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?
I think everyone’s waiting for someone else to start so they can be a 7th. So… I’ll start. Reading your favorite children’s books brought fond memories. I loved Miss Nelson is missing and Where the Wild things are. I love your comment about the book There’s a Monster at the end of this book. We love that one. It’s chucks personal favorite. I’m also proud to say I just started the Harry Potter series (I’ve read the first three). How could I be such a late HP bloomer? It was cool on my mission and I just never joined in until now and I love them as well.
How could I not comment on a post as wonderful as this?! I lived in the world of books as a child, and sincerely miss long summer days spent reading delicious novels in the hammock in our backyard. We have two family favorite children’s books, The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams and Over and Over by Charlotte Zolotow, though I wouldn’t be surprised if that one’s out of print. As for adolescent novels, so many come to mind, Roald Dahl novels and The Indian in the Cupboard, but I sincerely adore From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg.
In fact, you inspire me Shannon! I think I’ll have to blatantly copy you and do this idea on my own blog. Probably without the contest however. (And hello, no prize for being the first to comment?)
I didn’t feel like I could comment until I came up with the French cartoon that dad used to read to us when we were kids. I finally remembered it today, Asterix! I loved it when dad would it because he would start laughing in the middle of reading it before he had a chance to translate it to us. It was always hilarious to watch him trying to translate while laughing.
My favorite book right now would have to be My Most Excellent Year. I am trying to convert the entire staff to it right now.
Well, the teacher in me has to add the books, Not a Box and Not a Stick. These 2 books bring out the creative side in my young students (age 4 and 5). Throughout the book, you see “it’s not a box, it’s a rocket ship” and so on. After the story, I give the students a cube kleenex box and they make their own “it’s not a box”, and I have never seen such imagination and creativity as well as originality, they never copy what’s in the book! While I love the classics, I love what these books inspire in our future leaders!
Hi Shannon! I had a book baby shower that one of my friends at work threw for me before I had Henry in June. It was so wonderful, and now I have a whole bookcase of children’s books already! It was the best idea… I LOVE Alexander, Oh, the Places You’ll Go (and pretty much any Dr. Seuss book–they are so good for teaching phonetic awareness), Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, and the Miss Nelson books. I am sad that you left The Frog and Toad series off the list! I am embarrassed to say that I haven’t read one (not one!) of the books in the adolescent section… I guess I was more of a math person in school… What a fun post, and I love your blog!
Lots of my favs are already noted, but another: “Tuesday” by David Wiesner (for the childrens lit list)
hey shannon, love the lists. I was reminded recently of all the Ramona books, which I loved as a kid. And can still remember having James and the Giant Peach read to us in 3rd grade. Unfortunately (somewhat), I started reading that to Tessa when she was around 3 and forgot they don’t necessarily use ‘nice’ words in the story! Love, love, love anything by Dr. Seuss and recently fell in love with Peter Pan again. There are some great lines in that one, wish I could pull on out right now.
Fantastic lists! I’ve read (and love) all but a couple on the adolescent fiction list. Two of my favorites that haven’t been mentioned:
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace
This was quite a challenge for me. I spent a lot of my prep time on Friday getting distracted by my class library and books I could list here. A lot of my all time favorites you’ve already listed so I thought that I could add a few more to the fabulous list you’ve created.
Children’s Books–
Hip, Hip, Hooray for Annie McRae by Brad Wilcox
Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big by Berkeley Breathed
Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester and Lynn M. Munsinger
Anything written by Robert Munsch or Tomie de Paola
Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? by Dr. Suess
John, Paul, George and Ben by Lane Smith
Favorite chapter books I like to read to my class–
Harry Potter and the Socerer’s Stone
Spiderwick
Otis Spofford by Beverly Cleary
Frindle by Andrew Clements ( Room One and No Talking are my new favorites
of his, but I don’t read them to my class. )
Honus and Me by Dan Gutman
Hank Zipzer– a wonderful series of books written by ‘The Fonz’ Henry
Winkler
Time Warp Trio
Skinnybones by Barbara Park
Ida B by Katherine Hannigan
Seven Spiders Spinning– written by the man behind ‘Wicked’ Gregory
Maguire, it’s a very fun series of books!
