Oops

Lately I've been getting Poppy into older, longer* books by starting to read them to her. After several chapters of me reading, she'll get interested enough in the story that she'll start reading them herself. 

We did this with The Secret Garden and Heidi, and then we started Little Women.

She took over reading herself in Little Women after maybe five chapters and was happily zipping right along.

Then she came home from school and said her friend told her Beth dies in Little Women. "She doesn't die, does she, Mom?"

Uh. Well. Dang it.

Beth does indeed die. I had forgotten that. 

There was no way out of answering this question. So I asked her one of my own first. I asked her if she really wanted to know.

She did. I told her. She cried just thinking about it and then declared that she was not going to read the book anymore.

Fair enough. She can try again when she's a little older maybe. She's only eight years old. She has plenty of time to read the rest of it.

The next book I was going to read with her was Anne of Green Gables. I looked up if anyone dies in that book, because obviously my memory for these things is not to be trusted. Matthew does towards the end of the book. So now I have to determine if that death is going to be as upsetting to Poppy as Beth dying. I don't think so, since Matthew is an old man, not a little girl, but still. Maybe we should wait on that one for a little bit.

Anyone have any suggestions for classic children's books where main characters don't die? You'd think that wouldn't be so hard, but I guess not.

*This works well for older books because they tend to have longer and more complicated sentence structures. When I read them aloud, I can pause to break up the sentence with my voice. I also often have to define words, because the vocabulary in older books tends to be much more advanced, which is one reason I like them. When Poppy reads them on her own, she frequently calls out to me for definitions. 

Let's Talk Books

A friend of the MiL's (hi, Mikey!) apparently mentioned that I haven't talked much about what books I've been reading lately.

Well! Allow me to remedy that!

Here they are:

Secular on top, religious on the bottom, because why not?

I didn't actually intend to get that many religious books. This seems to be my tradition now for Lent, though, as I did the same thing last year kind of on accident.

He Leadeth Me is by the same priest who wrote With God in Russia. My sons really enjoyed that one, as did I, so I thought we'd try his other book. I haven't read it yet.

Seasons of the Soul was recommended by our priest. I  haven't read that one yet, either.

I'm part of the way through A Canticle for Liebowitz, though I'm not sure if I'll finish it. It's a novel that takes place at a monastery in the future after a nuclear exchange. A. bought it and read it, as did one of the boys. Both of them said it was okay, though not great, and that's what I'm thinking so far.

I did read the Mother Teresa book. That was a challenging one. I'm not sure I would recommend it to a lot of people--it's pretty startling and depressing in some ways--but it certainly made me think, and I'm not sorry I read it.

I haven't read Go Set a Watchman yet. That one I bought mostly for the boy whose favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird. I may save it for his Easter basket.

I read pretty much every Agatha Christie book when I was in middle school, I think. Ten Little Indians is one of my favorites. The youngest boy saw me reading it and asked me about it. I'll give it to him next, and probably his older brother would like it, too.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite new authors. I don't like most modern authors, especially those who write romcoms, but she's good. Her books are like literary junk food without being stupid and irritating, which is more than I can say for the majority of books in that genre. Hello, Stranger is one of her newer books. I read it in about two hours and liked it very much.

An American Childhood is by Annie Dillard. I was not familiar with her as an author. This was the book I bought at the antique shop during my overnight in town. It's just what it sounds like: The story of her childhood growing up in Pittsburgh in the 1950s. She was an unusual child, but her childhood was in many ways very typical of the time. I enjoyed it, although I don't think I'll seek out anymore of her books.

Ditto Invitation to the Waltz by Rosamund Lehmann. She was a prolific author in the 1930s. The book was good enough that I finished it, although I didn't find it all that gripping. It wasn't really about anything significant. In that way it reminded me of Jane Austen. I looked up the author's other books, and the others are apparently much less innocent than this one, so I probably won't read any more by this author.

There! That's what I've been reading lately, or am about to read. How about you?

Summer Reading, and a Minor Announcement

The bigger boys start school this week, and everyone will be in school in two more weeks, so now's a good time to tell you all about the many books I bought this summer, right? Right.

Most of them were for Poppy, who has definitely become a reader.

Many books.

All the Ralph S. Mouse books

All the Ramona Quimby books

All The Borrowers books

All the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books (except the farm one) in a treasury format

Bed Knob and Broomstick (not as good as the movie, I'm told)

An Episode of Sparrows (I read this--it was fairly good, but not what I was expecting)

Poppy's absolute favorite was the complete Pippi Longstocking collection--three books--although that didn't make it into the photo.

Also not pictured, but for Poppy, I got The Little House Cookbook. 

A couple of books by William Durbin, including Dead Man's Rapids, that were mostly for the youngest boy.

The next Horatio Hornblower book for the middle boy, although he informed me it was in no way as good as the first one so I shouldn't get the rest.

We Live in the Arctic, mostly for the older two boys.

And then later in the summer, one son was remarking that he was thinking of writing an encyclopedia of monsters, which led to us investigating if there is one. We found several, but most of them are either actual encyclopedias for adults that are trying to establish the existence of Big Foot or whatever, or ones geared toward small children.

I did end up getting a DK book about mythical creatures.

The plant book was an impulse purchase.

Because it's a DK book, it's good. Poppy enjoyed this one.

I also got another DK book--bad day for impulse buys--called History Year by Year: The History of the World from the Stone Age to the Digital Age. This was very popular with all three younger children. DK wins again.

And for me . . .

A collection of short stories by Isak Dinesen/Karen Blixen, including "Babette's Feast." Similar to Bed Knob and Broomstick, the movie was better, but the stories were okay.

I did not enjoy Surprised by Joy, by C.S. Lewis. Extreme navel gazing, mostly.

I did enjoy Gilead, though I'm trying to decide if I liked it enough to read the sequels.

Not pictured, I got a collection of Erma Bombeck books, too.

For the eldest, I got the Divergent series by Veronica Roth. This is dystopian fiction, which I have no interest in, so I didn't read it, but he requested it and said it was good.

Also requested and enjoyed by the eldest, though I can't vouch for it myself, was Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds.

And now for the minor announcement: I did not renew my contract at the school for this year, which means that while the children are going back to school, and A. will be going back to driving the school bus, I will not be going back. Well, except as a substitute. I did tell them I could continue doing that.

This means I will shortly have more time for reading! Do you have any recommendations for me? Or for the children?

An Unintentional Lenten Literary Theme

I've been on a roll with good books to read lately. This is not always the case. My reading sort of waxes and wanes. I'll go for awhile not having anything particularly compelling to read and then all of the sudden there are multiple books that I want to read.

Thankfully, I'm in the latter stage at the moment. Want to see? Of course you do!

