20-11 SLJ"s 100 Children's Novels

We are getting oh so close to the end now. As usual I have linked to Fuse 8's original posts.

20. Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Of all the dog books out there this is my favorite. I did find the quirky factor to be a little over the top in spots, but it does not detract from the excellence of the book at all. I couldn't keep this on the shelf in my classroom. It was always being read.

19. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Hmmm. I am surprised this one is higher than Little House on the Prairie. I always found this one to be slow and kind of boring. It is the first in the series so that may explain it.

18. The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
The Chronicles of Prydain is one of my favorite series. Again I'm surprised this is the volume in the top 20, but again it is the beginning so it makes sense. (I just love The Black Cauldron and The Castle of Llyr SO MUCH. And The High King. AND...I just really love this series. But this is definitely my least favorite of the five.)

17. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
I have never read this book. I somehow missed it as a child (I think the covers had something to do with that). There's no excuse for why I haven't read as an adult.

16. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
I adored this book when I was younger. I appreciate it in different ways now. I was delighted to find as a teacher that my students enjoyed it too. This was another one always being read by someone in the class.

15. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
LOVE! Loved it as a child. Loved it as an adult. This is one of the books that if Bit doesn't like it too I may have issues...

14. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
A masterpiece. Those of us who love fantasy owe so much to this book and, of course, The Lord of the Rings. Even if they are not counted among our absolute favorites to reread. (Looks at ceiling and whistles innocently.)

13. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
70 PLACES!!!! The last time this poll was conducted it was #83. A jump of that magnitude could only be successfully accomplished by Gen. And now I'm sure he is merely waiting patiently to be crowned King if this poll ever happens again. (If you don't understand this than you need to drop everything you are doing and go read this book. Immediately.) This is the beginning of my favorite series of all time and so holds a special place in my heart for that. I also had the privilege of reading it with a group of 4th-6th graders this past year and watching them marvel at it was a truly wonderful experience.

12. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Not my favorite of the series. I have issues with the time travel at the end, but other people obviously love it.

11. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
I really enjoyed this book when I read it. It's not on my list of favorite Newberys by any means, or even favorite books really. I'm sort of surprised to see it get such a high rank. Though as it is an homage to A Wrinkle in Time maybe a shouldn't be.

Comments

Betsy said…

OK. You read Harriet and I'll read When You Reach Me :-). Otherwise, I heartily concur with your thoughts

June 14, 2012 at 2:22 PM

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

TTT: Most Recent Additions to My TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly themed blog hop created by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted at That Artsy Reader Girl . This Week's Topic: Most Recent Additions to My TBR List From Most Recent to Least: What books have recently caught your eye?

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

This Side of Home

What attracted me to This Side of Home by Renee Watson was the cover. The story hooked my interest. The characters made me fall in love. Maya has lived her entire life in the same neighborhood in Portland hanging out with the same group of friends: her twin sister Nikki, their best friend Essence, and Ronnie, Malachi, and Devin-three boys her father mentors. They have plans for the future that involve each other: prom, college, life. But things in their neighborhood are changing. People are moving in and starting new businesses. Property values are going up as a result. In addition to change, this is also causing trouble. Essence has to move out of her house when the owner decides he can make more money selling it than renting it. The racial demographics of the school, which has been mostly African American, is shifting. This presents new challenges and choices for Maya and her friends. It brings new people into their lives at the same time. Maya has to figure out how-and if-she wa

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

Random Musings of a Bibliophile

Search This Blog