My post about Alexander got me thinking about my favorite children’s books. Which in turn got me thinking about my favorite adolescent fiction. Which in turn made me think that maybe I should compile a list of personal favorites for both genres and invite readers to respond with their own favorites.
This is maybe a small test to see how many people actually read my blog. At the very least I expect comments from my sisters and my closest girlfriends. Do not fail me!
Children’s Books:
My mom loved to read, and she instilled in each of her children a love of reading. Most of my favorites in this category are books that I remember my mom reading to myself and my siblings when I was younger. However, I think all of the selections on the list stand the test of time. Regardless, my sister Regan and my friend Lyn are far more knowledgeable when it comes to this genre than I myself am, so I’m particularly interested to see what they respond with.
- Alexander and the Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
- Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss
- The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone and Michael Smollin – This should maybe be more of an honorable mention, but I think this book is hilarious… unfortunately, I think I introduce it to the children in my life when they are still too young to appreciate it and it ends up scaring them.
- The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
- The Pigeon Finds A Hot Dog by Mo Willems – This was a tough choice… I’m also a huge fan of Knuffle Bunny.
- Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton – Actually, I love all of her books.
- Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
- Llama in Pajamas by Gisela Voss – I discovered this at the MFA in Boston my freshman year of college and I still love it.
- George and Martha by James Marshall
- The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch and Michael Martchenko
- Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley
- Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
- The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson
- Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard and James Marshall
- Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
- Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
- Frederick by Leo Leonni
- The Lost Horse: A Chinese Folktale by Ed Young
- Dance Me to the End of Love by Leonard Cohen and Henri Matisse
- I Like You by Sandol Stoddard and Jacqueline Chwast
Adolescent Fiction:
I read a lot of books when I was growing up, and pretty much had free reign to choose what looked the most interesting at any given time. My parents were very open-minded and didn’t try to influence or limit what I was allowed to read. I appreciated that, and if I ever have kids I’m likely to have the same attitude where reading is concerned. However, I understand (and appreciate) that a lot of parents want to have a better handle on what their kids are being introduced to. If you are not familiar with any of the books below, and want to know a little bit more about the story before you introduce them to a child in your life, feel free to reach out to me. I also find Amazon reviews to be very helpful in that respect.
- Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling – I can, and have, read the entire series numerous times. I love it. I realize this series is old news, but I couldn’t create this list and not include it.
- Princess Academy by Shannon Hale – With the exception of Enna Burning, I really like all of Hale’s adolescent fiction. My favorite is probably River Secrets, but it is the third book of a trilogy so I went with Princess Academy for the list because it’s more approachable.
- The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin – This is a great book! I introduced it to my teacher in 6th grade and she ended up reading it to our entire class.
- My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park by Steve Kluger – I discovered this gem at a small bookstore in Richmond, VA last year. I had to buy it because I happen to love Mary Poppins, Fenway Park and a good romance. I couldn’t put it down but be careful where you read it because some parts are laugh out loud funny. Since I found it, every member of my family, including my brother, has read and loved it.
- Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
- His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman – I think the first two books in this series are magnificent. Strangely enough, Pullman won all the awards for the third book, The Amber Spyglass, which I thought was by far the weakest of the three.
- Penrod by Booth Tarkington – This is a laugh out loud classic. My dad used to read this and the next selection on this list to us as kids and we would roll with laughter. Both are highly entertaining.
- Miss Minerva and William Green Hill by Frances Boyd Calhoun
- Mrs. Frisbee and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O’Brien – Admittedly, its been a very long time since I read this book (6th grade). However, the Secret of Nimh had been one of my favorite movies as a kid and I think that’s what led me to the book. The book blew me away. I was amazed that the book could be so much better than the movie I loved. I’m hoping to read this again soon. I hope I like it as much as an adult as I did when I was a kid.
- Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll – I think this is the first classic work of literature I read all on my own (4th grade, I think), and much like Mrs. Frisbee and the Rats of Nimh, was a complete surprise because it was so much different from Disney’s animated movie. Again. So. Much. Better.
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott – Wonderful book. I’ve read it a number of times as an adult and is probably the classic I loved the most as a child.
- Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery – I love the entire 8 book series. I still pull out the books from time to time and re-read my favorite parts.
- Holes by Louis Sachar
- Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien – Most people (make that men) I know read this when they were in high school. I tried a number of times but could never get into the story. As it turns out I didn’t read the trilogy until I was 24, but once I got past the first 70 pages or so I couldn’t stop and I ended up reading all 3 books within one week. My brother and sister-in-law have been reading the books to their kids, and they all love it. Sometimes the best stories require a little more effort initially but then they reward you so much more at the end. I suppose that’s a pretty good metaphor for life.
On that note, I’ll go ahead and post my lists. I just decided, on a total whim, to make this whole test thing more fun. I’m doing a giveaway (and a pretty freaking good giveaway if I do say so myself)! Whoohoo!!!! To encourage new readers to visit my site throughout the month of September (yes, this is blatant bribery), anytime the number of comments for this post hits my favorite number (i.e. if my favorite number is 7, then it will be 7, 17, 27, etc…) I’ll send that person a free book! Couple of caveats (ah yes, there is always a catch):
- Only one comment per person.
- I’m only going to 100. If by some miracle I get more than 100 comments, well, that will be where the gravy train stops folks.
- The book I give you has to be on one of the two lists above, because well, I want to introduce you to one of my favorites. If the book is no longer in print and therefore only available used, you may have to pick a different title.
So all my mommy friends, soon to be mommy friends, love to read friends, etc etc, spread the word. Everyone has a one-in-ten shot at getting a free book. When do you ever get odds like that from the house?