A. buys a lot of books for the boys, especially the older two, based on things he would have liked to have read himself when he was younger. Or that he wants to read now. I'm not sure where he came across this one, but the title gave me pause.

Hmm.

Based on the title and the fact that I know how inappropriate books about the special forces can be, I thought I'd better vet this one before handing it over to my sons. I read the first half of it, which was actually very entertaining. By the time I got to the author's time in Rhodesia, I sort of lost interest--I'm not really very much for detailed military maneuvers--but I had read enough to know that the author was quite circumspect in what he chose to share about his personal life. I appreciated the delicacy with which he talked around the various situations involving women that are an inevitable part of any soldier's memoirs. Plus, he was very funny. Also a bit crazy, maybe, but in an adventuresome way.

Good job, A.

Next was a book that I bought for my sons, after seeing it on the shelves at the hotel I stayed at in January. I don't have a photo of it, but its title is Cold Sassy Tree, and it's by Olive Ann Burns. I had a copy of it for the longest time. I think it eventually fell apart and I never replaced it, but I thought the boys would like it, so I bought it for them. I re-read it last week and it really is an excellent book. It's set in a small town in Georgia at the turn of the 20th century. I've always loved Southern fiction. The narrator is a 14-year-old boy, and the author nails the character of a teenage boy coming of age. There are some things in it that I had forgotten about that make it maybe not appropriate for my ten-year-old quite yet, but the older two boys really liked it.

Good job, me.

And now for what I'm reading at the moment. 

I didn't plan this, but I apparently have a religious theme for all my books for this start of Lent.

I started reading the Catechism after I finished the Bible. I only read maybe five pages a day. Maybe more, maybe less, depending on what I'm reading about and how interested I am in it.

With God in Russia was written by a Catholic priest about his time as a prisoner in Siberian work camps during World War 2. Our priest loaned it to my older son, thinking he would like it. He did indeed really like it, as did his next-youngest brother. Both of them loved it, in fact, so I thought I'd try it. I was assured by my sons that there was nothing really disturbing in it, and indeed, it is remarkably drama-free considering the drama inherent in the man's situation. It's interesting to read older memoirs like this one (it was published in 1964), because the authors don't try to shock their readers like I feel modern authors do with the more salacious or disturbing parts of their lives. I'm sure this priest saw the absolute worst humanity could be in these situations, but that's not what he focuses on. 

Of course, I'm only about a quarter of the way in, so it could get way worse, but I don't think it will.

And last, the Janette Oke book was one I picked up from the book-sharing shelf at our local post office. I had I think every Janette Oke book when I was in middle school. I loved them. They're Christian fiction, sort of vaguely homesteady--set in Canada during their period of settlement--with some very chaste romance. My equivalent of a "fluff" book, I guess.

What are you reading right now? Anything you'd recommend for my next waning period?

Book Talk: New Authors, Yay!

Summer is upon us, and that means that my children and I need books. Reading is a large part of our entertainment, and we have a lot more time for it now.

I think I've mentioned this before, but the nearest libraries to us are 90 miles one way. We go to different cities for different things, so we can't reliably check out and return books to the same one on our infrequent errand runs. And it's usually A. who does those errand runs, so the rest of us wouldn't have a chance to get to the library anyway.

Our only local options are the once-a-month bookmobile and a books by mail program. Neither of these have a great selection of books. At least, not that we want to read.

So, I buy books. Not the cheapest option, even buying used, but thems the breaks.

This is why when I find an author that we like, I buy multiple books by that author. It's a nice feeling to buy a book knowing we're going to like it, rather than just crossing my fingers.

Recently, I have found two authors we like. This is exciting. And I'm going to share them with you. Of course.

There they are.

Okay, I must admit that the Katherine Center books are really just for me. Not that no one else is allowed to read them, but they are most definitely books written for women.

Katherine Center was recommended on a book-related blog I read, and so I looked up her books. As I always do, I read the sample on the Amazon listing to see what the writing was like. Ninety percent of the time, that sample is enough for me to know if it's not worth my time.

This was. I read it in one day. They are somewhat fluffy books, but not stupid. I suppose I like my story lines to be relatively unchallenging, but the writing to be at least somewhat intelligent. Also, I like happy endings.

These books check those boxes for me. There's a few curse words, but nothing too inappropriate otherwise, and she is very good at creating real, sympathetic characters. All of the main characters have some pretty major challenges, but nothing that makes me so sad I can't read them. I have that problem with some other books. If it's too heavy, I just can't.

I've read two of her books so far and bought, um, five more.

It's a long summer, okay?

Next! Howard Frank Mosher. I do not remember how I stumbled upon this author, but I originally bought one of his books for the older boys. The author grew up in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom--which is on the Canadian border, like we used to be--and as far as I can tell sets his books exclusively there. They are essentially character sketches of the sort of people who live in that remote place, as well as an ode to a vanished way of life.

Although I bought the first book for the boys, I read it, too. All of us liked it so much I bought a few more. They are funny, and touching, and very, very real. They remind me a lot of Richard Russo, who writes novels about small-town upstate New York and pretty much nails the people.

This is rarer than you might think, as most authors seem to be urban and that is reflected in their books.

So those are my two most recent discoveries and recommendations.

Tell me: What are you reading right now? Anything you'd recommend?

Book Talk: High School Fiction Part 2

These are the fiction books I bought for the high school library, most of which I have not read. Yet.

A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee--Despite the above disclaimer, I did read this one already. It's about a young girl who becomes part of a female spy agency in Victorian London. Some of the obvious shoehorning of modern attitudes into a historical setting annoyed me a bit, but I still enjoyed it enough that I'd like to read the other three in the series. And I know 14-year-old me would not have cared a bit about those inconsistencies. 

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

The Wishing Day Trilogy by Lauren Myracle

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver--I have read this before, which is why I bought it for the library. Such a good book.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Cosima by Grazia Deledda--A. recommended this book. It's the story of the author's own growing up in rural Sardinia. I read this one already, too, and it was a fascinating glimpse into a place and culture I knew nothing about.

My Antonia and Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather--I love My Antonia. I haven't read Death Comes for the Archbishop yet, but it's set in New Mexico, so I feel like I have to. And I also felt like we really should have it in our school library. So now we do.

And here is a photo of the actual high school library in progress. It's on the stage in the old gym, because that's the only place there was room.

Dune by Frank Herbert--According to A., the greatest science fiction novel of all time. And so of course, I bought it for the library. I got the next three in the series, as well. There are a bunch more, but A. told me the first four are the best, anyway.

Garden Spells and First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen--These were actually my copies that I donated to the school libary. They're easy to read books, with wonderful characters and a sort of overlay of magic that affects the otherwise ordinary lives of those characters.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristof--A science fiction novel told through a series of documents. Cubby read this and really liked it, although he said it was a little disturbing, because it was such a plausible scenario.

