"Classic" Children's Novels I Recommend To Patrons and Friends
All of A Kind Family
by Sydney Taylor
First in a series about 5 little girls growing up at the turn of the century on the Lower East Side of New York. I learned a lot about Jewish culture from these books, but above all they're great family stories.
Anne of Green Gables
and all other books by L.M. Montgomery
They are aimed at children, but the picture of life in turn of the century Prince Edward Island is a delight for adults!
Ballet Shoes
by Noel Streatfield
Very English and very charming.
Betsy-Tacy
First of the series, by Maud Hart Lovelace
My older daughter(10) loves these too.
The Story of Doctor Dolittle
First in the series by Hugh Lofting.
Don't settle for the movie messes made of these wonderful books!
Heidi
by Johanna Sypri
This is not that easy for a kid to read--and some may find it saccharine. But it's always enchanted me...
Little House in the Big Woods
first in the series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Another series my daughter loves as much as I do!
A Little Princess
by Frances Hodgson Burnett
There's only been one good version of this on film--a BBC mini series. If you haven't seen that one, you don't know this story!
Little Women
and all other books by Louisa May Alcott.
I read this first in 6th grade, but I didn't understand a lot of it until college..
The Moffats
by Eleanor Estes
A family you'd love to belong to.
Pinky Pye
also by Eleanor Estes
You don't have to be a cat lover to love this, and if you're not, Pinky just might convert you!
Mr Popper's Penguins
by Florence Atwater
The tone is deadpan but the humor is pure slapstick.
A well loved read aloud.
The Secret Garden
by Frances Hodgson Burnett
There have been good films of this, but nothing beats the book, especially with the delicate Tasha Tudor illustrations!
The Trumpet of the Swan
by E.B. White
I love Charlotte's Web , but kids should also meet Louis the mute swan who gains a voice and a love. And if you liked Make Way For Ducklings (another favorite of mine) you'll recognize one of the settings......
The Wind in the Willows
by Kenneth Grahame
Not a young child's book at all,but a beautifully written book about friendship, greed, self centeredness and love.
The best illustrations are by Ernest Shepherd. He was also the first (and only REAL!) illustrator of Winnie the Pooh!
Blueberries For Sal (& One Morning In Maine)
and other books by Robert McCloskey
The Nutshell Library
4 book set by Maurice Sendak
The music to go with the books is on:
Really Rosie by Carole King
Where the Wild Things Are
also by Maurice Sendak!
The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge
by Hildegarde Swift
(A beloved NY landmark!)
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
and every other book by Eric Carle
Caps For Sale
by Esphyr Slobodkina
Madeline
by Ludwig Bemelmans
Beloved by little girls long before the toys or the movies!
Yes, I Read "Grownup" Books Too--When They're Worth It!
And These Are:
Silver Pigs
(1st of the Marcus Didius Falco mysteries) by Lindsey Davis
Welcome To Temptation
(and all other books) by Jennifer Crusie
Breakup
(Kate Shugak mysteries)by Dana Stabenow
And Ladies of the Club
by Helen Hooven Santmyer
The Cazalet Chronicles
(4 books) by Elizabeth Howard
Poldark
(the whole series)by Winston Graham
The Mitford Years
(series) by Jan Karon
Stranger In A Strange Land
(& just about any other book) by Robert Heinlein
It's Too Darned Hot, So It's Time For Hummus
We are having one of those miserable early summer heatwaves, complete with a wild thunderstorm that brought JR to cower in our bed last night through a half hour of lightening flashes and torrential rain.
It's too hot to cook much. It's too hot to WANT cooked food, though air conditioning does make it possible.
Is anyone out there but me old enough to remember BEFORE air conditioning? We sweltered, we wore minimal clothing in the house, we had lots of fans and we ate lots of cold food.
At my house that meant borscht, a yucky Russian/Jewish beet soup served cold, usually with cucumbers and sour cream (yogurt) that I STILL won't eat. It also meant tuna salads, cold cuts and deli salads of the sort my mother wouldn't allow in her house nowadays--too much fat and cholesterol!
My favorite hot weather meal was fresh berries with sour cream. Nowadays I settle for Greek yogurt--it's not sour cream, but it's healthier and I can eat with a clear conscience......
Since those days I have become acquainted with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean foods, and two have become staples in our house.
One is hummus (pronounced hum-muss, NOT hume-us), a mashed chickpea dip. You can readily buy this in the store, but it is easy as pie to make at home. SC loves chickpeas and tonight she dined on hummus, a dish of unmashed chickpeas, pita bread and carrots. Healthy and light.
There are tons of hummus recipes. A really authentic one just uses chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), lemon juice, garlic and tahini. That last ingredient is a sesame seed paste that you can buy in a jar or a can. It is sort of like peanut butter, and can be a bit gloppy. Buy it in a jar if possible--the canned type always seems to stick to the can.
Here's the basic recipe. Taste it as you make it and adjust the ingredients to your liking. You can serve it with raw veggies of any kind. In addition to carrots, we especially like cucumbers with ours!
HUMMUS (A Basic Recipe)
Drain: 2 15oz cans of chickpeas/garbanzos. Save the liquid from one of the cans!
Place chickpeas in a foodprocessor or blender. Add:
1/2 of the chickpea liquid
1/3 cup lemon juice (bottled is fine, fresh is always nicer)
6 Tbs tahini paste
3 cloves of garlic (we use chopped and we use a LOT more, though we do tone it down for company and SC!)
Process until smooth. Add extra chickpea liquid if needed.
Taste and add more tahini, lemon or garlic to suit your taste.
Serve with pita bread, other flatbread, or pita chips.
If you've tried one of my recipes and have a comment, you can always e-mail me your comments at librarylady61@comcast.net
COMING TOMORROW: Another Mediterranean/Middle Eastern favorite-- Tabbouli!
