What Are The Best Children's Books?

Music For Rhinos
Music For Rhinos Posts: 1,693
edited May 2009 in All Encompassing Trip
Well earlier tonight I was going through a bunch of my old books from when I was a little kiddie.

And I came across a bunch I had completely forgotten about and remembered, 'wow there are some pretty classic good books from my childhood.'

So it got me thinking what are the best kids' books? Thought we could compile a list of sorts for the fun of it. Copy and paste list in reply and add to it.

I'll start it off:

Where The Wild Things Are

The Giving Tree
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • Back_Pedal
    Back_Pedal Posts: 1,171
    The Kama Sutra. Start the rascals early and they'll have the entire thing memorized before their first 'experience'.






    The Giver was a pretty good read if you have kids around 10-13, and I also remember another short story/book about a Japanese girl with leukemia after WWII who tried to make 1,000 origami cranes to get a wish. It was pretty touching, it had to be, since I've remembered since around 5th grade.
    Thanks EPOTTSIII!
    "Vinyl or not, you will need to pay someone to take RA of your hands" - Smile05
    424, xxx
  • Fighting Hellfish
    Fighting Hellfish Posts: 3,175
    In my house, there are a lot of baby Einstein books, and now we read a lot of Curious George
  • QuarterToTen
    QuarterToTen Cincinnati, Ohio Posts: 3,652
    anything by Dr. Seuss
    Nice shirt.
  • CHANGEinWAVES
    CHANGEinWAVES Posts: 10,169
    I loved the Berenstain Bears and the frances books... there were so many others I can't remember right now.
    I have to clean the basement of my house out so when I find them I'll post them. :mrgreen: who knows maybe I'll be reading them again!
    "I'm not present, I'm a drug that makes you dream"
  • rockpants
    rockpants BC Posts: 838
    I was looking for books for my then-6-year-old niece a few years back, and discovered Doreen Cronin's series featuring Farmer Brown and his animals (mostly cows & ducks). The books are funny and are vibrantly illustrated with watercolours (by Betsy Lewin). She's outgrown them and now her younger brother has them; for Xmas this last year I got him another Cronin/Lewin "Farmer Brown" book.

    When I was younger, I read Encyclopedia Brown, Louis Sachar novels (Wayside School series), Gordon Korman (Bruno & Boots/MacDonald Hall series), Roald Dahl's books, the Mr. Men & Little Miss series (Roger Hargreaves), Brian Doyle's novels, and Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series. I have to admit, I had quite the Babysitter's Club collection, too. When I got into my preteens, I read Maniac Magee (Jerry Spinelli), The Giver and Number the Stars (Lois Lowry), and modern classics like Watership Down (Richard Adams). I don't remember a lot of the books I read when I was very young, except The Very Hungry Caterpillar was a favourite, as were the Berenstain Bears, as well as poetry by Jack Prelutsky.
  • rockpants
    rockpants BC Posts: 838
    Holy crap, I forgot one of the greatest books of all time! :D
    OUAP-Book-Her-d.jpg
  • Music For Rhinos
    Music For Rhinos Posts: 1,693
    Oh my god that looks familiar!

    Reminds me of this book my family and I always kept in the bathroom when I was growing up..."Everyone Poops."

    http://www.cynical-c.com/archives/blogg ... p01-vi.jpg


    Anyone remember the Boxcar Children series?
    http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/image ... 178109.jpg

    And of course who can forget...Goosebumps? I loved the shit.
    http://allvintagestore.com/Young%20Adul ... onster.jpg
  • battan1120
    battan1120 Posts: 310
    Curious George...Dr. Seuss
    The bus came by and I got on!!!!!
  • Hinn
    Hinn Posts: 1,517
    The Princess Bride, William Goldman
    115 bucks for half a haircut by a novice? I want my money back!
  • catefrances
    catefrances Posts: 29,003
    Music For Rhinos wrote:
    Well earlier tonight I was going through a bunch of my old books from when I was a little kiddie.

