Literary Child Blog

Picture Book Review: I Love You More

2007-11-09T15:38:00.000-08:00

I Love You More
Written by Laura Duksta
Illustrated by Karen Keesler

A flip-sided book...like love, it never ends.

I recently received a review copy of this children's picture book. It isn't a story, but rather a conversation between a mother and her son. The question initially posed by the little boy is, "Mommy, just how much do you love me?" His mother replies in rhyme, "I love you higher than the highest bird ever flew. I love you taller than the tallest tree ever grew." She continues with many other sweet comparisons of love.

Yes, there are books similar to this one. However, this story breaks in the middle of the book and you must then turn the book over and continue reading from the other side. The conversation then continues as the mother turns to her son and asks him, "So, just how much do you love me?" And the boy begins, "I love you quieter than the quietest caterpillar ever creeped. I love you further than the furthest frog ever leaped."

The reason I enjoyed this aspect of it so much is because you get to see the difference in comparisons that they make. While the mother compares her feelings of love to ethereal things such as the wind and stars, the boy's comparisons are ones of more tangible, childhood wonders such as lollipops and kites. When the mother asks her son how much he loves her, it creates a wonderful opportunity for him to use his imagination and think creatively. This also adds a richer element to the story, as the loving feelings aren't just one-sided.

There are some picture books where the love is so heartfelt that it brings tears to my eyes, my voice cracks a little as I read aloud, and my children turn from the book to look at me and ask if I'm going to cry. This is one of those books.

Behind this book's creation is the author's personal journey. At the age of 11, Laura Duksta lost all of her hair to Alopecia Areata. For almost 20 years, she wore a wig to hide her baldness. On her 30th birthday, she "came out" as The Bald Chick, finally able to love herself enough fully, and allow others to love her as well. She has channeled this powerful love into her book, where she can now share her message of love with the world. You can learn more about Laura on her website.

After reading the book to my kids, I shared the author's personal story with them. They were very inspired by her and proud of her. They told me how they had wished she hadn't felt the need to hide for so long. I think everyone who reads this book with their children has been given an additional gift... a wonderful opportunity to talk about Laura's powerful message, and importance of self-love and personal worth.

Illustrator Karen Keesler earned the nickname "Hippie" from her love of people and the planet. She enjoys nature, surfing, gardening, yoga and meditation. She's also a vegetarian...as am I, so I happily relate to her compassion for all creatures. She is a professional photographer and illustrator, capturing her love for the world with her art.

This heartwarming picture book presented by "Hippie and The Bald Chick" is one of deep simplicity and highly recommended!

Debuting the week of November 5, 2007, I Love You More is now available in hardcover. You can find it in bookstores and Amazon.com.

Published by Jabberwocky (an imprint of Sourcebooks)

Calla: An inspirational new children's book!

2007-07-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

Kay Earnshaw (editor of Kite magazine) has written and illustrated an inspiring new picture book titled "Calla".

Book summary:
Calla is a little girl who is facing an unsatisfactory situation. The family car is in the shop, so her weekly trip to the library is canceled, leaving her understandably upset. She decides to have a talk with her inner self, and attempts to find her way back to her joyful nature.

Calla uses the principles of Intuitive Listening, the Power of Now, and the Law of Attraction to guide herself out of a bad mood.

Book details:

Paperback
Full color
36 pages
7.5" square
Perfect binding

Copies of Calla are available online at:
Roots With Wings
Lulu

Literary Child July 2007 Book Selection: The Giver

2007-07-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

The Giver
by Lois Lowry

Join us as we begin our July reading selection! And don't miss the accompanying issue of Literary Child, filled with original word puzzles, family activities, games, crafts, recipes and more...all inspired by the book, The Giver!

Summary of the book:
Jonas' world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now it's time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

Winner of the 1994 Newberry Medal

A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book
An American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults
An American Library Association Notable Book for Children
Winner of the Regina Medal
Booklist Editors Choice
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

Literary Child June 2007 Book Selection: Marigold and the Feather of Hope

2007-06-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

The Fairy Chronicles: Marigold and the Feather of Hope, The Journey Begins by J.H. Sweet

Join us as we begin our June reading selection! And don't miss the accompanying issue of Literary Child, filled with original word puzzles, family activities, games, crafts, recipes and more...all inspired by the book, Marigold and the Feather of Hope!

Summary of the book:
Inside you is the power to do anything.

Meet Beth, who's just discovered something incredible...she is a fairy, a marigold fairy, to be exact.

But Beth must learn to be a fairy during an emergency! The Feather of Hope has been lost and Beth must enlist the aid of her dog, Peanut, in a daring mission to rescue it from a house occupied by dangerous gremlins. And if Beth, her new fairy friends and Peanut can't get the Feather back, all hope will be lost...forever.

Excerpt from Sourcebooks Jabberwocky paperback

For more information, visit The Fairy Chronicles online.

Literary Child May 2007 Book Selection: The Little Prince

2007-05-07T20:24:00.000-07:00

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery

Join us as we begin our May reading of one of our favorite book selections! And don't miss the accompanying issue of Literary Child, filled with original word puzzles, family activities, games, crafts, recipes and more...all inspired by the book, The Little Prince!

Summary of the book:
No story is more beloved by children and grown-ups alike than this wise, enchanting fable. One day, the author reminisces, when his plane was forced down in the Sahara, a thousand miles from help, he encountered a most extraordinary small person. "If you please," said the stranger, "draw me a sheep." And thus begins the remarkable history of the Little Prince.

The Little Prince lived alone on a tiny planet no larger than a house. He owned three volcanoes, two active and one extinct. He also owned a flower, unlike any flower in all the galaxy, of great beauty and of inordinate pride. It was this pride that ruined the serenity of the Little Prince's world and started him on the interplanetary travels that brought him to Earth, where he learned, finally, from a fox, the secret of what is really important in life.

There are a few stories that in some way, in some degree, change the world forever for their readers. This is one.

Excerpt from Harcourt paperback.

Literary Child April 2007 Book Selection: Treasure Island

2007-04-06T17:55:00.000-07:00

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Join us as we begin our April reading of this well loved book selection! And don't miss the accompanying issue of Literary Child, filled with original word puzzles, family activities, games, crafts, recipes and more...all inspired by the book Treasure Island!

