Recommended Children's Books

[missym]

Please include recommended ages, title and author. If you'd like to post a quick synopsis or link to the book on Amazon or another site, that would be much appreciated I'm sure. :D

[missym]

http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=306835 - Beautifully illustrated books
http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=307705 - Christmas books
http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=169417 - Christmas books
http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=307808 - Hanukkah books
http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=167511 - Books for older toddlers
http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=168610 - Books for 2-3 year olds
http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=167817 - Books for 4-5 year olds
http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=171016 - Lesser-known authors for pre-K
http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=290752 - Favorites from childhood
http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=460438 - Children's books blogs

[fivi2]

Thanks for the links!

I'll put a few of my girls' favorites. They are about to be 3 (next week!).

The Olivia books. Olivia and the Missing Toy was a daily read until about a week ago, but they like all of them.

Go Do Go and One Fish, Two Fish (Dr. Suess) huge favorites.

Going on a Bear Hunt (illus Helen Oxenbury, forget the author. Michael Rosen, maybe?)

The Three Snow Bears - Jan Brett. And The Mitten by Jan Brett.

Duck in a Truck - Jez Alborough

That is all I can think of right now... Will add more later. I like the thread!

eta: I posted this list in the princess thread, but thought they might fit here too. I haven't read them all, so they may not count as recommended by me, but I thought it might be a good reference! (books with strong females)

Paperbag Princess - Robert Munsch
Sleeping Ugly - Jane Yolen
Olivia books
Madeline
Alice the Fariy - David Shannon
Fearless Girls, Wise Women, and Beloved Sisters: Heroines in Folktales from around the World - Kathleen Ragan
Eloise books - Kay Thompson
Don't Mention Pirates - Sarah McConnell
Princess Knight and Pirate Girls (2 different books) - Cornelia Funke
Princess Smartypants - Babette Cole
Falling for Rapunzel - Leah Wilcox
The Very Smart Pea and the Princess to Be - Mini Grey
Cinder Edna - Ellen Jackson
Tatterhood and other Tales: Stories of Magic and Adventure - Ethel Johnston Phelps
The Serpent Slayer and Other Stories of Strong Women - Katrin Tchana
Not One Damsel in Distress: World Folktales for Strong Girls - Jane Yolen
Pippi Longstocking - Astrid Lindgren
The Wizard of Oz series may work - there may be some stereotypes, but there are so few girl on epic journey/quest books they may be worth it.

I have heard that Barefoot Books has several including Goddesses; Grandmother's Stories; Fiesty Feminina (http://www.barefoot-books.com/us/site/pages/home.php)

Link to list of books that break gender role stereotypes:
http://www.journal.naeyc.org/btj/200...s4Children.pdf

Link to someone's list (not mine) at Amazon with strong girls:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/lis...453685-9869466

[kijip]

http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=303778&page=2&highlight=chapter Chapter books for early readers.

http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=303863&highlight=chapter Advanced read aloud books for 4-7 year olds.

[clb]

14 Mo

Ocean Wonders
http://www.amazon.com/Ocean-Wonders-Sparkling-Slide-Book/dp/1846661676/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228412338&sr=1-1
His favorite since he received this a few months ago. Colorful pictures with a lot of sea life to point out and search for.

Elmo Loves You
http://www.amazon.com/Elmo-Loves-You-Sesame-Street/dp/1403716943/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Details in the pictures keep DS interested. Also good for I spy type searches.

For Picture Books, DS enjoys all of these... Priddy books- Colors, Words, Animals, 100 Animals, 100 Words and Baby Einstein First Words

What Do You Say? Mandy Stanley
http://www.amazon.com/What-You-Say-Mandy-Stanley/dp/0689854048/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
This was great when younger. The pictures are too simple to hold his interest at this stage but he still loves to make the animal noises when it is read to him.

