Let's talk children's classics - Page 2

[journeymom]

SarahNH, I was intrigued, I love Carl Sagan, so I looked that book up. It's called The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark. It looks like a great book.

[sincitymama]

Journeymom-Thanks for the correction. I couldn't find the book to get the exact title(it's around here somewhere), but I knew I was close!
Billions and Billions was pretty good too, but I liked the other beter.

[daylily]

I'm in Virginia, OhMel, but not a native--maybe I misheard the way people pronounce it here, or else maybe Virginians say "teeg." :

ALWAYS recommend strongly anything by Joan Aiken and Rosemary Sutcliff. Any of Alison Utterly's books. Shirley Hughes for younger children.

Do American kids read Enid Blyton? Is she around much? I hate her

I remember I loved The Wolves of Willoughby Chase when I was a kid. I often give it to other children as a birthday present. And we love Shirley Hughes. I tried to get ds to read Sutcliff's Eagle of the Ninth this summer, but he couldn't get into it. As for Enid Blyton, back when PBS had a "Noddy" show, I thought we might like the books and searched libraries for them and couldn't find them--so I guess she's not very widely read in the US. I've never read anything by her.

[Irishmommy]

Calpurnia, Enid Blyton is not big at all over here. I loved her books when I was little, but even then I realized how utterly sexist the Famous Five, Secret Seven and Five Find-outers are!

Daylily, why do you think that all kids should read the Little House books?

Has anyone ever read a book called Apple and Charlotte? I read it when I was a kid, and it was old then. I'd love to read it again, but have never been able to track it down.

[calpurnia]

Irishmommy - A great place to track down books is through www.abebooks.com - scroll down and click on BookSleuth and post the book you're searching for! Somebody will almost certainly be able to identify it and give you an author etc.

I enjoyed the Little House books very much, but I'm not sure that I would have them as absolute requisites. That would be the Swallows and Amazons series for me.

[Irishmommy]

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

[daylily]

I picked the "Little House" books as my absolute childhood essential because:

1. They were the first books I read all by myself--I went overnight from barely reading to reading these, so I credit Laura Ingalls Wilder with teaching me to read

2.I hope this doesn't sound preachy--but the books are so inspiring. The hardships that family faced and survived--to me, they're a lesson in human endurance and strength.

3.They're entertaining, too. I just love the whole rivalry between Laura and Nellie Olesen, such as when Laura tricks Nellie into wading into leech-infested water, or their teenage rivalry when they're both after the same man. They are just great stories.

[JessicaS]

And regarding Little Women, I loved it! I wasn't a little girl, I was probably 13 or so by the time I had the patience to read it all the way through. But if I understand correctly, Alcott wasn't writing a children's book with Little Women. It was serialized in the local paper. I think I enjoyed it more when I was old enough to have a better sense of adult romance issues. Prior to that I didn't really care if Jo and Lawrence got together.

A lot of books traditionaly catagorized as "children's classics" were not written for children.

While this is true I sort of disagree. My sister and I were always crazy devouring readers. There are just some children who read so quickly and just inhale books so it is always good to include some which may be considered at a higher reading level but would still be healthy reading for children. Maturity should also be considered when looking at some of the books.

All the books I listed off I read before or while I was in fourth grade. By fifth grade I was getting in trouble for reading Homer in math class. So well, I try and keep that sort of child in mind when listing things off.

[Mom4tot]

Originally Posted by Irishmommy

Calpurnia, Enid Blyton is not big at all over here. I loved her books when I was little, but even then I realized how utterly sexist the Famous Five, Secret Seven and Five Find-outers are!

Daylily, why do you think that all kids should read the Little House books?

Has anyone ever read a book called Apple and Charlotte? I read it when I was a kid, and it was old then. I'd love to read it again, but have never been able to track it down.

I have gotten a couple of Enid Blyton books from Ebay...I could be persuaded to loan them out

[Victorian]

Abimommy - by 5th grade I was getting in trouble for reading "Flowers in the Attic" !!!

Has anyone else read "A Long and Dangerous Love Chase" (I believe) by L.M. Alcott? It is an adult romance book that they refused to publish because it was immoral. Good book.

V.

[JessicaS]

Abimommy - by 5th grade I was getting in trouble for reading "Flowers in the Attic" !!!

I think I read that at the same age. :LOL

My parents pretty much let us read anything. The only thing I remember my mom commenting on was The Thorn Birds she did not let me finish it but I was in 6th grade then. The only thing I can remember my dad commenting on was Women in Love By DH Lawrence, he said it was "smut" but it didn't get taken away, it was DH Lawrence so I guess it was literature/smut and therefore ok. :LOL

[Irishmommy]

I got in trouble for reading Agatha Christie in 5th Grade. FITA didn't come out until I was 14 or fifteen.

[MsMoMpls]

I read lots of classics to my oldest and he tested off the charts as having the highest vocabulary in school. Even with severe learning disabilities!!

The funniest however, was reading Swiss Family Robinson... here is the story line for those of you that saw the movie but didn't read the book or just don't remember how things have changed.

Family crashes on a deserted island... find an animal... kill it... find another animal... kill it... try and conquer the island through more killing...

Ok- we didn't finish that one.

He loved lots of the ones you listed- would add for older boys-A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court, Dracula, Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Maurau (sp?) He hated the Little House books- that made me so sad, I may have to adopt a daughter if the little one's don't like them.

[Victorian]

loved the Thorn Birds!

mostly we didnt get books taken away unless they dealt with magic. i.e. no Hobbit, LOTR or Naria in our house or complete smut (FITA) unless it was historical smut :LOL

[JessicaS]

Aw...I am so sorry Victoria

(my baby stuff was written in a Tolkien calander...my parents were geeks too! :LOL)

[geogirl]

I love seeing this list. We have been reading E.B. White to our 4.5 year old. We have finished Trumpet of the Swan and are finishing Stuart Little. I guess Charlotte's Web is next.

One book that I would add for the older child or preteen/teen would be Watership Down by Richard Adams. I really liked this one!


Thanks for the suggestions, this was great.

Rebecca

[charliedacia]

I know this is an old thread but I just had to mention the boxcar children.

I loved this series when I was a kid.

[sapphire_chan]

This was mentioned by the OP way back when, but E. Nesbitt rocks. Edward Eager is another fabulous author who was inspired by her books.

[charliedacia]

Oh Okay I see. I did not realize who the author was. It's been so long since I read it. Thanks!