Tuesday August 2, 2011
Adam has always loved books. Now that he can read, that statement has reached superlative levels! If it’s quiet around here, one of two things is happening. Adam is sleeping or engrossed in a book.
At first, he was reading significant chapter books. Then he was diagnosed with lymes and after that week of really not feeling well, he reverted to shorter books or books with easier sentence structure. He also still loves a great picture book. It feels as though it has gotten somewhat easier to scope out the library for books he likes, but I feel so ignorant about children’s books. I suspect there are hundreds of great children’s classics I know nothing about. I wish for a great list of books to take with me on my search at the library.
Adam loves non-fiction. He loves books about space and the environment and history. Actually he likes most any story as long as it’s fairly realistic. His most common question about a book … “Mommy, is this true?”
Here are a few of our recent favorites.
Lovely story about the locusts.
I love this book so much! It has the sweetest wording and pictures about life in coal mining days.
And this book is a hands down winner. Gorgeous pictures. Powerful words. I could have read it over and over again. Well, actually I did. I read it. Explained the meaning to the boys. And read it again. And again because they both liked it so much. Three times in a row. I love books like this because they are so much fun to read but they also teach in two ways. They teach about something that happened. They teach about life. They teach children how to search for meaning beyond the obvious in literature. There should be thousands of children’s books that do all three of those things.
Adam also likes The Boxcar Children and Happy Little Family (by Rebecca Caudill). Other great books we checked out last time included, An angel for Solomon Singer, Peacebound Trains, and The Relatives Came.
I’m currently reading Blue Christmas by Katrina Hoover and on her book’s facebook page she linked this list of great children’s reads. I was thrilled! We’ve only read about a quarter of them and I can hardly wait to check out more of them.
My sister in law emailed me Faith Builder’s list of recommended reading for children which looks like this:
And now it’s your turn. What are your children’s favorites?
I know my boys are a bit older than Adam, but they love Sugar Creek Gang, Black Stallion series by Walter Farley, all the Childhood of Famous Americans books, Farmer Boy, and an amazing book about facts called For Boys Only. I love, love to see them deeply engrossed in a book. It does my teacher/mother heart good!
Oh, we are big readers here too! And I always love new recommendations for children’s books! We’ve discovered some good ones at the library just by browsing, but there are also some completely awful ones that I can’t see how they ever get printed. 🙁 I came across a vast list once upon a time, compiled by World Magazine, but I must have tucked it away and forgot about it until now… even in all those times I’ve wanted a vast list to request books online! Glad you reminded me!
I love that question from mine: “Is this true?”
Chronicles of Narnia are huge favorites here, but I know that all the fantasy can be controversial. Another very good series is The Moffats by Eleanor Estes. Fun & hilarious. Jean Little is a good author. (She writes From Anna and many more) and our 8 year old loves Encyclopedia Brown. (Little’s books might be more for girls and maybe for just a little older age group.)
Thanks for all the great tips on good books. I will be back to check out your lists.
@lifeisadance – Oh, please share if you find it!
@lwstutz – For Boys Only sounds like something Adam would LOVE!
@quiet_hearts – I started reading Chronicles Of Narnia to Adam. We got halfway through and he lost interest. “I think I’m not ready for those yet,” he said. 🙂 I’ll have to check out some of your other suggestions, thanks!
We’re lovers of books too and our small local library is one of our favorite places. The following aren’t necessarily great literature, but they are books that we’ve enjoyed over and over…some for the art work, some for the story, and a few for both: The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman; A Perfect Day by Jan Fearnley; James Harriot’s Children’s books; and authors/artists: Robert McCloskey, Graeme Base, and Jan Brett. We’re planning to go to the library today so maybe my memory will be jogged and I’ll see more that are worth recommending. P.S. I really enjoy your blog!
Bill Peet’s books!!! When our oldest son got married, the children went together and got him a whole set for a wedding present!
Derrick is reading quite a lot these days, but he is the only one of the kids who can read so far. Kendall is just starting with small words.
Anyway, Derrick is kind of picky. He doesn’t like anything he deems to be “scary” so that would include pretty much any mystery or that sort of thing. He does like the Magic Treehouse books a lot though. I guess those aren’t too scary to him.
He likes books about animals and about boy things. When I find a series that he likes, then I tend to buy more of those for him. He also REALLY likes the Rod and Staff type books. Seriously. Not even kidding. Who would have thought?