Summary of the book:
For sheer storytelling delight and pure adventure, Treasure Island has never been surpassed. From young Jim Hawkins's first encounter with the sinister Blind Pew to the climactic battle with the most memorable villain in literature, Long John Silver, this novel has fired readers' imaginations for generations. More than a rousing tale of treachery, greed, and daring, Treasure Island is, in the words of G.K. Chesterton, "the realization of an ideal, that which is promised in its provocative and beckoning map; a vision not only of white skeletons but also green palm trees and sapphire seas." Original and thoroughly engaging, Treasure Island continues to appeal to young and old alike.

Excerpt from Signet Classic paperback, Penguin Putnam Books.
(Originally published in 1883)

Book Review: The Complete Book of Baby Names

2007-03-02T08:07:00.000-08:00

March is the month to celebrate names! The first week of March is "Celebrate Your Name Week". March 7 is "Learn What Your Name Means Day". March 10 is "Middle Name Pride Day". And March 27 is "National 'Joe' Day"...anyone who dislikes their real name can be called "Joe" for the day. (Not sure what people named Joe do on that day if they dislike their name!)

So in honor of this fun Name Month, I have a name book recommendation for you. It's called The Complete Book of Baby Names: The 100,001 Best Baby Names by author Lesley Bolton

This 677 page comprehensive guide to baby names is a fabulous resource featuring 276 fun category lists including names from children's literature, names with great expectations, middle names, unisex names, names that command respect, etc. There are popular names, including twin names (which are good to know, whether you are looking for a well known name, or trying to avoid one!). Popular names are also sorted by country. Aside from the many unusual lists, the bulk of the book is divided between girls and boys names in alphabetical order.

Looking for an international spy name? Lexine may be the name for you. How about an insect name? Try Cicada on for size. Feeling torn between a pirate name or a Muppet name could mean the difference between Avery or Beaker. This book covers practically all. There are so many fabulously interesting lists that I wish I could name them all here.

The Complete Book of Baby Names is such a fun book to thumb through, even if you're not pregnant! Baby name books are obviously geared towards expectant parents, but I find they are also fun for others as well. You can look up the names of your friends and family members to find the meaning behind their names. This book is also great for writers needing to create names to match their characters' personalities!

I thought I'd go through some of the characters in the books chosen for Literary Child last year and share their meanings, according to The Complete Book of Baby Names.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Axel - (German / Latin / Hebrew) Source of life; small oak / axe / peace

Pippi Longstocking
Pippi - (French/English) A friend of horses / a blushing young woman

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Dorothy - (Greek) A gift of God

James and the Giant Peach
James - (Hebrew) Form of Jacob, meaning "he who supplants"

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice - (German) Woman of the nobility; truthful; having high moral character

The Tale of Despereaux
Gregory - (Greek) One who is vigilant; watchful

Black Beauty
Ginger - (English) A lively woman; resembling the spice

The Moorchild
Bess - (English) Form of Elizabeth, meaning "my God is bountiful"

The Adventures of Pinocchio
Antonio - a variation of Anthony - (Latin) A flourishing man; from an ancient Roman family

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Nicodemus - (Greek) The victory of the people

A Christmas Carol
Ebenezer - (Hebrew) The rock of help

I find it so fascinating that the names of so many of the characters actually match their personality traits!

For more information on The Complete Book of Baby Names, please visit the Sourcebooks website.

Literary Child March 2007 Book Selection: Pollyanna

2007-03-01T10:15:00.000-08:00

Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter

Join us as we begin our March reading of this delightful story of optimism! And don't miss the accompanying issue of Literary Child, filled with original word puzzles, family activities, games, crafts, recipes and more...all inspired by the book Pollyanna!

Summary of the book:
Pollyanna, an eleven year old orphan, comes to live with her unhappy and wealthy aunt. Pollyanna knows the secret to finding joy in every situation, even when really bad things happen. From the moment she arrives in Beldingsville, she shares her Glad Game with everyone around her. But the person who needs Pollyanna's help the most doesn't want it.

Literary Child February 2007 Book Selection: Charlotte's Web

2007-01-22T08:31:00.000-08:00

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

Join us as we begin our February reading of this well loved book selection! And don't miss the accompanying issue of Literary Child, filled with original word puzzles, family activities, games, crafts, recipes and more...all inspired by the book Charlotte's Web!

Summary of the book:
This is the story of a little girl named Fern who loved a little pig named Wilbur—and of Wilbur's dear friend Charlotte, a beautiful large grey spider who lived with Wilbur in the barn. With the help of Templeton, the rat who never did anything for anybody unless there was something in it for him, and with a wonderfully clever plan of her own, Charlotte saved the life of Wilbur, who by this time had grown up to be quite some pig. Charlotte's Web is a story of the magic of childhood on the farm. It is also a story of friendship, loyalty, and truth and shows readers that friends come in all shapes and sizes. The beloved story of Charlotte the spider, Wilbur the pig, and Fern, the little girl who understood their language, will continue to delight readers both young and old everywhere for generations to come.

(Book description by Harper Collins.)

Literary Child January Book Selection: Peter Pan

2006-12-29T12:15:00.000-08:00

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Join us as we begin our January reading of this classic book selection! And don't miss the accompanying issue of Literary Child, filled with original word puzzles, family activities, games, crafts, recipes and more...all inspired by the book Peter Pan!

Summary of the book:
"All children, except one, grow up." And so begins the story of one of the most beloved characters in children's literature, Peter Pan. J.M. Barrie's classic tale features a boy who refuses to grow up, Tinker Bell the fairy, and the Darling children - Wendy, John and Michael. Their great adventure begins on the night that Peter flies into the Darling home looking for his shadow and teaches Wendy, John and Michael how to fly with him back to Neverland, where adventures happen every day. The story also includes other enchanting characters and places including Captain Hook and the pirates, Tiger Lily and the indians, the lost boys, Mermaid Lagoon, the crocodile and Never bird.