Lost on the Prairie--by MaryLou Driedger

The Luck Uglies trilogy--This was recommended a couple of times by Jody here, and I'm looking forward to reading them.

The Machine Stops by E.M. Forester--Another science fiction recommendation from A. He feels about this the way that Cubby felt about Illuminae.

Moon Moth and Other Stories by Jack Vance--And yet another science fiction recommendation from A. He's read a lot of them.

The Night Gardener by Jonathon Auxier

Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong by Prudence Shen

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

The Professional by W.C. Heinz

True Grit by Charles Portis

We Fed Them Cactus by Fabiola Cabeza de Baca--This is the story of the author's childhood growing up only a couple of hours from my own home in New Mexico. She was raised in the traditional Spanish way, but witnessed the beginning of the homesteader era, as well. It's a fascinating book.

A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat

What would you add to this list of high school fiction? Or have you read any of these and would recommend them?

Book Talk: High School Fiction Part 1

Okay! Back to books that are actually physically present in my own home and have been read by at least one member of my family. Part 2 will be the fiction books I bought for the high school library but haven't actually read myself (yet--you know I'm going to be reading most of the books I bought).

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare--This is classified as a children's novel, but the main character is a 16-year-old girl. Children can read it, but I think teenagers would like it, too. I love it, and have read it many times.

Constance, a Story of Early Plymouth by Patricia C. Clapp--This is the imagined diary of the real Constance Hopkins, who was only 14 when she came with her father and stepmother as part of the original settlement of the Plymouth Colony. It's very historically detailed, and supposed to be quite accurate, although I know very little about Plymouth so I can't vouch for that. In fact, all I know about Plymouth I learned from this book, which I have read many times. 

Down the Common: A Year in the Life of A Medieval Woman by Anne Baer--I picked this book up on a whim at my college bookstore and have read it several times in the many intervening years. It's another meticulously researched book that has engaging characters. What I love about it is that although the details of medieval life as obviously particular to the time, the author did a fantastic job of expressing the commonalities of a woman's life through every time period.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden--This book feels so real, it's hard to believe it's actually fiction. I have a copy that I've read many times, and I bought a copy for the high school library.

These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner--Maybe I should have just titled this High School Historical Fiction. I do enjoy good historical fiction. This is good. Excellent, in fact. It is, again, a fictional diary of a real person, a woman who homesteaded in the Tucson area in the 1880s. There are a couple of intense scenes of sexual assault, so I would definitely recommend this for older teenagers, but the overall writing and story are just so engrossing.

The story in the book begins in 1881, which is coincidentally the same year as the shootout at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, AZ. (Okay, so this photo of the kids in the cell near the gallows in Tombstone is a bit of a stretch for illustrating this post, but it was the best I could do.)

Deathwatch by Robb Wright-- A. bought this for the boys. The blurb on the front of this book is, "In the desert without food, clothes, or water and hunted by a madman with a .358 Magnum." This did not spark my interest, but my boys LOOOOVE this book. They've each read it multiple times. And then I found several copies of it in the boxes of books that have been taught in classrooms at the school. It won a mystery award in the 1970s, too, so although I can't personally vouch for it, I think I can safely recommend it.

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank--Written in 1959, this is described as the classic novel of a post-nuclear apocaplyse. Despite the scary subject, the story is actually quite optimistic in its portrayal of how the survivors, well, survive. It doesn't have anything really objectionable in it, either, and both my older boys have read my old copy so many times it fell apart and I bought a new one.

The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green--There are, of course, many versions of the classic Robin Hood story. My boys like this one. It seems to have been first published in the 1950s, and the language is slightly old-fashioned but not unreadable.

I'll stop here. More to come, though!

What would you add to this list of high school fiction?

Book Talk: High School Non-Fiction

I spent a LOT of time last school year researching books to buy for the high school library I almost had to create from nothing. Hours and hours. 

The reason I spent so much time is that high school books are kind of tricky, in my opinion. There are, as with all school ages, a wide variety of reading levels to account for. But mostly, I think it's because of those kids that can read at an adult level, but probably shouldn't be reading all the adult books. There are some topics and content that I don't believe a 14-year-old needs to be encountering quite yet.

So. I spent all that time reading reviews and synopses of every single book I purchased for the high school library. 

It was fun to discover new authors and titles, but it was a bit tedious. And it remains to be seen which titles will be popular, and which won't. 

My own sons have been working on reading some of these books already, but many of them are ones I haven't actually read yet, and neither have they. That means I can't really give personal recommendations for them all. So I think what I'll do is just list what books I chose to buy. Starting with the non-fiction.

Arts

The 15-Minute Artist by Catherine Holmes

How to Draw by Katie Moore (Editor)

Almost Lost Arts by Emily Freidenrich

Fashion Book by DK Publishing

Travel

Moon USA State by State

National Geographic Guide to National Parks of the United States

Abandoned New Mexico by John M. Mulhouse

Adventure

A Time of Gifts: On Foot to Constantinople by Patrick Leigh Fermor

Between the Woods and the Water by Patrick Leigh Fermor

Canoeing with the Cree by Eric Severeid

A Girl's Wanderings in Hungary by H. Ellen Browning

All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat

Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific in a Raft by Thor Heyerdahl

Biography/Memoir

Journey of Crazy Horse: A Lakota History by Joseph M. Marshall III

Samurai Rising: The Epic Life of Minamoto Yoshitsune by Pamela S. Turner

Education of a Wandering Man by Louis L'Amour

Storm of Steel by Ernst Junger

Miscellaneous

97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement by Janet Ziegelman

Beginner Gardening Step by Step by Dorling Kindersley Publishing Staff

Dogs: Working Origins and Traditional Tasks by Mike Loades

Encyclopedia of Warrior Peoples and Fighting Groups by Allen L. Hamilton

A Dog in the Cave: The Wolves Who Made Us Human by Kay Frydenborg

Odin the One-Eyed Dog agrees that humans would be sad creatures indeed without him and his kind.

What would you add to this list of high school non-fiction? Or, have you read and would you recommend any of the above?

Book Talk: The Big Question

I am in an ongoing battle with my children to not leave their books spread open upside down when they're not reading them. Bookmarks, children! Use bookmarks! Especially with giant hardcover books of some age! And no, using ANOTHER BOOK as a bookmark is not a good idea.

This, despite the fact that I remember leaving my own books all over the house when I was a kid/teenager in the damaging position. And I still have some of the paperbacks that have suffered because of it. 

Now that I'm a (completely amateur) librarian who has spent school money on brand-new books, I can definitely see how librarians got the reputation of being draconian about book care.

