Monday, 04 January 2010

  • Must Read Books For Little Ones?



    One of the wonderful things a good friend of mine has resolved to do this year is to collect books for her local elementary school's after school program for low income families. She'd love to fill it with old classics and any books that kids these days love to read. The after school program is for kids from ages 5 to 11 or kindergarten to 5th grade.

    What books did you enjoy reading as a child? What books (fiction and non-fiction) would you recommend for elementary aged children to read?

Comments (48)

  • inevitablecatastrophe@xanga

    Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz, Wrinkle in Time and Series of Unfortunate Events (for older kids), Where the Wild Things Are and anything written by Dr. Seuss

  • skylar_rose@xanga

    Books for Children aren't my forte. Where the Wild Things Are is a must have.

  • xcntrychicka@xanga

    When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is a great book that I have loved since I was nine.

  • isumath07@xanga

    Little House on the Prairie, Box Car Children, Baby Sitter's Club... not all "classics" but I would consider the first series at least close.

  • filtered_sunlight

    They're not "classics" either but 'Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus' & 'Pigeon Wants a Puppy' crack me up. Megan is also a big fan of the, 'If You Give a Mouse/Pig/Etc. a Cookie/Pancake/Etc.' books.

  • averyswife@xanga

    The Chronicles of Narnia, the Little House on the Prairie series, and for really young ones, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

  • AmistadBaby@xanga
    My most vivid book memories are of Ghost Ship, Harry Potter, Magic Treehouse, Junie B Jones, and many, many others. I was a big book kid.
  • RainDropPixie@xanga

    "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" (and others)
    "If You Give a Moose a Muffin" (and others)
     "Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See" or really any Eric Carle books (they are good for younger 5-7 or so I'd say)
    "Where the Wild Things Are"
    "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs"
    "Rainbow Fish"
    Dr. Seuss books
    "Snowball Fight!"
    "When Winter Comes"
    "Little Bear"

    I really don't know about older kids books.... Those were just off the top of my head that I used to read my preschool/schoolagers between 3-8.

  • CombinedEffort@xanga

    younger kids:
    Love you forever
    goodnight opus
    Where the wild things are


    older kids:
    Holes
    freak the mighty
    magic tree house series

  • ELIZerson@xanga

    "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" & series
    "If you Give a Pig a Pancake" & series
    Dr. Seuss
    Skippy Jon Jones books (fun and some Spanish words)
    "Roxaboxen"
    "Goodnight Moon"
    "Alexander" books by Judith Viorst
    "Caps for Sale"
    "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" (alphabet fun)
    Corduroy books
    Curious George books
    "Go Away, Big Green Monster!"
    "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel"
    "Click Clack Moo"
    Frog & Toad books

    Charlotte's Web
    "Stargirl"
    Beverly Cleary books

    These are personal recommendations from my own childhood and from teaching 1st grade :)

  • MistressAislin@xanga

    Holes, the Phantom Tollbooth, BFG (The Big Friendly Giant) the Chronicles of Narnia, anything Dr. Seuss, and for the younger kids Snowmen at Night and The Gingerbread Baby.

  • Thatslifekid@xanga

    The house that had enough. Searching for David's heart.

  • snarkius@xanga

    The Wonderful Flight to Mushroom Planet.


    Despite what my husband claims about numerous drug references, it is a wonderful feel-good nostalgic book that is not about drugs.

  • soberheartss@xanga
  • Inchored@xanga

    Junie B. Jones.

    Dolores and Faye.

    Little Bo.

    Arthur series.

  • Miss_Nonfiction@xanga

    Winnie the Pooh and Peter Rabbit books! :)

  • i_am_not_short@xanga

    Bunnicula by James Howe
    Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
    Watership Down by Richard Adams

    mostly for the older kids, but I read them in the third grade

  • cobalt_redux@xanga

    For very young children, consider Robert McClosky's Make Way for Ducklings and Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. Both feature rich illustrations and lovely stories. As a gradeschooler, I really loved Roald Dahl's chapter books: James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Witches, The BFG, etc. Check those out, too.

  • lenybobsyouruncle@xanga

    'the odessy' was my favorite story in fifth grade... well... book

    for kids younger, the stories of the brothers grim, are good.
    but reading style... or rather how you read aloud is more important than what you read. if you know anyone who can read the dictionary well...you know what i mean. ;)
    make it more of  play than a story ;D

  • doorathea@xanga

    Madonna's 'English Roses'

    'Thank-you Mr. Falker'

    Cindy Szekere's 'Puppy Too Small'

    'Joey Pigza Swallows a Key'

    I love children's literature.

  • cody_ashby@xanga

    Goodnight Moon

    If You Give A Mouse A CookieIf You Give A Moose A MuffinThe Berestain Bears booksah childhood...
  • Cucumber_Melonhead@xanga

    If you Give a Mouse a Cookie...

    Where the Wild Things Are

    The Hungry Caterpillar

    Clifford the Big Red Dog

    The Berenstein Bears

    Wayside School is Falling Down

    Bride to Terebithia

    Education of Little Tree

    Charlotte's Web

    Judy Blume books, SUPERFUDGE!!!

    GOOSEBUMPS!! R.L. Stine

    many more....so nostalgic!!!

  • daavidd@xanga

    Cannot believe that nobody mentioned any of Sheldon Silverstein's work.

    THE GIVING TREE-- for all ages.

  • my_greenthought@xanga

    i love the idea your friend has to help families in need. i place reading with the same importance as eating. :)


    Corduroy Bear books, Charlette's Web, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Goodnight Moon, The Rainbow Fish, Love You Forever, Winnie the Pooh, The Secret Garden, Anne of Green Gables, The Cat in the Hat...


    any book that gets a kid to read is good in my opinion, but i listed some of my favorites :)


  • bubbelcat

    If she wants TRULY classic children's literature then she should look at the book lists for the "Five In A Row" series.  It is full of beautiful, classic picture books. 

    Some favorites around here are anything by Robert McCloskey (Make Way for Ducklings, Blueberries for Sal), Madelliene (sp?), Mike Mulligan, The Story of Ping and any and all collections of Fairy Tales.

    For the older kids I definitely include the Boxcar Kids series, Little House series and other historical classics.  For the boys she might want to include books from the Redwall series by Brian Jacques.  It has lots of adventure and good moral themes that are not heavy handed.   My kids also LOVE Goosebumps and Magic Treehouse to read for fun.

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