[Raidra]

Picture books:

Where Do I Sleep? by Blomgren, Jennifer
The Snowman by Briggs, Raymond
The Gruffalo by Donaldson, Julia
Olivia by Falconer, Ian
Can I Have a Stegosaurus, Mom? by Grambling, Lois
Can I Have a Tyrannosaurus Rex, Dad? by Grambling, Lois
Dinosaurs After Dark by Emmett, Jonathan
Rain Romp by Kurtz, Jane
The Story Tree by Lupton, Hugh
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Martin, Bill Jr.
Make Way for Ducklings by McCloskey, Robert
Welcome With Love by Overend, Jenni
Dino Pets by Plourde, Lynn
The Relatives Came by Rylant, Cynthia
In The Night Kitchen by Sendak, Maurice
If I Built a Car by Van Dusen, Chris
Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum by Wheeler, Lisa
A Frog in the Bog by Wilson, Karma
Unloveable by Yaccarino, Dan
Oswald by Yaccarino, Dan
Deep In the Jungle by Yaccarino, Dan
Owl Moon by Yolen, Jane
I Am Invited to a Party by Willems, Mo
I Can Fly by Willems, Mo
There Is A Bird on My Head by Willems, Mo
Knuffle Bunny by Willems, Mo
There's a House Inside My Mommy by Andreae, Giles
Earth to Stella by Puttock, Simon
Punk Farm by Krosoczka, Jarrett

We tend to like most books by certain authors, as you can probably tell: Giles Andreae, Jarrett Krosoczka, Lynn Plourde, Simon Puttock, Cynthia Rylant, Maurice Sendak, Lisa Wheeler, Karma Wilson, Mo Willems, Dan Yaccarino

For chapter books, we've liked:

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
My Father's Dragon by (oops..?)
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
Harry Potter (1st) by JK Rowling

[Tracey]

My DD is five. She isn't into chapter books yet. We do the more complex picture books that can be read and discussed in one sitting. Here are some current favorites:

One Grain Of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale - Demi
The Empty Pot - Demi
The Ugly Duckling (Caldecott Honor Book) - Hans Christian Andersen
Zen Shorts by Jon J Muth

ETA: How could I have possibly forgotten this one:
Amazing You!: Getting Smart About Your Private Parts

She studied that book like it was her job!

[SnuggleBuggles]

2-3+yo:
My Monster Mama Loves Me So by Laura Leuck http://www.amazon.com/My-Monster-Mama-Loves-Me/dp/0060088605/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229115339&sr=8-1

2+yo
Any of the "Bear" books like Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
http://www.amazon.com/Bear-Snores-Karma-Wilson/dp/0689831870/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229115405&sr=1-1
Beth

[SASM]

15mo DD:

"Ten Little Ladybugs" counting book by Melanie Gerth
"Please Baby PLease" and "Please Puppy Please" (& DD1) by Spike Lee
"If You Were Born a Kitten" by Marion Dane Bauer
"Time for Bed" by Mem Fox
"The Napping House" by Don Wood

3.5 DD & 5.5 DS:

Any of the "Pigeon" books by Mo Willems
Both of the "Knuffle Bunny" books by Mo Willems
"Leonardo the Terrible Monster" by Mo Willems
"What are you so grumpy about?" by Lichtenheld
"Are you grumpy, Santa?" by Spiridellis (holiday book that I keep around throughout the year b/c it cheers when my kids are grumps)
"A Swim through the Sea" (alphabet book) by Pratt-Serafini


3.5 DD:

"My Penguin Osbert" (Holiday book but DD really likes it)
"Disney's Princess Collection" (basic watered down stories, and new ones, but DD loves it)
"Pirate Girl" by Cornelia Funke
"Alice the Fairy" by David Shannon
I LOVE reading "Falling For Rapunzel" by Leah Wilcox :)
Not a fave book yet as we haven't found one but she is obsessed with her horse calendar. :)

5.5 DS:

Anything that requires searching, like "Where's Waldo?" or "I Spy"
Anything with Sharks or Crocodiles (sorry...no titles as we have a lot)...I'll go look later
He doesn't read yet but likes the "Magic School Bus" series
"Transformers: Mix and Match" (creative kid ~ keeps him amazingly quiet in the car without a DVD!)
http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Mix-Match-David-Roe/dp/0794412866/ref=sr_1_42?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230371203&sr=1-42

[dkmom]

My DD's favorites over time.