Literary Child December Book Selection: A Christmas Carol

2006-12-13T12:40:00.000-08:00

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Join us as we begin our December reading of this classic book selection! And don't miss the accompanying issue of Literary Child, filled with original word puzzles, family activities, games, crafts, recipes and more...all inspired by the book A Christmas Carol!

Summary of the book:
Ebenezer Scrooge, a cold and heartless man concerned only with making money, is visited on Christmas Eve by several ghosts. These spirits take him on separate journeys to view his past, present and potential future, in an attempt to help him see the error of his ways. Will Scrooge alter his life to change his dismal fate? Read this classic tale to find out!

Literary Child November Book Selection: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

2006-11-13T13:46:00.000-08:00

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

Join us as we begin our November reading selection! And don't miss the accompanying issue of Literary Child, filled with original word puzzles, family activities, games, crafts, recipes and more...all inspired by the book Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH!

Summary of the book:
Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, must move her family to their summer quarters immediately, or face almost certain death. But her youngest son, Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilemma. Among other adventures, Mrs. Frisby finds herself flying on the back of a crow, slipping sleeping powder into a ferocious cat's dinner dish, and helping 108 brilliant, laboratory-enhanced rats escape to a utopian civilization of their own design.

Literary Child October Book Selection: The Adventures of Pinocchio

2006-10-01T09:09:00.000-07:00

The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
(Alternately titled "Pinocchio")

Join us as we begin our October reading of this classic book selection! And don't miss the accompanying issue of Literary Child, filled with original word puzzles, family activities, games, crafts, recipes and more...all inspired by the book The Adventures of Pinocchio!

Summary of the book:
Once there was a lonely woodcutter named Geppetto - who dreamed of having a boy of his own. So one day he carved a boy out of wood and named him Pinocchio. When the puppet comes to life, it's Geppetto's dream come true. Except Pinocchio turns out to be not such a nice boy after all. Pinocchio enjoys nothing better than creating mischief and playing mean tricks. As he discovers, being bad is much more fun than being good. For a while, anyway. Happily for Pinocchio, he will learn that there is much more to being a real boy than having fun.

Literary Child September Book Selection: The Moorchild

2006-09-15T09:36:00.000-07:00

The Moorchild by Eloise McGraw

Join us as we begin our September reading selection! And don't miss the accompanying issue of Literary Child, filled with original word puzzles, family activities, games, crafts, recipes and more...all inspired by the book The Moorchild!

Summary of the book:
The Moorchild is the story of a young girl named Saaski, half-folk and half-human. When Saaski doesn't meet up to the standards of the Moorfolk, they must get rid of her. The Folk steal a human baby from its home and put Saaski in her place. Unfortunately, Saaski doesn't quite fit in with her new human community either. She is loved by her parents but ostracized by the villagers for being different, and eventually finds out who she really is. She then goes on a quest to find and return her parents' original (human) baby...and then to finally find a place that feels like home.

Literary Child August Book Selection: Black Beauty

2006-07-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

Join us as we begin our August reading selection! And don't miss the accompanying issue of Literary Child, filled with original word puzzles, family activities, games, crafts, recipes and more...all inspired by the book Black Beauty!

Summary of the book:
Every child loves a story about a horse, and Black Beauty remains one of the finest, most touching ever written. Set in Victorian London, the novel follows the shifting fortunes of a horse as he moves from owner to owner, from his idyllic days on a country squire's estate to his harsh fate as a London cab horse. Narrated by the noble Black Beauty himself, this dramatic and heartwarming tale offers an animal’s perspective of the world, and highlights the thoughtless, even cruel treatment animals endured during that period.

Sample Activity from July Issue of Literary Child Magazine

2006-07-16T13:12:00.000-07:00

This month we are reading The Tale of Despereaux by author Kate DiCamillo. The accompanying issue of Literary Child is now available! You can view and print a sample page from the latest issue of Literary Child below:

Sample Activity (Making Music Art) from the July 2006 issue of Literary Child.

Literary Child July Book Selection: The Tale of Despereaux

2006-07-14T07:09:00.000-07:00

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Join us in reading our July book selection! Our family absolutely loved this delightful story! And don't miss the accompanying issue of Literary Child, filled with original word puzzles, family activities, games, crafts, recipes and more...all inspired by the book The Tale of Despereaux!

Summary of the book:
The Tale of Despereaux...being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread: This is the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in darkness but covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl with a simple, impossible wish. These characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and ultimately, into each other’s lives. And what happens then? Reader, it is your destiny to find out.

Sample Word Puzzle From June Issue of Literary Child Magazine

2006-06-01T05:45:00.000-07:00

Today begins the reading of our June book selection, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by author Lewis Carroll. The accompanying issue of Literary Child is now available! You can view and print a sample page from the latest issue of Literary Child below:

Sample Code Puzzle from the June '06 issue of Literary Child.

Literary Child June Book Selection: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

2006-06-01T05:42:00.000-07:00

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Join us as we begin our June reading selection! And don't miss the accompanying issue of Literary Child, filled with original word puzzles, family activities, games, crafts, recipes and more...all inspired by the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland!

Summary of the book:
A timeless adventure of fantasy and nonsense. Alice lives an ordinary life until the day she follows the White Rabbit down, down down a rabbit-hole. She suddenly finds herself in an enchanted world, surrounded by zany creatures like the Mad Hatter, the Duchess, and the Cheshire Cat. Alice is delighted to find that nothing in Wonderland is the least bit ordinary.

Poem: Doris Skips

2006-05-31T10:39:00.000-07:00

Doris Skips
Doris skips,
Dolores prances,
Delia scurries,
Della dances,
Daphne walks,
With queenly grace,
Dolly always
Wins the race,
Darcy marches,
Donna ambles,
Dorothy lopes,
And Dora scrambles.
Almost every
Girl you meet
Has some special way
With feet.

~Leland B. Jacobs

Book Review: Silk Umbrellas

2006-05-30T05:43:00.000-07:00

Silk Umbrellas
By Carolyn Marsden

This is one of the many chapter books I’ve read recently while researching titles for upcoming Literary Child issues. I had never heard of the title before, but happened to pull it off the library shelf, and I’m glad I did. I loved this book, so I thought I’d take a moment to recommend it.

Silk Umbrellas is a beautiful story set in Thailand about a young girl named Noi who has a passion for painting, learned from her aging grandmother.

