Children's Books discussion

Of course there's 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up. And we mustn't forget the wonderful body of work by Jim Trelease such as The Read-Aloud Handbook.

What other books are available that give annotated, vetted, and non-partial lists of children's books?

Right now I'm reading A Family of Readers: The Book Lover's Guide to Children's and Young Adult Literature, edited by Roger Sutton and Martha V. Parravano, editors of The Horn Book Magazine. It's not wonderful (a little snobby, not a whole lot of titles) but I'm enjoying it.

The lists we've developed in different threads here in this group are a great resource. Listopia, here on GoodReads, especially those lists developed by Fjola, are also wonderful. In addition, there's 'readers also enjoyed' in the top right corner of most book pages. But I love books about books. Do you?

I like Children's Book-a-Day Almanac. Not only is there a book-a-day suggested, but other historical facts for each day. Pretty good book!

This looks good as a source book of British children's literature, although it supposedly reads like a travel log (and I cannot find my copy, sigh).

How the Heather Looks: A Joyous Journey to the British Sources of Children's Books

Beth Sniffs Books wrote: "Tricia wrote: "I like Children's Book-a-Day Almanac. Not only is there a book-a-day suggested, but other historical facts for each day. Pretty good book!"

This does look very coo..."

Looking at the font it does seem smaller than most, maybe 8 or 10. But I wear glasses and it doesn't seem too small for me.

I have not read these, but they sound promising

Touch Magic: Fantasy, Faerie & Folklore in the Literature of Childhood

The Child That Books Built: A Life in Reading

I like both The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature and the The Cambridge Companion to Children's Literature (although both contain more than just annotated lists of books).

Beth Sniffs Books wrote: "Tricia wrote: "Beth Sniffs Books wrote: "Tricia wrote: "I like Children's Book-a-Day Almanac. Not only is there a book-a-day suggested, but other historical facts for each day. P..."

I looked at the sample and I would say the real text is minutely larger, but not much. They do include a lot of info in each of the book descriptions though.

Beth Sniffs Books wrote: "Tricia,
Thanks for taking the time to look at the sample and give me your input. I think I'm going to skip the Almanac title and go with Silvey's other book, [book:100 Best Books for Children: A Pa..."

Beth, I check the font on the 100 BEST BOOKS (which I also have!) and the font is just about the same as THE ALMANAC. For THE ALMANAC info is given on the author, something about how that book relates to the date, something about the plot synopsis or perhaps the characters, and perhaps for whom the book might be best. The information is well-written and interesting. Had I had this book when I was teaching I probably would have used it every day!

Beth Sniffs Books wrote: "That is odd. On my end the page previews and font size look so different.

Still, I'm more likely going to order 100 BEST rather than the ALMANAC. We are B&N members so if I order 100 Best online ..."

I looked at several of the older children's books and the plot summaries are pretty detailed, explaining what happens even by the end of the stories. So I guess you could say there are spoilers to some degree, but if you really want to know what the book is about, they do give you a detailed explanation.

Beth Sniffs Books wrote: "Well that's a bummer. I was hoping 100 Best Books for Children focused more on the stories behind the stories, just like the blurb says. I'm really looking for a book like that. I gu..."

Have you checked your library? Do you want to borrow my copy? where's your location?

There are so many "best" books. It really is a subjective term, because it depends on the reader as to what they find "great." I would advise you to call your local schools just to see if they can give you an idea of popular children's reading material.

Beth Sniffs Books wrote: "Well that's a bummer. I was hoping 100 Best Books for Children focused more on the stories behind the stories, just like the blurb says. I'm really looking for a book like that. I gu..."

If your local library has either the Cambridge or the Oxford Companion to Children's literature, you should check them out and see if you like them; I found them pretty good, but they do have a bit of a British emphasis (and I actually like that).

Beth Sniffs Books wrote: "Yes, I did see those books mentioned in your message #8 and did add The Cambridge Companion to Children's Literature to one of my want-to-read shelves -- although I am concerned it m..."

It is more of a scholarly book, but I like that (all the Cambridge and Oxford companion books are scholarly, but they are a great resource).

Thank you all for such great suggestions. I especially appreciate that you're suggesting the ones you actually have experience with, because I'm sure there are even more available, but if it's just a random title that none of us has actually seen, knowing about it isn't so helpful.

Also thank you for using the add book/author feature, so we have the handy-dandy list of these titles available at the right rail. I have lots to explore, now!

Nicola, I'm adding that to my list, too, thank you.

Crystal, you're right of course. I'm just looking for myself, and for something more than what's popular or current or canon.

The B&N guide *might* be a little biased, but then again, they're a store, not a publisher, so it's probably fine. I'd just be leery of a list created by Scholastic (for example) - I'd be too concerned they'd leave out wonderful stuff published by competition...

Thanks, Beth, for the mention of the Hamilton website. I usually don't give a hoot about condition, so I go for the very cheapest at half.com, but I will def. check out Hamilton when I want something that I'll be gifting or hoarding.

Another good one, although a bit dated is Valerie & Walter's Best Books for Children: A Lively, Opinionated Guide. It is written by two book store owners, very chatty, good annotations of the books; and the books are divided into age groups.

I just bumped into the title for Mother Goose Comes First: An Annotated Guide to the Best Books and Recordings for Your Preschool Child. Looks cute, but not in my library so I can't investigate.

Beth Sniffs Books wrote: "Beverly wrote: "Another good one, although a bit dated is Valerie & Walter's Best Books for Children: A Lively, Opinionated Guide. It is written by two book store owners, very chatty,..."