Anyway.

I always think I should have stacks of bookmarks all over the house so they're conveniently accessible. But then I think that I already have enough random pieces of paper around that can function as bookmarks and actual bookmarks would just join the other flotsam and jetsam that swirls around my house on a regular basis.

And now, for a poll!

How do you mark your place in your book?

A. With a bookmark, like a civilized person.

B. By leaving the book flat open and upside down, like my children.

C. By using your superior brain power and just remembering the page.

D. By turning down the corner of the page you're on.

P.S. Yes yes, I am punking out on an actual list again. I don't know why Saturdays always sneak up on me somehow. I'll do better next week. I hope.

Book Talk: Middle School Fiction--Fantasy

Once again, I am splitting up middle school and high school for this category. The real reason I do this is because I definitely think there are some books that can be read by middle schoolers, but probably shouldn't be. That is, a middle schooler who reads at a high level may have the technical skill and comprehension to read almost anything, but the content is a little too mature for them. 

Fantasy is particularly tricky, because much of it does have some mature content. So these are the books that I think have content that is fine for around 11-13 years old.

The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini--I have no idea why so many fantasty series are called a cycle, but they are. This is a four-book series about a teenage boy who becomes a Dragon Rider and fights the forces of an evil ex-Dragon Rider who is trying to take over their world. My older boys loved these books, and I found them entertaining enough that I read all of them myself. One of the best things about them is that the first one--Eragon--was started by the author when he was only 15 years old, and it was published just a few years later. I feel like this is excellent encouragement for any kid who thinks they might want to write that they don't have to wait until they're grown up. I could tell these books were written by a teenage boy (so. many. battle. scenes.) and by a first-time writer, but they are certainly an extraordinary accomplishment. The author created an incredibly detailed world for the reader to become immersed in. And there is nothing inappropriate in them at all, other than maybe the aforementioned battle scenes. Lots of fighting and blood, but no sex or bad language.

The huge bookshelf my dad made us has enough room for not only many books, but for tiny toy soldier battles. How handy.

Rebel of the Sands trilogy by Alwyn Hamilton--I loved this trilogy, as did my older sons. The hero is an orphaned teenage girl who lives in a place very much modeled on Arabia, and the story has plenty of influence from the folktales of that region. There is magic involved, but it complements the story rather than drives it. I am not a fan of the fantasy genre, so I prefer books like that. There is definitely a romance in it, and there is one scene of consummation in the third book, but it's very tastefully done. The whole series is well-written and well-plotted, and would appeal to both girls and boys. 

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien--This first book that begins the story continued in the Lord of the Rings trilogy is a bit more accessible for younger readers. I think middle school is a good time to introduce it. My sons read the whole series before middle school, but it was definitely a challenge, and I feel like they missed a lot in the story because they were focusing so much on just understanding the actual writing. It really is written at a very high reading level. I think my kids will probably get more out of it when they re-read it at a later age.

The Brotherband Chronicles by John Flanagan--My boys loved this series about a group of teenage boys living in an imagined place called Skandia. The culture is modeled after the Vikings, and the boys are sailors. There's no actual magic in it, but it's still considered fantasy. I read a few chapters of the first book (there are nine in the series), and was not overly impressed with the writing, but my sons devoured this series. This series is a spin-off from a series called Ranger's Apprentice, but for some reason, my boys preferred the Brotherband series.

What would you add to this list of middle school fantasy?

Book Talk: A Question for You

I'll be back next week with a list of middle/high school fantasy books. But in the meantime, I have a question for you: What is your favorite book?

My kids ask me this all the time. This is a very hard question to answer, but I usually say A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, because it is one I consistently re-read, about once a year.

What's yours? 

Book Talk: Middle School Fiction

I decided to split middle school and high school up. Why? Because they're my lists, I suppose.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee--This is one of my own favorite books, and I was sort of surprised when Cubby read it in class in fifth grade. I mean, the main character is a young girl, but I feel like there's just too much going on in the story that would go over the head of an elementary-aged kid. I think middle school is a good time to read this book for the first time. Subsequent re-readings will reveal more and more, but a seventh grader can get plenty out of it on the first reading.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith--Another of my personal favorites. Such a great glimpse into life in early twentieth century Brooklyn tenements. Great characters, too.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain--My boys have a slight preference for Huck Finn, but agreed that readers new to Mark Twain should read Tom Sawyer first.

The Twain fans in one of their favorite environments. (This is our elementary school library, which is just shelves in the entryway. And yes, this small library includes both books recommended above.)

The Winter War by William Durban--A historical novel about a teenage boy who helps fight the Soviets when they invade his home of Finland.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery--I do not love the Anne books as much as I did when I was younger, but I still think everyone should read at least the first one.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen--I didn't put this one on the elementary list because I think some of it is better for middle school. Gary Paulsen's style doesn't always produce a straightforward narrative, and the stuff about the main character's parents' divorce is probably more for older kids. Such a great book, though. One of my favorites when I was a kid, and a favorite of my sons', too.

Bridge To Terabithia by Katherine Paterson--The best book for kids that is almost guaranteed to make them cry. Maybe not the best for very sensitive children, but a great book nonetheless.

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George--I loved this book about an Eskimo girl who must learn to survive on her own. I don't think my sons have read it yet. Must get it for them.

Any Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson--I can't believe I forgot to put this on the list! Any and all of the Calvin and Hobbes comic collections are beloved of my children. And by me, too, although I now find myself identifying more with Calvin's mom than with Calvin. They are surprisingly sophisticated in both language and content, and just very, very funny.

What would you add to this list of middle school fiction?

Book Talk: And Now, for Something Different

I should have a list of middle/high school fantasy here. And I have many things for that list! I just, um, didn't actually write it out yet.

So instead, here are two recommendations for grown ups. And they're both cookbooks. 

The Old World Kitchen: The Rich Tradition of European Peasant Cooking by Elisabeth Luard--I saw this randomly online and ordered it on impulse, despite the fact that it is no longer in print and was fairly expensive. Worth it. It's a giant book--over 500 pages--and has just enough background information and chatty personal experience from the author to make it readable even if I never make any of the recipes. But I probably will try some of them. Cubby's been wanting to try Yorkshire Pudding thanks to James Herriot, and that recipe, along with hundreds more, is in this book.

This is what Jasper thinks of veterinarians. He'd probably enjoy Yorkshire pudding, though.

Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning: Traditional Techniques Using Salt, Oil, Sugar, Alcohol, Vinegar, Drying, Cold Storage, and Lactic Fermentation by The Gardeners and Farmers of Centre Terre Vivant--Woah, that was long. I used to can a lot (some of you may remember end-of-year tally posts), but lately I've gotten more interested in other, older methods of food preservation. I hadn't yet found a really good guide to those methods, however. This is a good one. Centre Terre Vivant (The Living Earth Center) is a French organization (I guess that's the word) that solicited recipes from the readers of their magazine. This book is the collection of those. It's pretty thorough, and definitely has things I have never seen anywhere else, some of which I intend to try.

What would you add to this list of non-mainstream cookbooks?

Book Talk: Modern Elementary Fiction Part 2

Part 2 because I forgot some. And honestly, after every one of these I publish, I remember some I should have put on the list and didn't. So I'll just round up a few books I forgot on the last list, and then move on out of elementary.

May I Please Have a Cookie? by Jennifer E. Morris--This is a Level 1 reader, so for beginning readers. These types of books necessarily have very simple text, and they rely heavily on the illustrations. The illustrations serve a dual purpose: context clues for early readers, and entertainment. This was one that came home from school with my first grader, and I thought it was really well done.

Alfie the alligator schemes to get a cookie.

Hank the Cowdog series by John R. Erickson--I had never heard of these before moving to ranching country, but we have multiple copies of these in our school library. I don't know how widely available they are elsewhere, but they are worth seeking out for kids if you can find them. They are written by a guy who was a working cowboy for most of his adult life, and they're told from the point of view of a cowdog named Hank, who is Head of Security on a ranch (at least, he thinks he is). They're modeled on those old-fashioned private eye novels like Sam Spade, but they're very funny and totally appropriate for all kids. There are like 60+ of them in the series, and I would say they're for something like second or third graders.

Hank would definitely keep a wary eye on these bulls.

Black Ships Before Troy and The Wanderings of Odysseus by Rosemary Sutcliff--The first of these is an abridged version of The Iliad, written in prose instead of verse. The second is the same, but obviously for The Odyssey. Both are beautifully illustrated and bound, and are a good introduction to some great stories for kids that are much more accessible in this format. They're for older elementary, probably fifth grade and up, but they would also be good for middle school or even high school, for kids who aren't ready to read the more-difficult translations of these stories.

Do you have anything else to add to this list of more modern elementary fiction?

Book Talk: Modern Elementary Fiction

"Modern" meaning anything published between 1980 and now. Although probably most of these are still going to be on the older side, because I am not generally very impressed with more-current fiction for children.

Superfudge by Judy Blume--Judy Blume wrote a LOT of books, and I suspect everyone had their own favorite. I always liked this one. 

Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary--I forgot to put this one on the previous list. It was published in 1977, so not very modern, but my favorite of the Ramona books.

Clementine series by Sara Pennypacker--These are for younger kids, probably second or third grade, and the main character is a mischievous little girl named Clementine who gets into all kinds of things. She is very like Ramona Quimby.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman--Definitely not for younger readers. Neil Gaiman's books are, well, weird. This one definitely is, as well as being macabre and perhaps somewhat disturbing for some kids. My boys loved it, and I read it and thought it was a very good book, but it is . . . weird. 

Amelia Bedelia series by Peggy Parish--This could be both old and modern, since the books featuring this character have been published continuously since 1963. I haven't read any of the newer ones written by the original author's nephew (although, in my experience, those sorts of situations usually result in a definite reduction in quality), but the original books are beloved by beginning readers. Amelia Bedelia is just so . . . silly. Younger kids love her, and they're good books for kids who are ready to move beyond leveled readers but aren't quite ready for longer chapter books.

Ranger in Time series by Kate Messner--There are a lot of these books about a time-traveling golden retriever named Ranger. He gets transported to various periods of history and helps children out in different situations like the San Francisco earthquake or a voyage to the South Pole. I've read these aloud with my younger children, and I found the premise a bit forced sometimes, but kids love these, and it's a very good way for them to learn about different historical events.

Jasper says he's just as good as a golden retriever and someone should write a book about him.

I Survived series by various authors--Another history-based series with a ton of books. If not for these, I myself never would have heard of The Great Molasses Flood of 1919. (Yes, it really was molasses, and it happened in Boston.)

With You and Without You by Ann M. Martin--This author is best known for The Babysitters Club series--which I loved as a kid--but I think this book is much better than those. It's about a girl whose dad dies of a terminal illness. The subject makes it very sad, but it is a remarkably sensitive story about a family handling death and grief. She wrote another book about a boy whose brother is autistic (Inside Out) and another one about a girl struggling with dyslexia (Yours Turly, Shirley). I really think Ann M. Martin was way ahead of her time when it came to writing about kids who were mostly not represented in children's fiction at that time. She's just a great author for kids.

Hush by Jacqueline Woodson--For older elementary, probably fourth or fifth grade. I read this and thought it was great. It's about a black girl whose family has to enter a witness protection program after her police officer father testifies against a fellow police officer. It deals with some pretty heavy topics, but it is definitely still a book about and for children. There's nothing inappropriate in it, but it is serious in a way that is rare for children's fiction.

What would you add to this list of modern elementary fiction?

Book Talk: Classic Elementary Fiction Part 2

It's no surprise that this is the largest category of books I'm recommending. It's what I like to read. I'm a classic sort of person, I suppose, for better or worse. 

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame--I have never read this one, but we got a copy from the MiL's friend (thanks, Mary!) and one of my boys has already read it twice. It's about as classic as it gets, and a very gentle sort of story with lots of friendships. It is, however, an old children's book, originally published in 1908, and is a perfect example of the ways in which children's fiction has changed. The sentences are long, with lots of punctuation, so only a quite proficient reader won't get lost in them. Also, the vocabulary is extraordinary, and I would venture to guess that modern adult readers wouldn't know what some of the words mean. So, it is a wonderful book to read aloud with a child who is not yet a very good reader, or a good book for a good young reader who is not yet brainwashed by Captain Underpants.

Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight--Another animal book. This one has been read a few times by the other boy, who is a big fan of dog stories. There are other Lassie books, I think inspired by the popular television series, but this is the original, and the only one written by this author. If you have children sensitive to animals' distress, this one might have some disturbing parts to it, because of course attitudes to animals were very different when this book was written in 1940. Also, it has some vernacular speech in it, so it's probably best for stronger readers.

Jasper says collies are overrated, and why hasn't anyone written a book about a border collie/cur cross? 

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl--What kid wouldn't want to visit Willy Wonka's chocolate factory? I'm not a huge fan of all of Roald Dahl's stories, but this is a great one. And, of course, there's also the fun of getting to watch the movie after reading the book. But ONLY the one with Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. I cannot countenance Johnny Depp as the creepiest Willy Wonka ever. (I've never actually seen that one--I couldn't get past how strange Willy Wonka looked in the ads for it when it came out.)