The family’s financial struggles send Noi’s older sister to a job in a radio factory, working long, tiring and monotonous hours. Noi desperately fears the same fate awaits her, when all she yearns to do is paint silk umbrellas, receiving her inspiration from the wildlife and beauty that surrounds her jungle home.

Noi must either resign herself to her dreary fate…or gain enough faith in her gift to make money for her family using her talents and following her passion. But is her art good enough to sell? And does she have the courage to find out? Courage like that is hard to muster at such a young age.

Silk Umbrellas is a sweet and inspiring story and suitable for children of any age!

Word of the Week: gingerly

2006-05-29T06:49:00.000-07:00

gingerly
adverb
Dictionary: in a careful or cautious manner.
Thesaurus: cautiously, carefully, charily, tentatively, warily.

adjective
Dictionary: showing great care or caution.
Thesaurus: careful, cautious, wary, chary, tentative, timid.

My 6 year old son says: "I pick up a tarantula gingerly."

Borrowed Books: Week 2

2006-05-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

The kids' borrowed books this week:

Non-Fiction and Chapter Books
Whales
World’s Weirdest Dinosaurs
Triassic Dinosaur World
Be an Animal Detective
Sea Monsters of Long Ago
Spiders and Their Web Sites
A Field Guide to Spiders and Scorpions of Texas
The Good, the Bad and the Goofy (A Time Warp Trio Book)
Polar Bears Past Bedtime (A Magic Tree House Book)
Buffalo Before Breakfast (A Magic Tree House Book)

Picture Books
Daisy-head Mayzie
Monster Mama
I Miss You, Stinky Face
The Keeping Quilt
The Name Quilt
The Twelve Dancing Princesses
If I Were Queen of the World
Each Living Thing
A Porcupine Named Fluffy
The Very Bad Bunny
One to Ten and Down Again

Books on CD
Anne of Green Gables

VHS
William’s Wish Wellingtons
Amazing North America (National Geographic “Really Wild Animals”)
The Pebble and the Penguin
101 Dalmatians
Bambi

Poem: Be Glad Your Nose is on Your Face

2006-05-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

Be Glad Your Nose is on Your Face
Be glad your nose is on your face,
not pasted on some other place,
for if it were where it is not,
you might dislike your nose a lot.

Imagine if your precious nose
were sandwiched in between your toes,
that clearly would not be a treat,
for you’d be forced to smell your feet.

Your nose would be a source of dread
were it attached atop your head,
it soon would drive you to despair,
forever tickled by your hair.

Within your ear, your nose would be
an absolute catastrophe,
for when you were obliged to sneeze,
your brain would rattle from the breeze.

Your nose, instead, through thick and thin,
remains between your eyes and chin,
not pasted on some other place-
be glad your nose is on your face!

~Jack Prelutsky

Picture Book Review: Rabbit Stew

2006-05-21T06:08:00.000-07:00

Rabbit Stew
Rabbits are sneaking into the dog's garden and eating all of his vegetables! So the dog catches them all and gets ready to make himself a nice rabbit stew. But those clever rabbits have a few tricks up their sleeves!

Being a vegetarian, this title really stood out for me at the bookstore. I picked it up and first examined the cover. There was an illustration of a confused dog looking at a cookbook and three very much alive rabbits in a pot on a counter surrounded by vegetables. I quickly flipped through the book and decided it was a must-have for our family because the story ultimately rings very true...the very best rabbit stew is the kind without rabbits in it!

Rabbit Stew, written by author Donna Kosov, is available at Amazon right now for only a penny!! :)

Word of the Week: frolic

2006-05-20T06:55:00.000-07:00

frolic
verb
Dictionary: play cheerfully
Thesaurus: frisk, caper, skylark, gambol, rollick, romp, play, skip, sport

noun
Dictionary: cheerful play, merriment
Thesaurus: merrymaking, gaiety, sport, fun (and games)

And now my son uses it in a sentence:

6 year old son: "I hate to frolic because I like to play rough!"

Borrowed Books

2006-05-19T06:42:00.000-07:00

These are the books my kids picked out at the library this week...I'm going to have to implement an "if your bag is too heavy for you to carry it, you have too many books" rule because my shoulders are taking some weekly library abuse!

BOOKS:
(Non-Fiction and Chapter Books)
Does God Have a Big Toe?
Endangered Animals
Kids Can Save the Animals!
Animals in Danger
I Wonder Why the Dodo is Dead
Tongues and Tails
Curious Creatures: Strange Nature
Curious Creatures: Mistaken Identity
Curious Creatures: Making Contact
Prehistoric Life
Insects
Pirates Past Noon (A Magic Tree House Book)
Lions at Lunchtime (A Magic Tree House Book)
Knights of the Kitchen Table (A Time Warp Trio Book)
The Not So Jolly Roger (A Time Warp Trio Book)
The Little White Horse

Picture Books:
Cat Games
Over and Over
Amelia Bedelia and the Baby
Truelove
Grand Hotel
Noah's Ark
Eloise at Christmastime
Christmas Cookies
The Night Before Christmas
(Don't ask me what's with all the Christmas books...they weren't even filed together!)

STORIES ON CD:
Magic Tree House Collection: Books 33-35
Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf

VHS:
Totally Tropical Rain Forest
Aladdin
Rascal
Rose Petal Place
MUZZY*

*I found the Spanish Muzzy system and was SO excited...but when we got it home, I was dismayed to find out that inside was the first half of Level 2, and the second half of Level 1...so it was pretty much useless. Whoever donated it to the library must have mixed up the tapes unknkowingly.

I also borrowed 10 chapter books for research on upcoming issues of Literary Child. I found July's book selection, and I'm so excited...we LOVE it!! So stay tuned....

Prize Drawing!

2006-04-15T14:35:00.000-07:00

Win a FREE issue of Literary Child!

Anyone who orders an issue of Literary Child (or signs up for a subscription) between April 15 - May 31 will be automatically entered into the prize drawing! A winner will be chosen at random and announced in our June newsletter. Winner may choose any back, current or future issue of their liking.

Don't get our newsletter yet? Sign up here! It's free.

Good luck!!

