Monday, 04 January 2010
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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?
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Comments (46)
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
Books for Children aren't my forte. Where the Wild Things Are is a must have.
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is a great book that I have loved since I was nine.
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.
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.
The Chronicles of Narnia, the Little House on the Prairie series, and for really young ones, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
"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.
younger kids:
Love you forever
goodnight opus
Where the wild things are
older kids:
Holes
freak the mighty
magic tree house series
"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 :)
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.
The house that had enough. Searching for David's heart.
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.
i love reading :]
Junie B. Jones.
Dolores and Faye.
Little Bo.
Arthur series.
Winnie the Pooh and Peter Rabbit books! :)
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
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.
'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
Madonna's 'English Roses'
'Thank-you Mr. Falker'
Cindy Szekere's 'Puppy Too Small'
'Joey Pigza Swallows a Key'
I love children's literature.
Goodnight Moon
If You Give A Mouse A CookieIf You Give A Moose A MuffinThe Berestain Bears booksah childhood...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!!!
Cannot believe that nobody mentioned any of Sheldon Silverstein's work.
THE GIVING TREE-- for all ages.
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 :)
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.