@appalolly – This totally cracks me up because it describes Adam to. the. T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oooh YES! I’ve been an incurable bookaholic since before I could read. I’d listen to someone reading aloud with my mouth slightly open and my eyes fixed on “some remote, airy cloudland, borne aloft on the wings of imagination.” for as long as they’d care to keep at it. And I’m a firm believer that those early days of being read to, and thereby learning to love reading myself, had a huge bearing on who I am now. Keep reading, little man, and you may find that, someday, when you need a bit of wisdom for yourself or someone else, you’ve gained broad enough horizons and enough mental fortitude to have something worth saying yourself.
My little “reader” is quite a bit smaller than yours, but some of our favorites are:
Blueberries for Sal (Robert McCloskey)
anything by Eric Carle
Pete’s a Pizza
Oh, have Adam try some of Patricia Polacco’s books. She writes about her life as a Jewish child.
The Keeping Quilt
Chicken Sunday
Thank You Mr. Falker (my favorite)
My Rotten Red-Headed Older Brother
Great books, all.
And http://www.aholyexperience.com/2010/07/list-of-best-picture-books-some-key/ is a great book list.
Those books look really good! Do you know about the Newberry Medal? (from Wilkapedia: The award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The award has been given since 1922. It was the first children’s literary award in the world) It’s a quick way to spot good books. They’re not all my type of great, but I like a lot of them. Also, the Caldecott Medal is given for best illustrations. Remember “Snowflake Bentley”? I think Adam would enjoy that one. Another one on the list is “Grandfather’s Journey.” I LOVE that books. It’s one of those that is an enjoyable read for a child, and has all these deeper meanings adults can enjoy. Which reminds me of what Jonas Sauder says, “The sign of a good book is one that can be enjoyed by both children and adults.” I like when books have words that stretch the children’s vocabulary instead of dumbing it down like the Thomas stories and the newer Curious George spin-offs. 🙁 Cynthia Rylant sounds familiar. Did she also write The Relatives Came? I’ve been a little disappointed at the libraries here. :/ I have a harder time finding really good books. I need to go to the bigger branch soon. I’m glad you posted this because now I feel a little more inspired to dig sometime.
And how could I forget the Harold books (crocket Johnson), and the Francis books (russel Hoban).
I think you would love “What does the sky say”. And I can never read Tomie dePaola’s Now One Foot, Now the Other” without crying because of how much it reminds me of my dad.
OK, I love childrens’ books. I’m back with another comment. Look for Paddle-to-the-Sea for Adam. It is about an Indian boy who carves a small canoe and sets it free to travel from Northern Ontario, down the great Lakes to the Sea. The book tells all the adventures of the canoe. It is very educational, and interesting too. Might still be a little difficult for him by himself…I’m not sure.
May I recommend to you Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt and Read for the Whole Heart by Sarah Clarkson. These books list titles of recommeded reading for children. Both can be purchased from CBD. I’ve recently purchased both and I like them.
oh, i just read this post.. then my eyes caught the one below.
and i have things to say, and more i want to read – 🙂
but right now i’m looking at the dark clouds rolling in,
and knowing i need to go mow the grass and beat the rain.
so… i’ll be back!! 🙂
the story about ping by marjorie flack
one morning in maine by robert mccloskey (same author as blueberries for sal and make way for the ducklings. i believe i recommended this book to before.)
wilfrid gordon mcdonald partridge by mem fox- this is a SWEET, SWEET book that nearly makes me cry each time i read it. really, get it and read it to your boys.
@twofus_1 – Yes, Cynthia Rylant also wrote the Relatives Came. And I could not agree more with Jonas Sauder. I don’t remember Snowflake Bentley, but Grandfather’s Journey sounds familiar.
@lazonya75 – These books are definitely getting added to my (now growing very long) list of books to look for!
@mlt10202002 – Call me strange, but I have mixed feelings about Ping. I feel myself cringing everytime I read it, just waiting for that final swat. 🙂 And yes you did recommend McCloskey’s books to me before and we promptly checked them all out on our next trip to the library (and several times since)! Definitely going to look for the last one you mentioned. If I can keep from blubbering.
@smilesbymiles – it just such a beautiful story about a little boy and old people. maybe because i have such a passion for both, it really stirs me. =)that makes me laugh about the last swat for ping.
hmm.. i believe the comment i left was for what i thought was on the post BELOW! because there is no post above this one. 😉 time to change that, girl. 🙂
we like the Little House Series. Heroes of Faith. Golden books and lisa mentioned the story of Ping, one of my favs!! 🙂
@twofus_1 – my sil was just telling me about the newberry award. she said when she sees one w/ that sticker, she simply buys it! 🙂