Whoops!

2006-04-08T15:28:00.000-07:00

I was filing my son's pages of Literary Child away the other day and noticed that the April issue was sporting March's date in the footer. So there are some of you who received the issue before I corrected the mistake. So sorry! Not a big deal, I know, but I thought I should acknowledge my mistake for those of you who might be confused!

Poem: Bed in Summer

2006-04-05T07:26:00.000-07:00

Although it just turned Spring, and this poem is about Summer, the time change last weekend has altered bedtime around here and this poem keeps coming to mind!

Bed in Summer
In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer, quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day

I have to go to bed and see
The birds still hopping on the tree,
Or hear the grown-up people's feet
Still going past me in the street.

And does it not seem hard to you,
When all the sky is clear and blue,
And I should like so much to play,
To have to go to bed by day?

Robert Louis Stevenson

Word of the Week: eschew

2006-04-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

eschew
verb
Dictionary: avoid, abstain from, stay away from, stay clear of, shun.

And now my kids use it in a sentence:

6 year old son: "I eschew ghosts. And strangers."

3 year old daughter: "I eschew stickers* because they hurt me, and monsters."

*Stickers used here doesn’t mean “adhesive labels” but rather something found outdoors...tiny round things with sharp spikes all around them that attach to your clothing when you’re walking in the country. They hurt.

And now for my favorite use of the word "eschew". I think my all-time favorite bumper sticker was one I saw many years ago. It simply read: Eschew Obfuscation. I thought that was pretty clever and humorous.

Word of the Week: drivel

2006-03-28T08:34:00.000-08:00

drivel
noun
Dictionary: 1. silly nonsense. senseless or childish talk. 2. saliva, slobber or drool flowing from the mouth.
Thesaurus: 1. gibberish, rubbish, babble, blather, gobbledygook, hogwash, hoey, jabber, poppycock 2. dribble

When used as a verb:
1. to talk nonsense
2. to drool

And now our 6 year old uses the first meaning of the word in a sentence:

“I was walking down the road talking drivel. Eyeball, kyeball, wyeball, syeball.”

Poem: The Reading Mother

2006-03-26T05:45:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorites...

The Reading Mother
I had a mother who read to me
Sagas of pirates who scoured the sea,
Cutlasses clenched in their yellow teeth,
"Blackbirds" stowed in the hold beneath.

I had a Mother who read me lays
Of ancient and gallant and golden days;
Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe,
Which every boy has a right to know.

I had a Mother who read me tales
Of Gelert the hound of the hills of Wales,
True to his trust till his tragic death,
Faithfulness blent with his final breath.

I had a Mother who read me the things
That wholesome life to the boy heart brings —
Stories that stir with an upward touch,
Oh, that each mother of boys were such!

You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be —
I had a Mother who read to me.

~ Strickland Gillilan

Silver Shoes and Ruby Slippers

2006-03-22T12:44:00.000-08:00

There are many differences between the novel and movie versions of The Wizard of Oz. For some reason the one that stands out most for me is the silver shoes in the novel versus the ruby red slippers in the movie version. My mom says the ruby slippers were most likely designed for the movie to compliment the new wonderment of the early Technicolor movies, which makes perfect sense.

Here’s my problem. The copy of the novel I bought has an illustration of red shoes on the cover. Red shoes on the cover. Of. The. Book. To be clear, this is not one of those covers that are designed to compliment the movie version, which would then make the red shoes on the cover understandable. No, this is just a regular book cover highlighting something that is not in the novel. I don’t know why this bothers me so, but it does.

If you haven’t already, make sure you pick up your copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and join us in our April reading selection. (If the only copy available is the one with red shoes, go ahead and buy it anyway! I wouldn’t let the flaw in judgment on the illustrator’s part cloud my desire to read this fabulous book!!)

Word of the Week: cache

2006-03-19T11:33:00.000-08:00

cache (pronounced: /kash/)
noun
Dictionary: 1. a safekeeping or hiding place for treasure, provisions, valuables, etc. 2. what is hidden in a cache.
Thesaurus: 1. hole, vault, repository, stash. 2. store, hoard, supply, reserve, stock, fund.

verb
Dictionary: put in a cache.
Thesaurus: hide, store, conceal, hoard, put or stash away.

And now our 6 year old uses it in a sentence:

"One day I had cash and I hid my cash in my cache."

And then after learning it's also a verb...

"I want to cache my cash in my cache."

Poem: If You Ever

2006-03-15T13:10:00.000-08:00

This is a silly poem that my kids like to recite. It is taken from the book "Poems for the Very Young", selected by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Bob Graham.

If You Ever
If you ever ever ever ever ever
If you ever ever ever meet a whale
You must never never never never never
You must never never never touch its tail:
For if you ever ever ever ever ever
If you ever ever ever touch its tail,
You will never never never never never
You will never never meet another whale.

~Anon

Word of the Week: Bequeath

2006-03-13T09:48:00.000-08:00

Bequeath
Verb
Dictionary: Leave (a personal estate) to a person by a will. Give. Hand down to posterity (heirs, offspring).
Thesaurus: will, pass on, hand down or on.

My 6 year old son will now use "bequeath" in a sentence:

"When I die, I'll bequeath my cowboy hat to my sister."

Word of the Week: Atrocious

2006-02-27T06:58:00.000-08:00

I have found that when my kids learn a new word, it comes up many times throughout the next few days. Having a daily vocabulary word is too much of a commitment for me, so I’m going to shoot for a word of the week, to give it time to be absorbed into our everyday vocabularies. I’ll share them here on this blog, as it relates to being a “Literary Child”. Just so that there’s some semblance of order, I’ll go alphabetically from A-Z.

Atrocious

Adjective
Dictionary: Very bad or unpleasant. Extremely savage or wicked. Shockingly brutal or cruel.
Thesaurus: disagreeable, horrible, objectionable, woeful, horrendous, cruel, iniquitous, villainous, fiendish, monstrous, inhuman.

Of course no new word is complete without using it in a sentence. That’s always the best part. So I think I’ll give the pleasure of that responsibility to my 5 year old son every week. Before I explained the word to him, I asked if he knew what atrocious meant, and to my complete surprise, he did! He answered, “Atrocious means, like, vicious, mean...terrifying.” I asked him to give me some examples and here’s what he came up with:

“Somebody who took a match and put a fire on the match, then put the fire on somebody’s butt and burned them. That’s atrocious.

