Everyone is doing this right now so I thought why not me? Besides I’m feeling a little bereft of ideas these days. Most of my mental power is directed towards the WIP (Work in Progress) and I don’t really have anything left over for a scintillating blog topic. There are a couple of ideas swimming around back there in the murk but I lack the energy to hook them and pull them out.
Therefore, here are some totally personal recommendations for good children’s books. I need remind no one that books make excellent presents, or that the industry and more importantly all the struggling writers need your support right now.
BOOKS FOR THE VERY YOUNG:
*Based on my own experiments seeking out picture books I can read over and over again without throwing them out the window in disgust. I look for appealing artwork and prose that moves well and doesn’t make me vomit.
SKIPPY JON JONES by Judy Schachner- really fun to read aloud
TWENTY-SIX PRINCESSES; HUMPTY DUMPTY CLIMBS AGAIN by Dave Horowitz
BIG WORDS FOR LITTLE PEOPLE; TODAY I FEEL SILLY by Jamie Lee Curtis- one of the few celebrity authors out there who can actually write a good book. John Lithgow is another one.
PICTURE BOOKS FOR THE NOT- SO- YOUNG:
DIARY OF A WOMBAT; PETE THE SHEEP-SHEEP by Jackie French
I HATE SCHOOL by Jeanne Willis
THE GRUFFALO by Julie Donaldson. There’s THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD as well.
WINNIE THE WITCH by Valerie Thomas. This is a series.
CHAPTER BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS:
the CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS series by Dav Pilkey- My six-year old loves these and yes, the toilet humor and idiocy can get annoying but these are books that got him to start reading.
I adore the READY, FREDDY series by Abby Klein. The characters are well-drawn and realistic, and the prose is not as clunky as some early readers. I think Ms. Klein was an elementary school teacher so she knows what kids are like. These are fun to read together and there are a bunch of titles.
HORRIBLE HARRY by Suzy Kline. Also a series.
MOOMINTROLL by Tove Janssen. A series. Odd, touching, funny, endearing, one of a kind. My son loves them and once a year we have to go out in the woods and search for Moomintroll. We haven’t found him yet because he is quite shy.
MIDDLE-GRADE (after Harry Potter)
OLDIES BUT GOODIES:
THE DARK IS RISING SEQUENCE by Susan Cooper- ideal for kids who enjoy the Arthurian legend.
EARTHSEA by Ursula K. Leguin. Just beautifully written and imagined.
The SALLY LOCKHART books by Philip Pullman (THE RUBY IN THE SMOKE is the first one)- Victorian adventure stories with a wonderful, gutsy heroine.
THE CHRONICLES OF ANCIENT DARKNESS by Michelle Paver (The first one is WOLF BROTHER)- set in prehistoric times. Wonderfully researched. And who can resist a wolf cub for a best friend? I LOVE LOVE LOVE these books!!!!!!
PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS by Rick Riordan- Percy Jackson discovers he is the half-mortal son of the god Poseidon. So great I wish I’d thought of it first.
THE SECRET DIARY OF ADRIAN MOLE, AGE 13 by Sue Townsend- Hilarious! Sort of a Bridget Jones for teenagers.
AFTER TWILIGHT
FOR SLIGHTLY OLDER READERS who like fantasy:
TITHE; VALIANT; IRONSIDE by Holly Black- tales of humans and faeries (not the tinkerbell type but the romantic, beautiful sort and some mischievous imps.)
The BARTIMAEUS trilogy by Jonathan Stroud (The first one is THE AMULET OF SAMARKAND)-a spin on the old genie in the bottle tale. Bartimaeus is a wonderful, witty, diabolical anti-hero.
WIND ON FIRE trilogy; NOBLE WARRIORS trilogy by William Nicholson- in my opinion Nicholson is one of the finest writers working in the YA fantasy genre today.
THE CHRONICLES OF MASTER LI AND NUMBER TEN OX by Barry Hughart- fantastic, hilarious adventuring in a re-imagined Ancient China.
The CHRONICLES OF THE CHEYSULI by Jennifer Roberson- I read these as a teen and they were so engrossing and so epic. Plus she wrote strong female characters. Her SWORD-DANCER books are great too.
UGLIES; PEEPS by Scott Westerfeld- he’s just really good at writing urban fantasy and realistic teenagers.
THE SEA OF TROLLS; ISLAND OF SILVER APPLES; HOUSE OF THE SCORPION by Nancy Farmer. Amazing writer, Amazing books!
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