Classic children’s books written prior to 1975, particularly those which appear timeless, and not outdated due to language and culture.
Published: 1942 Theme: Adventures of Childhood Best for :9-12 The four children's books of The Melendy Quartet: The Saturdays, The Four-Story Mistake, Then There Were Five and A Spiderweb for Two, are a wonderful and timeless collection. The children of the family are folks you'd definitely like to meet...
First Published 1910 Theme: Resilience Best for: ages 9 - 12 Five Star "Of course, there must be lots of Magic in the world, but people don't know what it is like or how to make it. Perhaps the beginning is just to say nice things are going to happen until you make them happen." The power of nature to heal, the power of friendship to encourage, and the power of determination all combine in this classic...
Published 1922 Theme: Power of Love Best for: ages 5 to 9 Five Stars That night, he was almost too happy to sleep, and so much love stirred in his little sawdust heart that it almost burst." I feel any list of great children's literature which omitted this book would be quite remiss.
Published 1952 Theme: Friendship Best for: Ages 8 and up "After all, what's a life anyway? We're born, we live a little, we die...By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle." A simple and moving story of friendship and humane treatment of animals...
Published 1886 Theme: Power of Love and Kindness Best for: Ages 6 and up, especially boys Five Stars "His greatest charm was this cheerful, fearless, quaint little way of making friends with people. Finding this children's book, the first ever written by Burnett, was like going to the pure, unpolluted, ancient source of story itself...
Published 1908 Theme: Friendship Best for: Any Age Five Stars "At last over the rim of the waiting earth, the moon lifted with slow majesty till it swung clear of the horizon and rode off, free of moorings..."The lyrical nature of the writing alone would be enough to rave about the book. But that's just the beginning...
Published 1979 Theme: Fantasy Best for: Boys age 11-12 Almost written like a classic morality play, this amazing children's book weaves a message about selfishness and pride without ever appearing terribly heavy-handed. The fantasy elements of the story, a boy finding himself in a story being written as he appears in it, brings the reader far away from the real world.
Published 1967 Theme: Adventure in New York City Best for: Girls age 10-12 Here's a very funny, easy to read, yet somewhat profound children's book that I stumbled across in my local bookstore. Obviously others found it before me, as it is a Newberry Medal book.
Published 1973 Best for: 12 years and up Theme: Fantasy Five stars After reading A Wind in the Door, I understand why the fantasy genre in a children's book is so addicting. With skillful writing, such as L'Engle brings, you lose all sense of what is possible and what is not possible, or, as the teacher says in this book, What is real?...
First published 1931 Best for: Ages 8-12 Theme: Compassion Five Stars This story is so delicately written, with little poems prefacing each chapter, that your heart just opens more and more. The theme of sacrifice is presented in a very careful and thoughtful manner...
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