If someone took your Bible and ripped it into pieces, that would be atrocious.

If a dinosaur killed a person, then that would be vicious and atrocious.”

Bonus Related Word: (Basically “atrocious” in its noun form)
Atrocity
Noun
Dictionary: Extremely evil or cruel act. Extreme wickedness.
Thesaurus: outrage, crime, villainy, offense, violation, evil, enormity, iniquity, infamy, cruelty, heinousness.

Book Review: Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons

2006-02-20T10:32:00.000-08:00

I can review this book in two words: Buy It. But I will elaborate just a bit. This book teaches your child how to read and write using the Distar method. This book is nearly perfect. It’s simple and easy to follow. They literally tell you the exact words to say during each lesson. The authors say it takes 20 minutes a day, and within 100 days your child will be reading on a solid second-grade level. We have found it usually takes even less time than that.

Why I say the book is nearly perfect: The only objection I have is regarding some of their choices in words to use as examples. There are plenty of words in this world that would fulfill the needs of learning particular sounds put together...why they have to have the kids sound out the words “gun”, “shoot”, and “hunt” is beyond me. Both of my kids, individually, have made a sad face as those words came up, and we moved on. It was a small price to pay for such a quality teaching tool.

My son learned to read at 4 and my daughter is reading at 3 years of age, as we are working our way through the book with her. I would not recommend to everyone that those are the ages to start a child reading. In my opinion, those are very early ages. However, I believe in child-led learning. I allow my children to learn what they want, when they want, according to their desires and passions. That being said, the two ages I mentioned above are the times when my kids came to me on their own, requesting to be taught to read. Both times I used this book, and both times have met with unwavering success. With my son, we didn’t even finish the book, we stopped about 10 lessons short of 100. (The last few lessons seemed unnecessary to us.) Now he’s five years old and reading on a 4th grade level.

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, by Siegfried Engelmann (and Phyllis Haddox and Elaine Bruner), is a book I can recommend with much enthusiasm. I can’t remember how I first learned about this book, but I’m certainly glad I found it. Teaching a child to read can be a daunting concept. Much rides on a child’s ability to read, and being the one to teach such an important skill is a large responsibility. I am very grateful for the authors of this book for making the process painless, effective and fun!

The Birth of Literary Child

2006-02-19T11:38:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time there was a lazy mama. Well maybe not so much lazy, but a mama who loves her sleep. The kids would wake up at an ungodly hour of the morning and want to start their day. I wanted to remain in bed as long as possible. I began creating code puzzles for my then-4-year-old son to entertain himself with in the morning to give me a little more slumber. Even if for only ten more minutes...every second counts when you’re laying in a cozy bed.

So every evening I’d crank out a puzzle (the ones where “ 1=A, 2=B, 3=C, etc., and you have to substitute the numbers with letters to decode the sentence.) I started out using numbers, then graduated to symbols. I’d leave it on the table for him to find when he got up. My son was so excited every morning to get his new puzzle. He’d come in and wake me up after he’d finished it, so happy with his “present” that I’d left him! I was happy for the extra sleep. Everyone was happy.

As unschoolers, we don’t follow any sort of curriculum or schedule, but we do a lot of reading. My son learned to read at 4 and my daughter is reading at 3. (The kids learn according to their own interests and passions, and I never suggested learning to read at those early ages. They both came to me, each at their own time, asking to be taught.) My son is rarely without a book in his hands. I wanted to encourage his love for reading with fun exercises, so I soon expanded the homemade puzzles to include word searches and silly fill-in-the-blanks stories. Then came the logic problems and “uncoloring” pages. One by one, new activities were being created.

I was soon running out of theme ideas. There are only so many pirate and insect words I could come up with! So I came up with the idea of incorporating the word games with the literature we were reading. (My son reads on his own all day, but at night I read to the children aloud from a chapter book.) So I started making the word puzzles to go along with whatever we were reading at the time. It soon graduated to include other activities, crafts, games, recipes, and any other ideas I could come up with..letting the inspiration come from the books themselves. Again, a big hit! The kids seemed to love tying the activities we were doing in with the stories we were reading at night. And anything I can do to encourage the love of reading in my children is well worth the time! (And yes, it did turn out to be more time consuming than I had expected!)

For awhile, I had been interested in creating a children’s reading club after searching online and not finding much. I finally decided to start one, and along with selecting a book recommendation to read each month, I would also offer the activities our family had been enjoying. I figured if my kids loved them, it was likely other families would as well! I wanted to keep the reading selections mixed up a little, thus the reason for alternating between the classics and contemporary literature. Some of the selections are above my kids' reading level, and those I read to them aloud. But others, like Literary Child's second book selection, "Pippi Longstocking", have been read aloud (to me and my other kids) by my 5 year old son. And sometimes he and I alternate, taking turns reading (either pages or chapters, whatever my son wants).

I wish I could end this story by telling you how I now get to sleep in everyday. Unfortunately, my 2 year old wakes up earlier than ever. She doesn’t seem to understand that you’re not supposed to get up before the sun does. She’s very lucky that she is astonishingly adorable.

So ends the story of how Literary Child was born. (Everyone, of course, lives happily ever after.)

The End

What Is Your Favorite Children's Novel?

2006-02-13T12:24:00.000-08:00

Do you have an all-time favorite children's novel? Of course you do! Everyone does! If you'd like to see your favorite featured as the theme of an issue of Literary Child, let us know! Send your suggested book selection (and the reasons why it's so fabulous) to: info@literarychild.com and we'll check it out!

Your favorite could be next on our reading list, and a potential candidate for all the frolicking good times had in Literary Child magazine! (Please send only recommendations for chapter books...no picture books please.)

Happy Birthday, Jules Verne (and other tidbits)!

2006-02-07T08:42:00.000-08:00

Today is the anniversary of Jules Verne's birthday. He was born on February 8, 1828. Reading up on the author of this month's book selection, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, I found a few other interesting tidbits I thought I'd share.