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor--This is a hard book for kids, I will not lie. It doesn't shy away from describing how difficult life in the segregated deep south was for black people for generations. But there is no denying the truth of it, and this book is very powerfully written. It also has great female characters in it: Cassie, Mama, and Big Ma are all what would now be termed "strong women." And in the tradition of "strong women" of the past, their strength is all directed to keeping their families and communities safe and thriving. 

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan--I recently re-read this book, which I remembered liking as a child. It's written in such simple language that I think it would qualify as a beginning reader's chapter book, but the simple language (and happy ending) does not mean it's a shallow story with shallow characters. It's told from a child's point of view, and I think does a good job representing how children grapple with some pretty heavy things (death, resentment, fear). 

Four-Story Mistake by Elizabeth Enright--I found this book in our school library when I was cataloging everything. I had never heard of this author before, but I loved the book. Remember when I said that I think fantasy is such a popular genre now because it allows for safe children's stories with adventure? Well, this book (published in 1942) has very real children who had adventures simply because children at that time were still given the unsupervised time to have adventures of their own. The adventures in this book start when the family moves from New York City to the country. This is the second of what is referred to as "The Melendy Quartet," (the family's name is Melendy), and there were new editions of all four of the books published in 2008.

The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit--Another book about children who move to the country, but this one has a bit of a darker side, as the children have to move because their father is taken away. The children have all sorts of adventures in their new home, but there is the sadness and mystery of what happened to their father. It does have a happy ending, though.

Okay, I'll stop here. Do you have any more to add to this additional list of classic elementary fiction?

Book Talk: Classic Elementary Fiction

As I mentioned last week, "elementary fiction" is a giant category, so this is another sub-category of it. 

I don't know the actual definition of "classic," but since I now hear songs from my childhood on classic rock stations, I'm gonna go with anything published before I was born in 1979. 

These were some of the most fun books to share with my sons, since many were books I had read myself and loved. One of the lesser known pleasures of parenthood is sharing things with your children that were special to you when you were a child. And for a reader, those things are often books. Like so . . 

The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder--Without question, the most beloved of my childhood favorites. I let Cubby have my old set of them when he was about nine years old, and he's read them all many times already. Jack is getting into them now, too, although I have to read them to him still. One woman's opinion: The best of these is Farmer Boy (so much delicious-sounding food!), and the worst is The First Four Years.

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink--Often compared to the Little House books, which I suppose is inevitable given that the main character is a young girl living in a frontier community.

The Children Who Stayed Alone by Bonnie Bess Worline--Yet another pioneer story about children, this one set on the plains. I clearly had a fascination for this genre as a child. This one has a brother and sister as the main characters.

Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare--And yes, another pioneer story, this one about a boy who is left alone and befriends a boy from the local native tribe. This author wrote several great books, but they'll appear on later lists for older kids.

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White--I have some mixed feelings about this book, just because anthropomorphizing animals is not a great idea for kids like mine who will be eating animals they know. But the appeal of the book is undeniable. It's funny and sweet, well-written, and an excellent read-aloud.

The Black Stallion by Walter Farley--I actually never read this book as a child, but my boys loved it. As has every other child I know who has read it. I know an unusually large number of children who have horses, which may have something to do with it, but the story in the book is just a good one, regardless of whether you're a horse person or not.

Bill says black stallions are overrated, and why hasn't anyone written a book about a buckskin pony yet?

Pooh's Library by A. A. Milne--This four-book set includes Winnie the Pooh, The House at Pooh Corner, When We Were Very Young, and Now We Are Six. The first two are the stories on which the classic movie are based. The last two are collections of poetry. I actually like the poetry better than the stories. The poems are just so spot-on in their depiction of the experience of childhood. They're funny, and well-written, and very fun to read aloud. 

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling--Speaking of classic books made into Disney movies . . . My kids love this book. The book includes more than just the familiar story of Mowgli, the boy raised by wolves. There's one about a white seal, another about an elephant, and, my favorite, "Rikki Tikki Tavi," about a mongoose who saves a family from a pair of cobras.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin--Oh man, this is SUCH a great book. It's a mystery. The characters have to solve a puzzle, and the one who figures it out gets a big fortune. The main character is a precocious 13-year-old girl. The characters are just so well done, and the book is fantastically well-plotted. It's just fun to read, and almost impossible to guess the ending.

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George--An enduringly popular book for good reason: What kid doesn't dream about running away and living alone? There are a couple of sequels, which are entertaining, but not as good as this one.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell--A sort of female equivalent of My Side of the Mountain. It's about a 12-year-old girl who is stranded on an island and has to survive alone.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett--This author wrote a few books I really liked as a kid, but I find most of them to be somewhat off-puttingly sentimental now. The Secret Garden is less so, and much her best book, in large part because Mary Lennox is so refreshingly stubborn. And, of course, there's Dickon, who is one of the greatest children's fiction characters of all time.

My own secret garden, cleverly hidden inside milk jugs.

Great Illustrated Classics, various titles--I suppose a real purist would insist on a kid waiting until he's old enough to read Dickens in the original versions, but honestly, most people never will. I certainly never did. However, this series of books offers a way for kids to enjoy the stories and characters of great classic literature without wading through 18-century language and verbosity. This is a really good option for books like The Swiss Family Robinson that have awesome stories for kids, but are really difficult for a modern young reader to wade through.

I think this list is long enough, so I'm going to leave it here and probably continue it next week.

What would you add to this list of classic elementary fiction?

Book Talk: Elementary Fiction--Fantasy and Fairy Tales

Elementary fiction is a rather ridiculously large category. As we discussed last week, "elementary" spans a big range of ages and reading levels. And "fiction" has so many sub-categories, you could drive yourself crazy trying to classify everything.

So I'm not going to do that. Instead, I'm going to highlight a few more-specific categories of fiction first, and then have a more general list later.

I'm starting with fantasy because that is a HUGE segment of fiction now. I noticed this when I was looking at books for our elementary library. I was never a fan of the fantasy genre, but I really didn't remember them being such a big part of fiction for kids. A. does like fantasy, so I asked him about it, and he said he had noticed something similar. 

My theory is that fantasy is a "safe" genre for children's adventure stories now. The authors can send their characters on these highly entertaining adventures that are entertaining precisely because they are dangerous. But the danger is okay, because it's not real. It's not so upsetting if it's, say, a dragon getting killed rather than a beloved dog, because no kid has ever had a dragon.

I have one kid who is Very Into fantasy, so we tried a lot of books in this category. These are the ones that the other kid who is not so into fantasy read, too, which I take as an endorsement. Almost all of these are series, which is great if you have a voracious reader. 

Most of these are meant for the older end of the "elementary" spectrum. I would say mostly grades 3-6.