Boys Start the War– my all time favorite book to read to my class! It is a
wonderful series of books by the author of Shiloh– Phyllis Reynolds
Naylor
You listed just about every classic book of children’s literature that I wish every child knew and loved the way we did. There were just a couple of classic children’s books I would like to add…
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
The Funny Thing by Wanda Gag
This doesn’t even put a dent into the list I created at school on Friday, but it’s the basic idea. This was a wonderful idea. It brought back so many wonderful memories of mom and dad reading to us every night. That is one of the best gifts any parent can give their children– a love of reading.
Wow! Thanks everyone for all of the responses. This has totally been making my week. I love seeing what everyone else’s favorites are. Also, we have our first winner! Yay for Tracy. My favorite number is 8, and she had the 8th response. So, if I get another 9 responses, we’ll have another winner. For the record, I have to approve comments (this blog gets a ridiculous amount of spam comments), so when you submit a comment, you don’t really know where you fall in the lineup until I approve it, but I always approve them in the order in which they were submitted. Anyway, the giveaway continues, so feel free to spread the word.
Shannon! Miss you so much! And you are too funny doing a giveaway!
Ryan has received some wonderful books presents, and besides the ones from you, one series that caught my eye was the “That’s Not My” board book series, a Usborne touchy-feely book series. Ryan has That’s not my Dragon, and that’s not my Lion, and although he’s too young to read them, I love reading thru them and having him touch the different textures, etc. But I love the comments from your posters, I’m starting a list of books to get to add to our collection. Thanks!!!
Shannie, great idea. I’m sure as soon as I send this off, I’ll thinking of additional books, but here you go.
Children’s books I LOVED as a kid:
There’s a Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer Mayer
But No Elephants! by Jerry Smath
Popcorn: A Frank Asch Bear Story by Frank Asch
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards
Nancy Drew mysteries. I devoured these, starting in the 2nd grade.
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Fables by Arnold Lobel
I am a recent convert to the magic words and rhythms of Good Night Moon and Dr. Seuss. I didn’t like the silliness of Dr. Seuss as a kid, but as an auntie reading and rereading books aloud to my nephews and niece, I love it! And Good Night Moon truly has such soothing sounds.
Children’s books I discovered as an auntie:
Skippy Jon Jones by Judy Schachner: Imaginative, silly, fun rhymes and a
Mexican accent about a Siamese cat who thinks he’s a chiahuaha dog and has adventures in his closet [read: Mexico].
Pajama Time and others by Sandra Boynton
Philadelphia Chickens by Sandra Boynton (thanks for the recommendation,
Shannie!)
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood
Ladybug Girl by Jackie Davis
Tuesday by David Wiesner, and any of his other books. These have only a handful of words and encourage kids to infer what is happening in the story and to look for details.
Books I don’t love to read to my kids: Anything about sharks, space,
volcanoes, or trucks. I tell them, “Choose a book — but it must be
fiction! No nonfiction at bedtime.” You’ve gotta have standards.
Recently my sister and her husband read an abridged version of Moby Dick to their kids (ages 8, 6, and 4). A day or two after finishing the last
chapter, their dad overheard them playing ‘Moby Dick’ outside. Alarmed that maybe improvised harpoons were involved, he inquired about the game. Kelton, their 8 year old, explained the rules: The person who is “it” is Captain Ahab; the kid he chases is Moby Dick, but there’s
another kid who is the Pequod and Captain Ahab can’t run any faster than
him or her (obviously, Ahab can’t outrun his own ship). So smart!
Adolescent Books I read as a kid
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Dune by Frank Herbert (all 10 books) — I’m not really sure that these are great kid books, but there you have it.
Anne of Green Gables, of course
Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
All the books by Joan Lowery Nixon I could find in my junior high school
library, including Wait Until Dark.
