Classic children’s books written prior to 1975, particularly those which appear timeless, and not outdated due to language and culture.
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...
Published 1988 Theme: Animal Intelligence Best for: ages 6 and up Five Stars "Mrs. Jane Tabby could not explain why all four of her children had wings."In four small children's books, Ursula Le Guin has created a very endearing set of cat characters with personality, adventure, and wisdom. This set of stories...
by E. B. White, published 1945. "Very good advice, Albert, but advice and law are not the same. Law is much more solemn than advice. Law is extremely solemn. Anybody else thing of a law for the world?"It's not hard to believe that E. B. White started as a contributor of humor to the New Yorker. His writing style even in his children's books is filled with that New Yorker sly humor that makes you chuckle. That's for the adults. For the children, he's just downright silly and gets away with it in great style. Stuart Little is a smiling, chuckling book all the way to the unexpected end. A great piece of writing by an iconic writer...
Published 1955 Theme: Imagination Best for: Under 11 The series of five children's books by Norton, beginning with The Borrowers, and continuing with the Borrowers Afield, Aloft, Afloat, Avenged..., are in a group by themselves. The imagination that Norton brings to the tales of these little people that live in houses, off the the lost items of humans, is so creative, that it seems like it must be true...
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…
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