Full disclosure: I haven't personally read most of these, because, as I mentioned above, fantasy is not my favorite.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling--People have many, many opinions about Harry Potter. Criticisms may be valid, but so is the praise. It's just an incredibly imagined, carefully plotted series of books, with the whole arc of an epic adventure that makes for a satisfying story. It is also very satisfying for kids to read these giant books--and so many of them! Especially for what are generally termed "reluctant readers," finishing something like this series leads to a great feeling of pride, and might very well overcome that self-identification some kids have of being "not readers." 

Our set was given to me by my mother when the whole series was first released all together in hardcover. I think I was in college. They now live on top of the bookcases on my son's desk, very appropriately topped by these gargoyle bookends he received for Christmas.

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins--By the same author as The Hunger Games series, but this series is geared toward a slightly younger audience. I have read these, and I thought they were fantastic books for kids. Very well-written and entertaining on the surface, but with some impressively sophisticated themes under that entertaining surface. I don't necessarily agree with all of the author's ideas, but within reason, I think it's healthy to sometimes read things that don't reinforce my own views. If you're into reading the same books as your kids and having discussions about those books, this would be a good series for that.

Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland--This is one of those never-ending series of what I suspect is kind of boilerplate characters and plots. They're pushed hard by Scholastic, which always makes me wary, but my older boys love them. I haven't read them, but have glanced through them and I would say the writing isn't great, but the story seems to be captivating. Despite the simplistic writing that seems more appropriate for younger readers, there is quite a lot of dragon violence in them. This doesn't bother my boys at all, but is something to keep in mind if you have sensitive readers. 

City of Orphans Trilogy by Catherine Jinks--I'm not sure how we ended up with this series, though I don't think I would have bought it myself if I had looked into it very closely. The story sounds frankly creepy. It's about children who work as Boglers in Victorian London. Boglers catch Bogles, which are monsters that, um, eat children. Yeah. However! The writing seems pretty good (again, haven't read them myself), and it's an original setting and period for a modern children's series. My older boys loved them and still re-read them, but be aware that the premise might be too much for some kids.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis--I had one child who LOVED these books, and one who didn't so much. They can be found in almost every library system--or even school library--so it's worth letting your kids read it and see what they think.

And in the fairy tale category . . .

The Castle Corona by Sharon Creech--My boys have re-read this book many times. They haven't much liked the other books by this author, but there's something about this one that they really loved. It's a fairy tale, but not so much in the vein of, say, Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella. There are multiple characters' viewpoints represented, and the story is not driven by romance, which pleases my romance-averse boys. 

Beauty by Robin McKinley--My older sister is a huge Robin McKinley fan, and although I was introduced to many authors by my sister whom I still read, I have never cared for Robin McKinley. Except for this book. It's a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast, and I just love it. It's very well-written. The characterization and relationships between characters are great. If you have elementary kids at a higher reading level who want to read more complicated books, but still need content that isn't inappropriate for them, this would be a good candidate. (I will be unforgivably old-fashioned here and say that those kids will probably be girls. Not that boys won't read it, but more girls will probably love it. Because of that romance thing again. As a general rule, stories featuring romance are not so appealing to young boys.)

What would you add to this list of elementary fantasy and fairy tales?

Book Talk: Elementary Non-fiction

One of the things I have learned since becoming our school's completely amateur librarian is that it is very difficult to classify books according to age. It is also not a great idea to do that when it comes to encouraging reading. Particularly in the elementary years, there tends to be a big range of reading levels, as different kids learn at a different pace. Reading levels depend much more on interest and ability than age.

When I labeled the books at school, I made sure not to use the word "beginner" anywhere. If that's the level of students who have been reading for three years, I don't want to discourage them from reading the books that will be appropriate for them to read just because they see that word "beginner" and feel ashamed that they're still reading at that level.

However. 

We're all adults here. I think I can safely use generic terms like "elementary" and you'll all know I mean kids in the range of about the 6-11 years of age. And you'll also know that you may have or know kids who are much younger than that who can enjoy these books, as well as kids who are much older who are in the same position. 

That said, 6 years old to 11 years old often sees a huge jump in reading ability, so even this list will span a pretty big range of reading levels.

Okay! Disclaimers over! On with the list.

Encyclopedia Prehistorica by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart--These are just cool. There are actually three in this series: Dinosaurs, Sharks and Other Sea Monsters, and Mega-Beasts. They are the most complicated and impressive pop-up books I've ever seen. It really is paper art. They have a ton of information in them, too, and dinosaurs are a perenially popular subject with kids. Every child loves these books. The only downside is that the pop-ups are a bit fragile if you have younger kids. 

Fragile maybe, but look how awesome.

The Way Things Work by David Macaulay--A giant book that explains exactly what the title says: the way things work. "Things" in this case being machines, from the most simple (levers) to more complicated (televisions). We have the original 1988 edition. There are a couple of newer editions that cover things like computers, too.

The Story of the World by Susan Wise Bauer--The subtitle of this series is "History for the Classical Child." I'm not entirely sure what a "classical child" is, but I do know this is an impressive set of world history books for young children. There are four volumes, covering the beginning of humans to the end of the twentieth century. Each volume is written at a successively higher reading level, so the first volume is supposed to be for grades 1-4, and the last one is meant for grades 4-8. However, both my older boys read them when they were in second and fourth grades and had no trouble with all four volumes. And there is a LOT of history in them. They are sort of vaguely Christian, I think, and are often used by homeschoolers for that reason, but I didn't notice it to be particularly pronounced. There are activity books for each volume, too, which are actually pretty cool.

The Backyard Birdsong Guide: Audio Field Guide by Donald Kroodsma--The MiL, who used to work at Cornell University and is a birder, bought Cubby this book. It was put together by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. This is more for beginning birders, so maybe older kids can actually read all the very detailed accompanying text, but what has made it very, very popular with all of my children is that there are recordings of all the different bird songs. Each page has corresponding numbers with an accompanying explanation of each call, so you go to that number, press play, and you can listen to the bird's call(s) while looking at an illustration of the bird. It's really neat. We have the edition for Eastern and Central North America. But I discovered when I looked this up just now that there is an edition for Western North America, and you'd better believe I ordered it immediately.

The only book you will ever see me recommend that requires batteries.

A History of US by Joy Hakim--This 10-volume set of U.S. history is an investment, I will not lie. This set was used by the MiL's sister at the private elementary school she founded and ran for over twenty years. The MiL sent the whole set to Cubby a few years ago, and now that I've seen how much the boys love it and how much they have learned from it, I would absolutely shell out the $100 myself for it if we didn't already have it. It's written for older elementary grades or middle school. Both of my older boys have of course been more drawn to the volumes covering various wars, but they have voluntarily read every volume multiple times. If that isn't an endorsement, I don't know what is. History doesn't seem to be taught at the elementary level much in public schools. A., who was a history major in college, finds this a shocking omission. However, between the above-mentioned The Story of the World and A History of US, I'm confident that my older boys now know a lot more history than I do.