Twenty years before his death, Verne's nephew went mad and shot him in the leg! The story goes that the nephew asked for travelling money and when Verne refused him, he fired two shots, laming Verne for life. The wound pained him for the remainder of his life. (He eventually died of "old age" or complications due to diabetes.)

When he was eleven years old, he tried to run away to sea. Upon his return, he vowed to his mother that from then on he would only travel in his imagination. And that he did, writing many adventurous novels.

He married a widow (with two children of her own) and later had a child with her.

He is said to be the originator of "science fiction".

There is a restaurant named for him. Jules Verne Restaurant, located in the Eiffel Towel in Paris, France! It is a popular tourist spot and used for many movie settings.

Jules Verne also did quite a bit of travelling in his lifetime, and seems to have had an extremely intellectual and adventurous imagination.

Professor Lidenbrock vs. Hardwigg

2006-02-01T07:54:00.000-08:00

It wasn't until after we finished reading Journey to the Centre of the Earth and I started doing some research online that I realized there are two versions of the book. The translation we have features Axel, his uncle Otto Lidenbrock and Grauben. In the other version their names are translated to Henry (or Harry), Professor Hardwigg and Gretchen. And I believe the first chapter reads differently as well.

So where names are mentioned in the current issue of Literary Child, the names Axel, Otto Lidenbrock and Grauben are used. From what I've read, those are the German names that the author originally used, and is the more authentic version of the book.

I also wanted to recommend that you read an unabridged version of the book. I picked up a copy that was adapted for younger children, and it definitely dumbed down the literature and left out a lot of the content as well.

Bookshelf

2006-01-31T09:06:00.000-08:00

This is the list of children's books that live in our bookshelves:

Non-Fiction
100 Things You Should Know About Insects & Spiders, Steve Parker

A Guide to Dinosaurs, Michael K. Brett-Surman

Alligators; Life in the Wild, Monica Kulling

Amazing World of Ants, Francene Sabin

Book of Mammals; Volume Two (K-Z), National Geographic

Bugs, Rosie Dickins (an Usborne Discovery Internet-Linked Book)

BUGS; A Close-Up View of the Insect World, Chris Maynard

Cats, David Alderton

Cool Card Tricks and Games, Backpack Books

Coral Reef, Barbara Taylor & Jane Burton

Creepy Crawlies, Rebecca Flatman

Creepy Crawlies, Mandy Ross

Dangerous Animals, Discoveries

Dem Bones, Bob Barner

Dinosaur Days, Joyce Milton

Eye Wonder: Bugs, Dorling Kindersley

Eye Wonder: Rain Forest, Elinor Greenwood

Grossology and You; Really Gross Things About Your Body, Sylvia Branzei

I Can Read About: FOSSILS, John Howard

I Can Read About: INSECTS, Deborah Merrians

I Can Read About: SEASONS, Robyn Supraner

INSECTS (National Geographic: My First Pocket Guide), Daniel J. Bickel

Insects and Spiders, Discoveries

Insects and Spiders (with 3-D viewer & stereographic cards), Dennis Bockus and Simon M. Bell

Knights, Julek Heller & Deirdre Headon

Know-It-Alls Treasury of Animals and Nature, Jay Johnson

My First Book of Animals, Monica Harris

My First Book of Sign Language, Joan Holub

My First Dictionary, Susan Miller

Nature in America; Your A-Z Guide to Our Country’s Animals, Plants, Landforms & Other Natural Features, Reader’s Digest

National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects & Spiders, Lorus & Margery Milne

National Audubon Society Pocket Guide: Familiar Butterflies of North America

Now I Know What Makes the Weather, Janet Palazzo

Reptiles, Discoveries

Simon & Schuster Children’s Guide to Insects and Spiders, Jinny Johnson

Simon & Schuster Children’s Guide to Sea Creatures, Jinny Johnson

Spiders, Quantum Books

Sticker Stories; BUGS, Sonja Lamut

Texas Snakes; A Field Guide, James R. Dixon and John E. Werler

The Big Book of Knights and Castles, Barbara Weisberg

The Encyclopedia of North American Animals, Bryan Richard

The Great American Presidents Sticker Book, Caroline Repchuk

The Kingfisher First Human Body Encyclopedia, Richard Walker

The Ultimate Guide to Snakes & Reptiles, Derek Hall

The Ultimate Spiders Sticker Book, David John and Selina Wood

The Zoo Garden; 40 Animal-Named Plants Kids Can Grow Themselves, Chris Hastings

Totally Amazing Spiders, Christine Morley

Trains, Seymour Reit

Uncover The Human Body (Book/Model), Luann Colombo

Under the Sea, Discoveries

What Lives Under the Carpet?, John Woodward

Wild Baby Animals, Karen Wallace

Wild, Wild World (Questions and Answers), Anita Ganeri, Clare Oliver, & Denny Robson

Picture Books
Dr. Seuss:

Dr. Suess’s Sleep Book

Happy Birthday to You!

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish

The Lorax

The Sneetches and Other Stories

There’s a Wocket in my Pocket

Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories

Other Authors:

1+1 Take Away Two!, Michael Berenstain

10 Little Rubber Ducks, Eric Carle

A Color of His Own, Leo Lionni

A Fly Went By, Mike McClintock

Aaaarrgghh! Spider!, Lydia Monks

Alice in Wonderland Meets the White Rabbit, adapted by Walt Disney from Lewis Carroll’s story

Apple Dumplin’s Day, Monique Z. Stephens

Best Book of Pooh, Ever (Book & CD), Laura Gates Galvin

Bubble Bath Pirates!, Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Bugs Bunny’s Carrot Machine, Clark Carlisle

Can You See What I See?, Walter Wick

Caps For Sale; The Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys & Their Monkey Business, Esphyr Slobodkina

Catching the Wild Waiyuuzee, Rita Williams-Garcia

Choo Choo; The Story of a Little Engine Who Ran Away, Virginia Lee Burton

Chubby Engine, (A Little Simon Book)

