60-51 SLJ's Top Children's Novels

I am a day behind! Here are the next ten. Not as many of my favorites today, but still some excellent titles. As always all links lead to Fuse 8.

60. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtuis
This is a wonderful book, historical fiction that is about the characters and not the time period.

59. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
I am not a huge fan of this one despite loving DiCamillo's books in general. It is beautiful writing, marvelous illustrations. The story? Not real sure what DiCamillo was trying for there.

58. Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
Just not my thing at all. All that nature.

57. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
THIS is my thing. Orphans! Evil Guardians! Old house! England! I love it, delightfully creepy and just scary enough it is a delight for the imagination.

56. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Not my favorite Burnett. Or even my favorite classic. Still the perfect book for little girls who love this type of story.

55. All of a Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
I have never read this one. The cover and the descriptions make me think it is a little too precious for my tastes. I can see how it would have a dedicated following though.

54. Half Magic by Edward Eager
This book. It has a special place in my heart. It was the first read aloud I did with Bit where she was completely sucked in. She had enjoyed other chapter books we read together, but this was the first one that had her begging for 3-4 chapters a night. More importantly it was the book that caused her to realize she had reach the point where she could read them on her own. She read this one again right after we had finished it together. And then read Magic by the Lake (the first novel I found her asleep on top of) and Seven Day Magic. In addition to my sentimental attachment to it is just good delightful fun.

53. The Graveyard Book by Niel Gaiman
This is a favorite. I love it. It is actually the only Gaiman book I've read I can say that about. (I have a complicated relationship with his writing.) I have every intention of teaching it and The Jungle Book together when my kids are in sixth grade.

52. Betsy-Tacy by Maude Hart Lovelace
I think this book is lovely but I absolutely can not get Bit interested in it at all.

51. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
One of my favorites. I read it for the first time when I was pregnant with Bit and couldn't wait until she was old enough for me to read it to her.

Comments

Betsy said…

So many I still need to read! I, being a nature fan, should really read Swallows and Amazons. I've seen reference to it a lot lately in various places. I really liked Miraculous Journey--sort of a Velveteen Rabbit story. And you're right--All-of-a-Kind Family is definitely too "precious" for you--that descriptor made me laugh.

For obvious reasons, I'm a Betsy-Tacy fan--have read all of them and am about to start with Elf!

I still haven't read Wolves of Willoughby Chase either! (sigh)

May 25, 2012 at 10:35 AM

April said…

I love Edward Tulane-I think it's a beautiful redemption story.

May 26, 2012 at 1:39 PM

Brandy said…

Miraculous Journey was a Velveteen Rabbit story but in many ways I agree with the Washington Post article Betsy linked to in her summation.

May 26, 2012 at 7:11 PM

Brandy said…

I agree it's a redemption story but I still had issues with it and I thought it a little heavy handed. But then again I read it in an afternoon at Barnes and Noble so maybe I'm missing something.

May 26, 2012 at 7:12 PM

Serafina and the Black Cloak

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty is a thrilling tale of mystery and adventure set at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC in 1899. Having lived in Asheville and visited the house several times, there was no way I was going to pass up a chance to read this. (Also it's MG fantasy, always a bonus for me.) Serafina lives in secret in the basement of the Vanderbilt's spacious vacation home. She has lived there most of her life. Her father worked on the house as it was being built and is the mechanic who runs the massive generator and keeps the electricity going. Serafina is the chief rat catcher, slipping through the halls of her massive home secretly and quietly. She is light on her feet, sees well in the dark, and is quick enough to catch the vermin and keep them out. Serafina knows she if different and strange. Her father insists she stay hidden. But all that changes when one night Serafina witnesses a horrible crime. A little girl, a guest in the house, is fleein

Shorter Musings MG Fantasy

Here are some shorter musings on recent MG fantasy reads. Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack This book is fun. It is a book full of adventure, an obvious bad guy, some more complicated morally gray area characters, and a strong, brave heroine. It is also a book about friendships, community, and fighting for what is right. All things that usually work for me really well. While I enjoyed this, I did feel it was a little overlong and there were certain plot points at the end I didn't love. However, there were things I thought were done really well, such as Anya's Jewish faith and the idea that power needs to be challenged. In the end it was a middle of the road read for me, but it is one I will certainly be recommending to dragon and fantasy adventure lovers I know! R is for Rebel by J. Anderson Coats This is tough because I usually really like Coats's books. I had such a hard time with this one though on so many levels. It's difficult to get into because t

Favorite Kissing Scenes

When thinking of a favorite things post I could do for February I decided it would have to be kissing. I've already done couples and I was feeling in the mood to do something fluffy and Valentine's related. So kisses it is. I read more MG than YA, and the YA I read tends to not focus on romance so this was actually harder than I expected it to be though a few jumped into my head right away. (And one of my choices does actually come from a MG book. One is adult. Gasp!) The actual scene from the book is quoted followed by my thoughts. The king lifted a hand to her cheek and kissed her. It was not a kiss between strangers, not even a kiss between a bride and a groom. It was a kiss between a man and his wife, and when it was over, the king closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the hollow of the queen's shoulder, like a man seeking respite, like a man reaching home at the end of the day . - The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner Turner doesn't write the

Shadowshaper

Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older is everywhere. Best of lists. Award buzz. Blogs everywhere. It's one of those books everyone is reading and talking about. I had it on my TBR but decided I definitely needed to read it before the year was out just so I could weigh in on one of the most talked about books of 2015 if asked. It is deserving of every good thing said about it. Every. One. Sierra was looking forward to a relaxing summer break. Her plans involved hanging out with her friends and painting. They did not involve being chased by zombie like creatures and threatened by a magical power connected to her family's heritage she has never heard of. When murals begin fading all over her Brooklyn neighborhood, Sierra is perplexed. When her grandfather, who had a stroke, begins to apologize and starts repeating strange phases and insisting Sierra get the help of a boy she barely knows to help her finish her mural, Sierra is concerned but mostly about her grandfather. Then at a

The Field Guide to the North American Teeanager

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe is a book I picked up on a whim at the bookstore when it first came out. I liked the cover. I thought it had an engaging premise. I went into it with a healthy does of trepidation because the execution could have gone so terribly wrong. Fortunately, Philippe is an excellent character writer, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent reading about Norris's adventures in Texas and high school. High school junior Norris Kaplan's life is ruined by his mother when she takes a job that requires them to leave the only home he has ever known in Montreal, Quebec. Moving is always hard, but Norris knows for him it will be harder than it's ever been for anyone else. Norris is moving to Texas. He will be a Canadian living in Texas. Not just a Canadian. A French Canadian who speaks fluent French. And not just your average run-of-the-mill French Canadian. A black son of Haitian immigrant parents French Canadian. If Norris has

Random Musings of a Bibliophile

Search This Blog