0-24mo

Baby Faces Board Book (Smile, Sleep, Eat, Hugs&Kisses)
Bear on Bike - Stella Blackstone
Bear at Home - Stella Blackstone
One Moose, Twenty Mice - Clare Beaton
Goodnight Moon - Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd
The Big Red Barn - Margaret Wise Brown and Felicia Bond
B is for Bear - Roger Priddy
What Makes a Rainbow - Betty Ann Schwartz and Dona Turner
Pajama Time - Sandra Boynton
Home (Usborne Look and Say) - Jo Litchfield and Francesca Allen

24mo-36mo

Daisy the Doctor Daisy - Felicity Brooks and Jo Litchfield
Dooby Dooby Moo - Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin
Blueberries for Sal - Robert McCloskey
Little Hoot - Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Jen Corace
Cookies - Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Jane Dyer
Disney Book's (Little Mermaid, Nemo) - the version that comes with CD, though we don't listen to the CD
Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever

[KBecks]

Read Kiddo Read, by author James Patterson

http://www.readkiddoread.com

[andbabymakes3]

I have a gifted 7 year old boy who reads far beyond grade level but who I don't want to expose to a lot of the 'older' kids books yet due to thematic issues and such. We are constantly looking for new/fun things for him to read. Recently we found a really fun short story that was at his level:

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl (author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

My husband and I both enjoyed the story and the fun text! We also read sometime ago Kate DiCamillo's The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. This was a great book but thematically a bit much; I'd definitely recommend for the 11+ set.

We've also found Andrew Clement's school stories, which look like a good age-and-reading-level appropriate series of books. We read Frindle which he liked.

Among our favorite picture books (also have a 3 1/2 year old!) are:

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson (and all the others really, but this one is a gem)
Moose Tracks (also Karma Wilson!)
Dog's Colorful Day by Emma Dodd
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (one of the longer stories)
The Sneetches and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss
Duck on a Bike by David Shannon
Muncha Muncha Muncha by Candace Fleming

And for those of you with boys...who can maybe read it without crying, which I can't!...you should check out a great picture book called Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. If nothing else I will give this book to my boys at some point later in their lives! Right now it has moved from the bookshelf to the closet as I just can't read the darn thing and not cry! But I'm the overly-emotional type! :love5:

[crimscrem]

i absolutely love the Peter Rabbit collection. Our boy, who will be 2, really enjoys the pictures. The linked collection is absolutely fabulous:
http://www.amazon.com/World-Peter-Rabbit-Original-Presentation/dp/0723257639/ref=pd_bbs_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238089339&sr=8-4

I also like the burton books:
Mike Mulligan and His Steamshovel
http://www.amazon.com/Mike-Mulligan-His-Steam-Shovel/dp/B0000CNIJ9/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238089442&sr=1-3

and the Little House
http://www.amazon.com/Little-House-Virginia-Lee-Burton/dp/0395181569/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238089465&sr=1-3

[ourbabygirl]

What do you all think of reading books that you would read yourself for pleasure, to your babies? I've heard of people doing this but don't know how they manage to keep the kid still & interested without pictures to look at, etc. I have an almost 7 month old DD & when I read to her she only seems interested in good illustrations & turning the pages (loves to crinkle paper!). Any good books you would recommend reading to your babes? Also, how many pages would you read in a session?

Thanks!

[elephantmeg]

my just turned 6 year old is enthralled with the magic tree house books. His classmates are really getting into them too-his teacher has borrowed books from various kids and is reading them aloud too. But this has made a huge difference in DS wanting to be read to and reading as well. I can't believe he can actually read these books! There is also a website and you can take a 3 question quiz and earn "passport stamps" for the books.

[doberbrat]

What do you all think of reading books that you would read yourself for pleasure, to your babies? I've heard of people doing this but don't know how they manage to keep the kid still & interested without pictures to look at, etc. I have an almost 7 month old DD & when I read to her she only seems interested in good illustrations & turning the pages (loves to crinkle paper!). Any good books you would recommend reading to your babes? Also, how many pages would you read in a session?

Thanks!

we do/did. W/dd1, dh was home with her most of the time. So I hade him read his car magazines/books to her. W/dd2, she listenes to dd1's books. Personally, I think being read to increases vocabulary and having grownups read to them teaches them that everyone reads and its fun.

And, once they start choosing their own books, I read anything once to them but if I dont like it, we dont reread it. keeps me from loosing my mind!

[missym]

My older DD got hooked on the Warriors series by Erin Hunter this year in 4th grade. It does contain some violence (the cat clans fight each other). The first book is Into the Wild (http://www.amazon.com/Into-Wild-Warriors-Book-1/dp/0060525509/). Both girls enjoy the graphic novels, as well.

I highly recommend The Sisters Grimm books by Michael Buckley - DH reads it to them before bed and they all love the story. The series starts with The Fairy Tale Detectives (http://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Tale-Detectives-Sisters-Grimm/dp/0810959259/).

