Thursday 21 November 2013

50 Best Books for Kids

A few weeks ago everyone on Facebook was doing these listchallenges. There are list challenges for books, movies, travel and lots of other specialty interest lists- how many  of the 100 Halloween candies I've eaten remains unknown. However many of them make a lovely diversion for an idle few minutes. Of course I love a book list and wanted to keep a more permanent record of them.

This 50 Best Books for Kids is a rather fascinating list. The first 20 or so books are internationally renown, indisputable children's classics. Then come some books and authors that aren't all that well known, and indeed many are completely unknown to me. An intriguing mix. Nice to see some nonfiction too.

As usual, the books I've read are in red.


1. Where the Wild Things Are - Maurice Sendak

2. Charlotte's Web - E.B White

3. Goodnight Moon - Margaret Wise Brown

4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K Rowling

5. The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle

6. The Cat in the Hat -  Dr Seuss

7. A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle (see my review)

8. The Snowy Day - Ezra Jack Keats

9. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe- C.S Lewis

10. Knuffle Bunny - Mo Willems

11. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett (see my review)





12. Harriet the Spy - Louise Fitzhugh (see my review)

13. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

14. Madeline - Ludwig Bemelmans

15. The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkein (see my review)

16. The Phantom Tollbooth - Norton Juster, Jules Feiffer (ill)

17. The Complete Adventures of Curious George - Margaret and H.A. Rey

18. Holes - Louis Sachar (see my review)

19. Ramona the Pest - Beverly Cleary

20. Chicka Chicka BOOM BOOM - Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault, Lois Ehlert (ill)

21. The Arrival - Shaun Tan (see my review)

22. Matilda - Roald Dahl

23. The Tale of Peter Rabbit - Beatrix Potter

24. Bark, George - Jules Feiffer

25. The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick (see my review)

26. Anna Hibiscus - Atinuke, Lauren Tobia (ill)

27. Lily's Purple Plastic Purse - Kevin Henkes

28. A Light in the Attic - Shel Silverstein

29. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing - Judy Blume

30. George and Martha - James Marshall




31. The Watsons Go to Birmingham- 1963 - Christopher Paul Curtis

32. Caps for Sale - Esphyr Slobodkina

33. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - E.L. Konigsburg (see my review)

34. The Paper Bag Princess - Robert Munsch

35. Number the Stars - Lois Lowry

36. Olivia - Ian Falconer

37. Coraline - Neil Gaiman 

38. Moonshot: the Flight of Apollo 11 - Brian Floca

39. Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters - John Steptol

40. Are You My Mother? - P.D. Eastman

41. The Bone Series - Jeff Smith

42. Little Bear - Else Holmelund Minarik

43. Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse - Marilyn Singer, Josee Masse (ill)

44. The Golden Compass - Philip Pullman

45. Doctor de Soto - William Steig



46. Esperanza Rising - Pam Munoz Ryan

47. Go Away, Big Green Monster! - Ed Emberley

48. Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave - Laban Carrick Hill

49. My Father's Dragon - Ruth Stiles Gannett

50. Amelia Lost - Candace Fleming


28/50

A big start for me, having already read the top 11. Some of the rest are very close to the top of my TBR. Harriet the Spy and Holes appear to be rather large omissions in my reading to date, both are always near the top of these lists.

Sept 2014 I've inched my way up to 29/40

March 2016 30/40

4 comments:

Beth F said...

I've read quite a few of these some from when I was reading middle grade books and some from when my niece was that age. I have to say that I question a few on the list -- The Arrival doesn't seem like much of a kids' book to me.

Louise said...

There's always some interesting inclusions to any list isn't there? I think The Arrival is suited to older children, it's certainly not the traditional preschool picture book.

Deb Nance at Readerbuzz said...

Anna Hibiscus? Really?

Louise said...

I don't know anything about Anna Hibiscus Debbie. Do tell me more! I take it you're not a fan...