the power of kindness and good thoughts, this book is a masterpiece...
By Edward Eager, first published 1956 "Their father always said how could he be sure there was magic, and besides, even if there weren't any such thing as magic, wasn't it pleasant to think that there might be?" It's always interesting to a children's book, one in a series, by a particular author that you…
first published 1957 "When he was about two years old, and had been a Cat About Town for some time, glorious in conquests, but rather too thin for comfort, the Fur Person decided that it was time he settled down."When a friend loaned me this book by May Sarton, my first reaction was "I didn't know Sarton wrote children's books." After reading it, my first thought was, "Is this really just for children?" as I loved it as an adult, especially a cat-loving adult. However, there is no doubt that it does meet the needs of children...
by Arthur Ransome, first published 1931. No author of children's books gives children's imagination the place of honor in the same way that Arthur Ransome does. Throughout the entire book, we live within the imaginative world that the four children (and their two friends) have created for themselves...
by Edward Eager, published 1954 "This summer, the children had found some books by a writer named E. Nesbit, surely the most wonderful books in the world. They read every one that the library had, right away..." If the children in Half Magic hadn't discovered the children's books by E. Nesbit, neither would I, and…
Published: 1942 Theme: Country Life Best for: 9 to 12 "Wasn't it a miracle to live in the country in spring? And to have a wonderful family that she was crazy about, and a house with a secrect room and a cupola...?" The second of four books about the Melendys, these four very street-savvy children are now quite at home roaming the forest...
Published: 1957 Theme: Imagination Best for: 8 to 10 "After a while, when he saw that nothing was going to pounce on him and that he probably wasn't going to be struck by lightning, he allowed his sobs to die down and turn into hiccups." The first of several books about three children and their summer adventures, is an unusual children's book, delighting in flights of fancy...
by Jeanne Birdsall, published 2005 "This is what made a book great, she thought, that you could read it over and over and never get tired of it." The Penderwicks is another children's book recommended by my young friend Meera. It reminded me somewhat of her other recommendation, The Saturdays, because it too has a family…
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