    And I came across a bunch I had completely forgotten about and remembered, 'wow there are some pretty classic good books from my childhood.'

    So it got me thinking what are the best kids' books? Thought we could compile a list of sorts for the fun of it. Copy and paste list in reply and add to it.

    I'll start it off:

    Where The Wild Things Are

    The Giving Tree

    i just read your post to zoe my 9 and a half year old and her response was, i love the giving tree. :mrgreen:

    we are big fans of shel silverstein. and well, where the wild things are is one of my fave books EVER!!! :mrgreen:
    hear my name
    take a good look
    this could be the day
    hold my hand
    lie beside me
    i just need to say
  • pickupyourwill
    pickupyourwill Posts: 3,135
    Music For Rhinos wrote:
    The Giving Tree

    Yeah, I've been wanting to get that for my son for awhile now. Maybe for Easter, eh?

    So, no one added Cordoroy....and since this is the PJ website, I thought it appropriate to mention that one.
  • Sian-of-the-dead
    Sian-of-the-dead Posts: 8,963
    Anything by Roald Dahl.
    Been to this many PJ shows: Reading 2006 London 2007 Manchester & London 2009 Dublin, Belfast, London, Nijmegen & Berlin 2010 Manchester 1 & Manchester 2 2012...

    ... and I still think Drive-By Truckers are better.
  • _
    _ Posts: 6,657
    Anything by Shel Silvertein (who also wrote some awesome songs, like Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named Sue").
    Poetry by Jack Prelutsky. (I've recently discovered that both he and Silverstein have great websites for kids.)
    Maurice Sendak - especially Where the Wild Things Are and The Nutshell Library (Pierre, Chicken Soup with Rice, Alligators All Around, and Once Was Johnny).
    The Little Prince.
    Roald Dahl books (James & The Giant Peach, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, etc.)
    Judy Blume books (Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing, Superfudge, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret)
    I used to enjoy the Sweet Valley High series as well. :oops:
    Anything by Dr. Suess (who also used to write adult :o books).
    The Mother Goose stories.
    The Little Engine That Could
    Pat the Bunny
    Beverly Cleary (The Mouse & the Motorcycle, the Ramona series, etc.)
    Beatrix Potter (The Tale of Peter Rabbit, etc.)
    Clifford, The Big Red Dog
    A Fish Out of Water
    Caps for Sale
    Curious George
    Amelia Bedelia
    The Paddington Bear books
    The Cricket in Times Square
    The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe
    Charlotte's Web
    Winnie The Pooh
    How to Eat Fried Worms
    The Hobbit series
    A Wrinkle in Time
    I've also got to plug a Navajo children's book that was illustrated by a friend of mine: Johonaa'ei: Bringer of Dawn

    Aw... this thread is kind of making me want children. :shock: :oops: Maybe I'll just go back and re-read all my old books. :ugeek:
  • Get_Right
    Get_Right Posts: 14,202
    goodnight gorilla
    goodnight moon
    the big red barn
    happy birthday moon
    at least for little ones

    my son also likes the Maisy and curious george books

    he is almost 4
  • Music For Rhinos
    Music For Rhinos Posts: 1,693
    scb wrote:
    Anything by Shel Silvertein (who also wrote some awesome songs, like Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named Sue").
    Poetry by Jack Prelutsky. (I've recently discovered that both he and Silverstein have great websites for kids.)
    Maurice Sendak - especially Where the Wild Things Are and The Nutshell Library (Pierre, Chicken Soup with Rice, Alligators All Around, and Once Was Johnny).
    The Little Prince.
    Roald Dahl books (James & The Giant Peach, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, etc.)
    Judy Blume books (Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing, Superfudge, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret)
    I used to enjoy the Sweet Valley High series as well. :oops:
    Anything by Dr. Suess (who also used to write adult :o books).
    The Mother Goose stories.
    The Little Engine That Could
    Pat the Bunny
    Beverly Cleary (The Mouse & the Motorcycle, the Ramona series, etc.)
    Beatrix Potter (The Tale of Peter Rabbit, etc.)
    Clifford, The Big Red Dog
    A Fish Out of Water
    Caps for Sale
    Curious George
    Amelia Bedelia
    The Paddington Bear books
    The Cricket in Times Square
    The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe
    Charlotte's Web
    Winnie The Pooh
    How to Eat Fried Worms
    The Hobbit series
    A Wrinkle in Time
    I've also got to plug a Navajo children's book that was illustrated by a friend of mine: Johonaa'ei: Bringer of Dawn

