Posted on 07/05/2009 5:12:41 AM PDT by reaganaut1
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A mountain of research points to a central lesson: Pry your kids away from the keyboard and the television this summer, and get them reading. Let me help by offering my list of the Best Children’s Books — Ever!
So here they are, in ascending order of difficulty, and I can vouch that these are also great to read aloud.
1. “Charlotte’s Web.” The story of the spider who saves her friend, the pig, is the kindest representation of an arthropod in literary history.
2. The Hardy Boys series. Yes, I hear the snickers. But I devoured them myself and have known so many kids for whom these were the books that got them excited about reading. The first in the series is weak, but “House on the Cliff” is a good opener. [...]
3. “Wind in the Willows.” [...]
4. The Freddy the Pig series. Published between 1927 and 1958, these 26 books are funny, beautifully written gems. [...]
5. The Alex Rider series. These are modern British spy thrillers [...]
6. The Harry Potter series. [...]
7. “Gentle Ben.” [...]
8. “Anne of Green Gables.” At a time when young ladies were supposed to be demure and decorative, Anne emerged to become one of the strongest and most memorable girls in literature.
9. “The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be.” [...]
10. “Little Lord Fauntleroy.” [...]
11. “On to Oregon.” [...]
12. “The Prince and the Pauper.” [...]
13. “Lad, a Dog” [...]
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The Hobbit
The one series that turned me on to the path of a devout reader was the Great Brain series by John Dennis Fitzgerald.
I notice on Amazon Trixie is still published, which is cool. I still have my original Trixie and Nancy Drew.
“Captains Courageous” by Kipling for pre-teens.
Hugh Lofting Bump :)
And also a vote in proxy from my daughter, for Johnny Tremain. It was her favorite from her “younger days” ; P, and at the ripe old age of 21, I believe it just might STILL be in her top 3 today.
Tatt
OH! And a I cannot believe I almost forgot : o “The Lord of the Rings”, trilogy - “You shall not pass!” Fills me up EVERY time....
The Black Stallion series by Walter Farley.
The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White.
Call of the Wild
The Phantom Tollbooth
A Wrinkle In Time
Nancy Drew series
All the Albert Payson Terhune dog books.
My Friend Flicka and Thunderhead.
The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart (not a kids’ book, but written about a boy and in such clear language that teens and preteens can read it)
Kidnapped
The Man in the Iron Mask
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
The Count of Monte Cristo (Tom Sawyer’s favorite)
Tom Sawyer his own self
Sherlock Holmes stories (I devoured these as a kid)
Absolutely, great books.
C.S Lewis-The Chronicles of Narnia
and Prince Caspian
True adventure.
I never said I read those.
Where's Detriot?
Is that Ebonics for "that riot"?
......I never said I read those......
Well, it’s never too late.
First off, Hitch Hiker’s Guide. Then Starship Troopers.
Sound scary? Don’t Panic
The Bible.
Robinson Crusoe.
Pilgrim’s Progress.
Where the Red Fern Grows.
The Hobbit.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Any biographies of great Americans or accurate histories of the US.
Any list without the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe was written by a liberal.
The Wizard of Oz books are great.
The Hobbit.
And I remember bawling as a 6th grader reading, “Where the Red Fern Grows”. *sniffle*. Charlotte’s Web on the other hand did nothing for me.
But I love dogs, so there you go.
Any/all of the books written by Sam Campbell, in the 40s and 50s. They are about living with and raising animals in the wild, but the vocabulary of children back then was so advanced, you’ll either have to read these to your younger (older elem) children, or older kids read them to themselves. EXCELLENT.
Once your kids experience Campbell’s books, they will be hooked, although I must say, a diet of video games and other electronics can ruin any of our children’s appetites for greater pursuits and entertainment.
many people would disagree but the Harry Potter books are what finally got my son to start reading. he did not like to read until those books grabbed his attention and refused to let go. he now reads a variety of books. until HP he would not touch them.
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