Danny and the Dinosaur, Syd Hoff

Diary of a Spider, Doreen Cronin

Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too?, Eric Carle

Dora the Explorer: A Day at the Beach, Lauryn Silverhardt

Dora the Explorer: Dora Goes for a Ride, Phoebe Beinstein

Dora the Explorer: What Will I Be?, Phoebe Beinstein

Each Peach Pear Plum, Janet and Allan Ahlberg

Edward and the Pirates, David McPhail

Eloise, Kay Thompson

Everybody Needs a Rock, Byrd Baylor

Forest Friends’ Five Senses, Cristina Garelli

From Head to Toe, Eric Carle

Go, Train, Go!, based on The Railway Series by The Reverend W. Awdry

Good Morning Book

Good Night Book

Goodnight Moon, Margaret Wise Brown

High in the Clouds, Paul McCartney, Geoff Dunbar, and Philip Ardagh

How I Became a Pirate, David Shannon

I Like Books, Anthony Browne

I Like You, Sandol Stoddard Warburg

I Love You As Much…, Laura Krauss Melmed

I Love You When…, John Edward Hasse

If I Found a Wistful Unicorn; A Gift of Love, Ann Ashford

I’m Made of Mama’s Milk, Mary Olsen

It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny, Marilyn Sadler

It’s The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown, Charles M. Schulz

Jonathan Small and Elizabeth Blue; A Friendship Story, Dean Walley

Just Follow Me, Phoebe Erickson

Kitten’s First Full Moon, Kevin Henkes

Lamont the Lonely Monster, Dean Walley

Lentil, Robert McCloskey

Little Bear, Else Holmelund Minarik

Little Toot, Hardie Gramatky

Love and Kisses, Sarah Wilson

Lyle and the Birthday Party, Bernard Waber

Mama, Do You Love Me?, Barbara M. Joosse

Mama Means Milk, Anne Marie Myers

Masquerade, Kit Williams

Millions of Cats, Wanda Ga’g

My Cousin Has Eight Legs!, Jasper Tomkins

My Mom, Anthony Browne

My Mother Gave Me The Moon, Patrick Regan

No Matter What, Debi Gliori

OH!, Josse Goffin

One Hundred Hungry Ants, Elinor J. Pinczes

Pa Grape’s Shapes, Phil Vischer

Patrick’s Dinosaurs, Carol Carrick

Play With Me, Marie Hall Ets

Rabbit Stew, Donna Kosow

Silly Tilly’s Thanksgiving Dinner, Lillian Hoban

Sleepytime Rhyme, Remy Charlip

Sophie’s Castle, Heather F. Levine

Spiders, Crabs, and Creepy Crawlers; Two African Folktales, Kathleen Arnott

Spooky Spider, A Snuggle Book

Stranger in the Woods, Carl R. Sams II and Jean Stoick

Strega Nona, Tomie dePaola

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, William Steig

Tell Me Some More…, Crosby Newell Bonsall

Thank You, Pooh!, Ronne Randall

The Berenstains’ B Book, Stanley and Janice Berenstain

The Cow That Went OINK, Bernard Most

The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin, Margaret Wise Brown

The Grouchy Ladybug, Eric Carle

The Lady and the Spider, Faith McNulty

The Lamb and the Butterfly, Arnold Sundgaard

The Little Engine That Could, Watty Piper

The Monster at the End of This Book; Starring Lovable, Furry Old Grover, Jon Stone

The Shark Who Learned a Lesson, Gill McBarnet

The Truth About Cats, Alan Snow

The Very Busy Spider, Eric Carle

The Very Quiet Cricket, Eric Carle

The Very Special Valentine, Maggie Kneen

The Water Hole, Graeme Base

The Way I Feel, Janan Cain

The Whispering Rabbit and Other Stories, Margaret Wise Brown

The Witches’ Party and Other Scary Stories, Caroline Repchuk and Geoff Cowan

The Wonder of Hands, Edith Baer

There’s a Dachshund in My Bed!, Paul Epner

Tikki Tikki Tembo, Arlene Mosel

Time For Bed, Mem Fox

Tiny Tours Bermuda’s Ocean; Another Tree Frog Adventure, Elizabeth A. Mulderig

Touch and Feel Dinosaur, DK Books

Tumble Bumble, Felicia Bond

‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving, Dav Pilkey

Vegetable Friends, Tony Lawlor and Bruce Kociemba

Verdi, Janell Cannon

Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak

Wiggle, Doreen Cronin

Yes, Please! No, Thank you!, Valerie Wheeler

You Are My I Love You, Maryann K. Cusimano

Zoe’s Webs, Thomas West

Poems and Fairy Tales
A Family of Poems; My Favorite Poetry for Children, Caroline Kennedy

Aesop’s Fables, retold by Marie Stuart

Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales

Poems for the Very Young, selected by Michael Rosen

Side By Side; Poems to Read Together, collected by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Robert Frost

The 20th Century Children’s Poetry Treasury, selected by Jack Prelutsky

The Oxford Illustrated Book of American Children’s Poems

Chapter Books
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll

Babe: The Gallant Pig, Dick King-Smith

Black Beauty, Anna Sewell

James and the Giant Peach, Roald Dahl

Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Jules Verne

Pinocchio (The Adventures of Pinocchio), C. Collodi

Pippi Longstocking, Astrid Lindgren

The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt

Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum

Series

The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis

The Harry Potter Series, J.K. Rowling

Bob Books

Christian Books
God’s Great News for Children, Rick Osborne & Marnie Wooding

Jesus Said Bible Storybook, Old and New Testament Stories, Carolyn Larsen

The Children’s Illustrated Bible, Stories retold by Selina Hastings

Christian Fiction:

If Jesus Came to My House, Joan Gale Thomas

Christmas Books
Christmas, Dick Bruna

Christmas is Coming; Favorite Christmas Rhymes to Read and Sing Again and Again, Ailie Busby

How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr. Seuss

Peef the Christmas Bear, Tom Hegg

Pookie Believes in Santa Claus, Ivy L. Wallace

The Christmas Troll, Eugene H. Peterson

The Night Before Christmas, Clement Clarke Moore

The Story of Christmas, Patricia A. Pingry

Others
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, Siegfried Engelmann

Animals on the Go! (Flap Book)

Draw Your Own Monsters Funbook, Laura Dunham

My Chalkboard Book; Write and Draw with Chalk!