The most wonderful children''s books...

[diamondfan]

I meant creepy in that some of his adult characters are mean and menacing and plot to harm or abuse children. I think that is pretty creepy. Reading something as an adult it is odd to think of it. I LOVE his books, and think he is a brilliant author, but yet, some of the elements of his books are not kid friendly to me.

 

[monarch64]

Does anyone remember The Bobbsey Twins books? I used to love when my mother read us those.

What about Rootabaga Stories by Carl Sandburg? My mother''s favorite!

Oh, and Neverending Story by Ende? The book was originally in German but translated into English and then of course the fabulous movie...growing up I had the hardcover edition which had Bastion''s thoughts in green (I think but I might have this confused) and Fantasia''s in red. The cover of the book had that medallion Atreyu wore for protection embossed on it. I must''ve read that book 20 times! Definitely for older kids, though.

My husband has told me in the past that Where the Red Fern Grows is the only book he''s ever read all the way through, how sweet! I can''t wait until we have kids and he gets to hopefully experience some more wonderful children''s lit.

 

[lumpkin]

Mr. Putter and Tabby: there''s a whole series of them and we must have checked each one out at least 3 times. Poppleton: another series by the same author, Cynthia Ryland (I think).

Thomas the Tank Engine: there''s a huge story book, but you can also get paperbacks of the stories.

Dr. Seuss.

Bedtime Stories for Children.

Magic Treehouse series.

And my kids love science books and non-fiction as well.

 

[diamondfan]

Get ready to bawl when you read Where the Red Fern Grows...

I loved the Anne of Green Gables and Nancy Drew too!

 

[monarch64]

Date: 4/13/2007 12:04:38 AM
Author: diamondfan
Get ready to bawl when you read Where the Red Fern Grows...

I loved the Anne of Green Gables and Nancy Drew too!

DF, that is soooo true. In fact, I looked up the book to see who wrote it today (Wilson Rawls) and ended up reading a synopsis on wikipedia and even THAT made me tear up at my desk at work! It really is the saddest, yet one of the best books I''ve ever read.

I loved the Anne of Green Gables series as well...there is a made for t.v. series which used to air on PBS long ago which was just as good as the books!

Oh, another children''s lit author I just remembered is Beatrix Potter! I had seemingly tons of those little hardcover books and loved them all. Not to mention all the little toys and figurines that were Beatrix Potter themed, which are still made but seem crappier than what I had growing up.

And BABAR! How have we all forgotten Babar and Celeste?! Another one of my favorites!

 

[Harriet]

I have to confess that I own "Walter the Farting Dog."

 

[monarch64]

What is this farting dog book?! I really have to check this out...

 

[Harriet]

Date: 4/13/2007 12:59:55 AM
Author: monarch64
What is this farting dog book?! I really have to check this out...

Do you share my sense of, er, humour? Hehe.

 

[monarch64]

Date: 4/13/2007 7:44:02 PM
Author: Harriet

Date: 4/13/2007 12:59:55 AM
Author: monarch64
What is this farting dog book?! I really have to check this out...

Do you share my sense of, er, humour? Hehe.

I think I do!

 

[diamondfan]

Monnie, I have a five year old, I ordered them all!!!!

 

[Harriet]

Monarch,

DF,
I haven't read the last 3. Are they funny? I also have to confess that I have the stuffed toy (it was a gag gift, ok?).

 

[Miranda]

Date: 4/13/2007 12:35:20 AM
Author: Harriet
I have to confess that I own ''Walter the Farting Dog.''

LOL!!! My mom has that book along with so many fart/poop books...The Gas We Pass, Everybody Poops, and on it goes. After having two daughters and then having two grandsons she has gone a bit overboard!! She can hardly read them to my boys because she laughs until she cries.

 

[monarch64]

So here''s what''s really sad: I googled walter the farting dog and checked out the amazon reviews, so now even without reading the books I understand the concept...and the bad part is that I actually have a husband who blames it on the dog, so to speak.

