Regular readers of this blog will know that I've offered many lists of good books to read to and with your children, or for children just to read themselves. Some are grouped by theme, topic and genre, while others are grouped by age, author, gender and so on. For example you can find:
- Books on key themes like the environment HERE, conquering fears HERE, humour HERE and death HERE (all my Key Themes you can find HERE)
- Chapter books for girls 6-12 years HERE
- Chapter books for young readers HERE
- Historical fiction HERE
- Books for boys HERE
- Books by specific authors HERE
- Shortlisted books and winners of major Children's Literature Awards HERE
- Science & Technology Books for Children 3-12 years HERE
US Top 100 Books
An excellent new recent list has just been put out by the School Library Journal. Elizabeth Bird has worked with readers of her site to come up with what they judge to be the 100 Top Children's Novels. The list is mainly of US books but you'll notice that most of them make my '200 Great Children's Books' list.
Helping to Create an International Top 200+
I'd like to try to add to my own list of '200 Great Children's Books' and want your help. I hope to create separate lists for novels and picture books. I'd also like to have a more international flavour with the best books in the English speaking world, including the USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
Would you like to help? If you'd like to help build the list simply offer your Top 10 books in a comment. I'll collate them. You might also encourage others to do the same. I'll also offer a book prize to the reader who ends up with the most books in the final Top 10 of the long list. The US Top 10 on the School Library Journal was as follows:
1 Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
2 A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
3 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
4 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
5 From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
6 Holes by Louis Sachar
7 The Giver by Lois Lowry
8 The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
9 Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
10 The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Related Posts
'Key Themes in Children's Literature' HERE
'Author Focus' posts HERE
10 comments:
Thinking! Will be back to add my picture book list. Will tweet this post and put it on my facebook page.
Oh so hard to just choose 10. Is that any genre any age group?
Thanks Nicole, I will look forward to your top 10 (and thanks for the Tweet and for putting it on Facebook).
Yes, I know Sandy (nice to hear from you) it's an impossible task, that's why more sensible people don't do lists. I'm happy to take any 10 you want to suggest. You could pick a genre, and age, a country. This might lead me to do other lists later.
Encourage others to submit their ideas.
Regards and thanks to both of you,
Trevor
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnet
Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss
I think the 'When I'm Feeling' range by Trace Moroney are fabulous and my girls have loved them.
The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton
Edwina the Emu by Sheena Knowles (and Edward the Emu too!)
Here are ten of my personal favourites. I have cheated a little and counted series as one!
In no particular order - Chronicles of Narnia (C S Lewis), Tale of Despereaux (Kate DiCamillo), The Graveyard Book (Neil Gaiman), The Princess Bride (William Goldman), Chronicles of Ancient Darkness (Michelle Paver), Dragonkeeper series (Carole Wilkinson), Old Kingdom series (Garth Nix), Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night (Mark Haddon), Fox in Socks (Dr Seuss), Lord of the Rings (Tolkien). Might have a go at thinking of a top ten Oz books next. Lists are fun but I do worry about the ones I will think of later!
Thanks Sandy & Marita, some great books here. Trevor
A facebook friend recommends "Little House" books by Laura Ingalls-Wilder :)
I'm sure I've missed many good ones, but these are the one which have come to mind today:
•Winnie-The-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne
•To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
•The Arrival by Shaun Tan
•Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
•The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
•Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian
•John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat by Jenny Wagner
•How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss
•The Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
•The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
•The Borrowers by Mary Norton
Thanks Prue, some great books. I'll try to work on the final list in June.
Nice to hear from you.
Trevor
Ooh I love books - hard to narrow it down to just ten but here goes (in random order):
Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
Narnia series by CS Lewis
Grandpa and Thomas by Pamela Allen
Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
The Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
The Hobbit by JR Tolkein
The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss
Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Conner
Tough Boris by Mem Fox
Little house on the prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
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