Some other favorites of my rising 5th and 2nd graders:
Bad Kitty (http://www.amazon.com/gp/interests/bookseries/bad_kitty__bruel_nick_/)
Giants Beware! (http://www.amazon.com/Giants-Beware-Jorge-Aguirre/dp/1596435828/)
Zita the Spacegirl (http://www.amazon.com/Zita-Spacegirl-Ben-Hatke/dp/1596434465/)
Disney's The Never Girls - In a Blink (http://www.amazon.com/Never-Girls-Disney-Fairies-Stepping/dp/0736427945/)

[MommyAllison]

Paddington! DH and the kids just finished A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond as a read-aloud, and all 3 of them loved it. I didn't listen in, so don't know what the perfect age range is, but ages 5-7 liked it here. They've also enjoyed The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, and Mr. Popper's Penguins.

[MontrealMum]

Summer 2013...
Some lists of favorite children's books from reputable sites...

Goodreads
http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/favorite-childrens-books
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/86.Best_Children_s_Books
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/621.Best_childrens_books_EVER
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/488.Best_Books_for_Reluctant_Readers (older children)

ALA (American Library Association)
http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists (follow links for multiple lists)
http://www.ala.org/alsc/compubs/booklists/summerreadinglist
http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecottwinners/caldecottmedal
http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal

for older children...YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association)
http://www.ala.org/yalsa/reads4teens/
http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsawards/booklistsbook

CLA (Canadian Library Association)
http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?ContentID=2501&Section=Book_of_the_Year_for_Children_Award&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm

Others
http://www.ilovelibraries.org/booklovers/recreading/default
http://www.cbcbooks.org/readinglists.php
http://www.scholastic.com/parents/books-and-reading/book-lists-and-recommendations/ages-6-7

[jgenie]

We are really enjoying the Library Mouse books (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=library+mouse) by Daniel Kirk. Actually all of the Daniel Kirk books have gone over well here. We also like David Kirk books.

[hellbennt]

my 7 yr old ds is enjoying the author Dan Gutman
http://www.dangutman.com/pages/books.html
he's flying through the 'weird school' series (my weird school series, my weirder school, my weird school daze)

Over the past year, I've read aloud, at night, to my ds1 (entering 5th grade) The Little House books. We made it through the series, then a biography by William Anderson & now On the Way Home, a collection of her postcards/notes she (LIW) wrote as she traveled as an adult...

ds1 loves the N.E.R.D.S. books by Buckley,who is the same author, mentioned above, who wrote the Fairy Tale Detectives. I'm *trying* to get him to read them but....he's not interested.

ds2 is now reading The Happy Hollisters (I wound up buying the whole series for ds1)

[Kindra178]

The Jack Stalwart series. Great for read aloud to the 5-7 age group or reading alone for the 6-9 group.

[elephantmeg]

a picture book we got from the library this week and I love as does DD (5).

http://www.amazon.com/Bunnies-Are-Their-Beds-ebook/dp/B008ZPGCR2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380288626&sr=8-1&keywords=the+bunnies+are+not+in+their+beds

DS (7) is loving the bad kitty books, and Chester books by Melanie Watt
http://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B00CJ1J2OI/ref=sr_1_1_acs_b_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380288692&sr=8-1-acs

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_12?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=melanie+watt&sprefix=melanie+watt%2Caps%2C176

[jgenie]

We checked this book out at the library 6 weeks ago and it is still a nightly read here. We finally ordered our own copy. My boys both love it!

http://www.amazon.com/Glad-Your-Nose-Face-Prelutsky/dp/0061576530/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380312823&sr=8-1&keywords=be+glad+your+nose+is+on+your+face

[lizzywednesday]

DD is 3.5; current faves are:

There's a Monster at the End of This Book! (Sesame Street/Little Golden Books)
Chu's Day (Neil Gaiman; pictures by Adam Rex)
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain: A Nandi Tale (retold by Verna Ardema; pictures by Beatriz Vidal)
The Magic Schoolbus at the Waterworks (Joanna Cole)
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? (Jane Yolen)
How Do Dinosaurs Make Cookies? (Jane Yolen)

For Halloween, she's currently into these:

Where is Baby's Pumpkin? (Karen Katz)
Runaway Mummy (Michael Rex - parody of Runaway Bunny)
Goodnight Goon (Michael Rex)

At school, they read The Giving Tree, about which I am fairly lukewarm. (It was a book I read first when I was a teenager and we used it on a religious retreat weekend as an example of G-d's unconditional love for His people. I liked that use; I don't feel great about them using it at school.)