You might be able to find a copy in your library. Sorry, I don't know anything about Walter's relationship with the publisher.

I've heard of it more than once, but I still have an unclear idea of what I'd really be reading, were I to pick it up. And of course it would not be non-partial, as Nordstrom was an editor for Harper publishers. It looks kinda interesting, but my library does not have it.

Thanks for that report. I look forward to your review... whenever you write it... I agree this seems like a book that should be savored in bits, over time.

I guess I'm still not understanding what the letters are *about* - what makes them collectible and interesting.... Is she the 'genius,' or is she addressing a creator of children's books?

Thanks for that information! Font size def. matters to me, and books like this are, often, among the worst offenders.

Wild Things! Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature is a lot of fun. I don't agree with everything the authors claim, but learning tidbits about a bunch of our favorite works and creators is enlightening. Some books they discuss are new to me and some of those have been added to my Mt. TBR. The chapter on the two sides of censorship is particularly thoughtful.

There are source notes, a bibliography of sources, and an index. I would also like to see a bibliography of favorite books mentioned - as is I have a lot of book darts marking titles to investigate!

It's not a particularly scholarly book, but a reader who has some familiarity with a range of children's books over time will enjoy it more than a less experienced reader. The font & design in the hardcover I read are easy to read.

Gosh, three more for my to-read lists!

I have read many of these kinds of books and Honey for a Child's Heart: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life might be the best I've seen in terms of a list book with rationale. Trelease is good, but perhaps too inclusive in his recommendations. He also presents some of the research - but that's really only of value to those who aren't already convinced that reading (and reading aloud) is good for kids. Mem Fox's book Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever is somewhat similar. One I really like is Babies Need Books: Sharing the Joy of Books with Children from Birth to Six.

The Child That Books Built: A Life in Reading is a wonderful book. It's kind of an autobiography. I first heard of it on a BBC radio Afternoon Play where the author read excerpts that were enhanced with dramatic effects. Certainly it mentions a number of classic books, but it's not a list book. It really will resonate with an adult who loved reading as a child - probably everyone reading this now.

How the Heather Looks: A Joyous Journey to the British Sources of Children's Books is again not a list book that will give you a whole lot of to-read suggestions, but it's very nice for what it is - an attempt to find the actual geographic inspirations. Another one that is nice (but not listy) is Magic Kingdoms: Discovering the Joys of Childhood Classics with Your Child.

The Eccleshare book is OK. The Family of Readers book was a real disappointment. It should have been so much better.

I like the Townsend book (I own an earlier edition) because he mentions some "current" titles of significance that have been forgotten and because the book isn't limited to U.S. publications. It's a broad history that goes all the way back.

There are two strictly list books that are very hard to find but good. Let the Authors Speak: A Guide to Worthy Books Based on Historical Setting is basically the compiler's spreadsheet printed out several different ways (by level, by century/location, by title, by author, etc. There is some general discussion in the beginning but only the briefest of notes on the individual books. Who Reads What When: Literature Selections For Children Ages Three Through Thirteen doesn't have a specific objective; it's just a lot of good books.

For those who want more context, I suggest Gary D. Schmidt who has a number of relevant books (yes, he's also a Newbery-honor fiction writer). He and Leonard Marcus have done a decent job of covering the history of 20th century children's literature.

Wow, fantastic suggestions! Thank you so much for annotating your list so I can prioritize the books you listed as I add them to my to-read list!

Just discovered www.bartleby.com - don't know anything about it but it looks worthy of notice, at least.

100 Best Books for Children wasn't bad. More useful for those readers less experienced than we are. At least it's available as a nice hardcover with decent readability!

FWIW, I recently read What to Read When: The Books and Stories to Read with Your Child--and All the Best Times to Read Them. Not recommended.

Others too, that I'll mention here later.

Both of Dorothy Neal White's books are excellent. About Books for Children is the first, from 1946, and is more standard, with categories and commentary. The second is Books Before Five (1954) which is very personal, chronicling her daughter's interactions with books over the course of five years. If this were done today it would be a blog. It is absolutely wonderful - great reading for book-minded parents. Both books are from New Zealand, so there are a few titles that will be nigh impossible to track down and read.

Four to Fourteen (I read the second edition from 1956) is another standard book. Kathleen Lines you might know from other books, including Lavender's Blue. This one is Canadian.

Intent Upon Reading and Matters Of Fact; Aspects Of Non Fiction For Children go together. These are from the 1960s and cover fiction and non-fiction. The titles mentioned in the former book are more likely to be around now, but the latter book is more interesting because there haven't been nearly as many guides to this topic. Margery Fisher has really thought things out and uses a variety of subjects as exemplars to make her points. It's not at all some kind of encyclopedia index, but has chapters on Bread, The Postal System, Holland, Honeybees, Cowboys, and Time before moving on to multiple subjects (including London and Atoms) then biography (J.S. Bach, Helen Keller, Abraham Lincoln). The final chapter is Careers (examining Nursing and Journalism). This is a book that ought to be used as a model for additional studies.

Last one for now is Part of the Pattern: A Personal Journey Through the World of Children's Books, 1960-1985. This is a compilation of articles, essays, speeches, author/illustrator profiles, etc. from a well known children's literature critic. Some excellent background material for those who like to go beyond just reading the books.

Terrific, especially for those us who are feeling nostalgic, I bet. Thank you!