Our 3 yr. old beagle really does have a gas problem, though, so sometimes it''s hard to tell who passed the offending odor.

Good lord, this is one of those things that makes me not want to have kids...

 

[Harriet]

Miranda,
I have those too. Oops!

Monarch,
My dogs don''t have that problem. But when they do fart, oh boy...

 

[VRBeauty]

No kids of my own, but I made sure my nephews and niece always had great picture books. Not that I was particularly altruistic, it just gave me a chance to browse through the picture books! Here are some of my favorites:

Goodnight Gorilla (I still give this whenever I get the chance!)
Sheep in a Jeep etc.
Five Little Monkeys
the Eye Spy picture puzzle books
No, David (my nephew was so offended by the picture of David picking his nose that he tore the page out. And this was a first edition of a book that got some serious recognition!)
Where''s my Teddy
Officer Buckle and Gloria
How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight

I think it''s so important that kids get examples of good writing and story-telling when they''re young, so they develop a love of readinging. There are a lot of "message" books out there that don''t meet that test, IMHO. I''m also leary of children''s books written by celebs. For some reason a lot of people think that anyone can write a children''s book. T''ain''t so!

 

[diamondfan]

I did not get them yet but...

our Museum of Natural Sciences has an exhibit on animal poop called What they leave behind, the "scoop" on poop...well, went to a birthday party there, a room full of already poop obsessed 5 year olds thinking this was a riot...the tag line had my son in stitches for days!

 

[Harriet]

Please tell me the theme didn''t extend to the food.

 

[diamondfan]

No, but it was the last room we toured before chocolate cake, need I say more? But the 5 year olds loved it!

 

[diamondfan]

Knuffle Bunny is supposed to be adorable too!

 

[lumpkin]

I was cleaning my younger boy''s "libary" and found some other great ones.

Zen Shorts
several Arthur books
Where the Wild Things Are
Kitten''s First Full Moon
Snoozers and Dinos to Go, by Sandra Boynton
If you Give a Moose a Muffin
Silly Sally Upside Down (we don''t have this one -- we gave it to a friend)
Snow Tree
How Do Dinosours Say Goodnight
How Do Dinosours Eat Their Food
Six Dinner Sid (about a cat who has 6 owners but the owners each think they''re the cat''s only owner)

My kids also really like the easy readers that are more factual, like "In a Day of the Life of a Fire Fighter" or "Big Machines" -- I think boys like stuff like this a lot.

 

[diamondfan]

Lumpkin, my son who is 5 loves anything to do with movement and vehicles...he is totally crazy about them!

 

[Madam Bijoux]

I just thought of another one: The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.

 

[Ellen]

I came across one yesterday while cleaning in the basement that my mom gave me many years ago. The cover has come off, so I can''t give credit. It''s real letters to God, written by kids. It''s a riot. I''m enclosing one of my favorites.


Dear God,

Your book has a lot of zip to it.

I like science fiction stories.

You had very good ideas and I would like to know where you found them.


Your reader,

Jimmy

 

[Cehrabehra]

The Tale of Despereaux is the best kids book I''ve read maybe in my life and I''ve read it aloud to my kids and my husband and it just is the best. THE best. Award winning.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 4/16/2007 10:52:32 AM
Author: Cehrabehra
The Tale of Despereaux is the best kids book I''ve read maybe in my life and I''ve read it aloud to my kids and my husband and it just is the best. THE best. Award winning.

http://www.katedicamillo.com/books/tale.html

2004 newbery award winner

this is a book worth buying in hardcover and reading again and again.... my 5 year old loved it as much as my 7 year old, my 12 year old and my 34 year old this is the author that wrote some winn dixie novel about a dog that became a movie. Well the dog didn''t become a movie, the book did lol

http://www.amazon.com/Tale-Despereaux-Princess-Thread-Newbery/dp/0763617229