"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
Life On Earth, Or, Some Things To Think About
A friend sent this to me with some fun gifs and a wonderful, sappy message at the end. I've cut it down and added some graphics for looks.
I find it especially relevant after hearing a bit of a BBC interview today where some Third World official was saying that people in his part of the world really didn't care that much about whether they were in a democracy or a dictatorship. They were more worried about the sort of things we take for granted. Clean water, electricity, food and schools for their children. The sort of things that we take for granted............
If the world was just one village with a hundred people in it representing
ALL the people in the world, there would be:
57 Asians | 21 Europeans | 14 North & South Americans | 8 Africans |
52 Women | 48 Men |
| 70 Non-Caucasians | 30 Caucasians |
| 89 Heterosexuals | 11 Homosexuals |
6 people would own 59% of ALL the wealth in the world. All of them would be from the United States!
80 would have poor living conditions
70 would have NO education
50 would be underfed
Only 1 would have a higher education
And only 1 would have a computer!
There are 1 million people in the world who will not survive NEXT WEEK.
If you have never suffered in a war, or been jailed or tortured, or hungry, then you are happier than 5 million other people in this world.
If you can enter a church (or mosque or synagogue) freely, then you have a right that 3 million people in this world do not.
If you have a roof over your head, shoes on your feet and food in your house you are richer than 75% of people in the world!
If you have money in your wallet and a bank account, you are among the richest 8% of people in the world!!!!
And if you are reading this, rejoice that you can--because over 200 MILLION people in the world CANNOT read!!!!!!!
(Nor do they own computers.....)
A lot to think about. So I'll leave it right there for you to ponder..............