To Kill a Mockingbird — somehow I left high school without having read
this, so I read it the summer after I graduated. I love it! I love how
the sultry heat of the South’s slow summer days stays with you long after
you’ve left Jem and Scout with a turned down page to mark your spot.
Jane Eyre – I think I read it in high school, after years of not reading it
because my mom wanted me too. She was always a little disturbed by how much I read and wouldn’t let me take books in the car if it were just the two of us. She also didn’t like it when I took a book with me when we went to visit my grandparents. However, she recommended “classics” like Jane Eyre, so I, of course, refused to read them. Imagine my surprise when I finally read Jane Eyre and discovered how wonderful it is. Sometimes my mom is right. Grumble, grumble…
Young adult fiction I discovered as an adult and that I’ll buy for my
nephews + niece:
Harry Potter (of course)
The Dark Materials (though that third book is really harsh on religion — I
might wait until these kids are old enough to filter through that stuff)
The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings (of course)
Because of Winn-Dixie by Katie DiCamillo
Having just read this, and giving it no thought, I don’t even know where to start, but am game to give my two cents! Hazen just opened a library of his own, and I am already borrowing books from him. He is loving reading a series with Kirk and I separately; it’s a wonderful way to connect! Together, but separately, we have read the Harry Potter series, The Series of Unfortunate Events set, and the Leven Thumps books. He’s on his second Fablehaven, and can’t wait for us to start it. Because of this, Kirk is now reading a lot more, and loves to discuss the plots with Hazen.
We are always reading round here, and I am always organizing books. As a family, we are just getting to the Prancing Pony in The Fellowship of the Ring. The kids LOVE it! I’ve read too many, and gobbled up too many (I’m on my third since getting back from vacation a week ago) to remember all! A few children’s books not mentioned that are my family favs are: “Ten, Nine, Eight”, Edward the Emu, Russel the Sheep, A Camping Spree with Mr. McGee (the artwork is amazing), Dinosaur Roar (YOU gave us this one!), We’re going on a bear hunt, and the Little Critters books (which I remember very fondly as a kid). Other favorites from my older childhood not mentioned is The Phantom Tollbooth and My Side of the Mountain series.
There is no substitute for the magic of books and words and I often find all three of my kids sitting quietly in the front room reading. All have great story ideas for their own books, and they get really upset if it gets too late to read bedtime stories.
Oh, and Shannon, if you haven’t already, you MUST read Stephen King’s Insomnia. It was mentioned to Roland in the Dark Tower series and if you read it, you’ll see why! Love you!
I’m so embarrassed that it has taken me two months to read your blog and find this. I must admit, I have not been great about checking it, as I spend little time on the computer. This does not mean I don’t love you, though!
Okay, this is a hard list for me to make – mostly because there are SOOOO many books I think MUST be on the list. It would take up pages. So, I will list books as well as authors/illustrators (many of my favorite books are made more favorite because of the illustrations). I agree with many of yours – they were also favorites since childhood, so I won’t repeat those. In addition . . .
Specific books -
Pablo the Penguin Who Hated the Cold
No More Elephants
Little Bear
Hamilton
The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (my favorite Dr. Seuss book)
A is for Salad
The Baby BeeBee Bird
My Friend Rabbit
Crow Boy
I Am A Bunny
Madeline
Skippy John Jones
Favorite Authors and Illustrators -
Robert McCloskey
Jan Brett
Bill Pete
Don and Audrey Wood
David Shannon
Allen Say
Ed Young
Patricia Polocco
Eric Carle
Sandra Boynton
The older Berenstain Bears (The Spooky Old Tree, The Bears Vacation, The Big Honey Hunt, The Bears Picnic)
Ezra Jack Keats
Kevin Henkes
William Steig
Mem Fox
Mo Willems
There are a million more, but I imagine that this is already more than necessary.
As for chapter books – my favorites from Childhood were The Chronicles of Narnia and My Side of the Mountain. As an adult, I fell in love with Harry Potter.
Hah! Bribery! Now, why didn’t I think of that . . .
I’m not sure what we could give away over at our blog though. We did have an overabundance of Halloween candy, but I forced it upon my fellow lab geeks.
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