    Aw... this thread is kind of making me want children. :shock: :oops: Maybe I'll just go back and re-read all my old books. :ugeek:


    Great list!

    Amelia Bedelia, heck yes! I remember reading some of those in 1st grade and laughing so hard I cried.

    Plus I just found a couple last night and was going through them. Hilarious.

    Agreed, it makes me want children too. ;)
  • wash_
    wash_ Posts: 1,073
    Green eggs and Ham - Dr Seuss
    The Tadpoles Promise - Tony Ross....it's got a bit of black humour and talks about life cycles :)
    The cow that laid an egg - Andy Cutbill
    There was an old woman who swallowed a fly - M.Twinn

    And one for the adults
    Off to Sea: A romance - Richard Stine....found this in a seattle book store and fell in love with it, brilliant book
    2006 ░▒▓ Astoria, Dublin, Leeds, Reading, Lisbon, Paris, Verona, Athens
    2007 ░▒▓ London, Dusseldorf, Copenhagen, Nijmegen
    2009 ░▒▓ Manchester, London
    2010 ░▒▓ Hyde Park

    *§* Music is all the juice i'll need *§*
  • Porchsitter
    Porchsitter Loganville, GA Posts: 1,092
    Reading aloud Dr. Seuss' "Fox in Socks" to kids is so worth it.
    We are the facilitators of our own creative evolution.--Bill Hicks
  • stargirl69
    stargirl69 Posts: 6,387
    Where The Wild Things Are Maurice Sendak

    It's really a love story.

    Max imagines he leaves his family as he is annoyed with his mum.He has been sent to bed for misbehaving.
    He goes to where the wild things are and for a while has a great time.
    But he soon gets lonely and needs to go back home to his family where he knows he is loved no matter what.

    I still have my original copy thats held together with tape and love.

    I gave a copy to my man for his birthday,to say no matter what happens we will have love that will draw us back to each other in times of difficulty.He loved it.
    “There should be a place where only the things you want to happen, happen”
  • mert
    mert Posts: 167
    Best Mother Goose Ever by Richard Scarry
    Alligator Pie by Dennis Lee
    The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier
    The Black Stallion by Walter Farley
    Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
    Drummer Hoff by Barbara Emberley
    Johnny Mouse and the Wishing Stick by Johnny Gruelle
    Uncle Wiggily's Story Book by Howard Garis
    Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
    Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
    Pretty much everything Robert Munsch has written.... ;)
    Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, Paula Kahumbu, and Peter Greste
    Harry Potters by JK Rowling

    Many, many others I can't remember too...
  • Music For Rhinos
    Music For Rhinos Posts: 1,693
    mert wrote:
    Best Mother Goose Ever by Richard Scarry
    Alligator Pie by Dennis Lee
    The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier
    The Black Stallion by Walter Farley
    Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
    Drummer Hoff by Barbara Emberley
    Johnny Mouse and the Wishing Stick by Johnny Gruelle
    Uncle Wiggily's Story Book by Howard Garis
    Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
    Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
    Pretty much everything Robert Munsch has written.... ;)
    Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, Paula Kahumbu, and Peter Greste
    Harry Potters by JK Rowling

    Many, many others I can't remember too...


    Good list, I agree, the Robert Munsch books are all pretty much great.

    Any other ones guys?

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