DK Eyewitness Books--Many titles, all published by Dorling Kindersley, a British publishing company. If you have a kid who is interested in a particular subject--weapons, kittens, castles, China--get him or her the DK Eyewitness book (look for the U.S. editions if you're in the U.S.) for that subject. They are packed with information, and they feature actual photographs, not lame illustrations. Some of the more modern DK books for kids seem to have succumbed to the plague of dumbing-down that has stricken children's publishing of late, but the Eyewitness series is pretty reliably high-quality.

National Geographic Kids readers--And speaking of dumbing down . . . What has happened with the National Geographic magazine in the last ten or so years is really disappointing. It used to be a high-quality, well-written, and interesting magazine about nature and the world, and now it is . . . not that. But I will say that their numerous leveled books for beginning readers are still worthwhile. They go from Level 1 (preschool) to Level 3 (about second grade) and cover a ton of different natural history topics. Great for kids who want their own book to read when they're just learning. 

What would you add to this list of elementary non-fiction?

Book Talk: Picture Books

Picture books are taking over the world. There are SO MANY picture books for young children. And more all the time, as it seems almost everyone believes they can write picture books.

They can write them. But that doesn't mean they will be good picture books. 

So what makes a good picture book? Good illustrations, obviously. Although that doesn't necessarily mean realistic paintings or whatever. I mean, look at the popularity of, say, Eric Carle's artwork.

Equally important is the language. It has to flow correctly. Good books for young children are easy to read aloud. They have a cadence. Sometimes that means rhyming, but not always. It often does mean repetition, of words or whole sentences.

And last, if it's a story book, it has to be a good, engaging story. You'd think this would be a given, but I have read many picture books for young children with completely random, plotless stories. Yes, even stories for very young children should have a plot. They should also have good characters, conflict, resolutions . . . you know. All the elements an adult expects in a good story, but told in a way that is accessible to children.

With all that in mind, here are some picture books every one of my children has loved, and that I have not minded reading over and over again (an equally important consideration for books meant for non-readers).

Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter--I don't love all of Beatrix Potter's stories, but this one is the best, in my opinion. (Also in my opinion, what they did with that modern movie version featuring smart-talking rabbits was an insult to the book.)

Zorro and Quwi: Tales of a Trickster Guinea Pig by Rebecca Hickox--This book was written by the MiL's friend, who sent us a copy when Calvin was a baby. All my kids have loved this book about a clever guinea pig outwitting the fox who wants to eat it. It's set in Peru, with very colorful illustrations. She also wrote Per and the Dala Horse, which is almost as popular with my kids and has some of the most beautiful illustrations I've ever seen in a children's book.

An illustration from Per and the Dala Horse. So pretty.

Wee Gillis by Munroe Leaf--This book has black-and-white illustrations, which sometimes throws kids who are used to color everything. But they are very detailed illustrations, and it's just a good story. There are some funny illustrations and funny moments. 

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey--Another black-and-white illustrated book that seems to enthrall all children despite its age. What's not to like about eight cute ducklings with rhyming names and policemen who look out for them?

Pooh's Snowy Day by Lauren Cecil--The original A.A. Milne characters in a new picture book that uses the classic illustrations. This is, for lack of a better word, an extremely wholesome book. It's very gently funny, and it has a good message about working together without hitting kids over the head with it.

Russell the Sheep by Robb Scotton--This relatively modern board book about a sheep who tries different ways to fall asleep is the one I always buy for the preschool Christmas book exchange. It's reliably liked by all different children. 

Tom and the Magic Rainbow by Jean Gilder--As far as I can tell, all of this author's books are now out of print, which is a shame. They are available used, though. The artwork in them is wonderful, with lots of detail, and the stories are well-told. We also have Tom Badger Goes Skating, but I think The Magic Rainbow is slightly preferred by my children.

I believe the word "charming" is appropriate here.

Once Upon a Northern Night by Jean E. Pendziwol--A lovely book with text that is more on the side of poetry than prose, but not in a pretentious way. 

Hardscrabble Harvest by Dahlov Ipcar--We have a few books by this author, and I think this one has been my kids' favorite. Each page has a short rhyme with good accompanying illustrations. The text is so memorable that just last week when I saw the chickens in the backyard garden, I quoted from this book, "Chickens in the garden, scratching up the row . . ."  And Cubby, who has probably not read this book in at least five years, finished it with, "Run, farmer, run. Chase them with a hoe."

Cars and Trucks and Things that Go by Richard Scarry--It's pretty hard to go wrong with any Richard Scarry book, but this one has been my children's favorite. So much to look at on every page. It's a very long book, which is something of a problem if you want to quickly read a book to a child because you have other things to do. In that case, you must specify only two pages, or you will be there FOREVER. Still, though, kids do love it, and they can look at the illustrations on their own for quite some time.

The Eclectic Abecedarium by Edward Gorey--A very small book with rhyming couplets for each letter of the alphabet. Children love the small size of the book, the rhyming, and the randomness. For example, the rhyme for "J" is "Don't try to cram the dog with jam."

Myths and Legends of Dragons by Gilles Ragache--This is kind of a picture book, but has a lot more words than most picture books. I have no idea how A. found this book several years ago. It's definitely out of print, and there seem to be very few copies available, but every one of my children has loved this book. It has stories of dragons from around the world, including well-known western legends like St. George and the dragon, as well as eastern legends from China and elsewhere. The illustrations are sometimes kind of bloody, which my children appreciate of course, and the writing is really exceptional for a children's book. It has good vocabulary and a relatively high level of sentence structure, without being confusing.

Animalia by Graeme Base--Alphabet books for kids are a dime a dozen, but this one is extraordinary. The illustrated page for each letter has dozens of things on that page that start with that letter. You can spend several minutes on each page just trying to figure out what everything is. Also, the text for each letter is as alliterative as possible--"Beautiful blue butterflies basking by a babbling brook"--and you know how much I love alliteration. The MiL brought this to us from Blackrock when she was visiting this last time, and I was so pleased to see it. So were the children.

There are other picture books one or the other of my kids has really loved, but this list represents books that all four of my children have asked me to read over and over again. 

What would you add to this list of picture books?

P.S. I didn't add links for these because, if you decide to buy any of these, I want you to find them at whatever place you prefer to buy books. If you are lucky enough to have an actual bookstore near you where you can buy one of these, please do that. For me. Because man, do I miss bookstores.