Children's books recommendations?

[Pequenita]

I'm planning on donating a book or two to a children's book drive that a local non-profit is holding. They've given no direction other than the book should be appropriate for kids ages 5-18....which narrows it down.

Anyway, a part of me wants to donate something like To Kill a Mockingbird or Huck Finn or something like that, but then I think, "What kind of kid is going to pick up a required school reading book and read that for fun??" So, what good stuff exists out there for this age group? I don't want to get anything out of the Harry Potter or Twilight series.

 

[Severine]

Some of my favorites are in that group.

Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Island of the Skog (or anything by Steven Kellogg, actually)
Where The Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

I know from the time I was about 11 years old on, I read a lot of adult fiction as well.. think Stephen King, V.C. Andrews, Gone With The Wind, and some trashy Harlequin-type novels, but hey, I read them :D I devoured books back when I had the time to read.

 

[geargrrl]

Roald Dahl is a good one:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
James and the Giant Peach
Matilda

I think it's good for a lot of these kids to know the books that a lot of the movies they like come from.

In the "horse" department for younger readers, The Black Stallion or Misty of Chincoteage

For older kid readers, LOTR or The Hobbit; A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline d'Engle, The Golden Compass series, etc.

gg

 

[Marigee]

My boys liked the Artemis Fowl books by Eoin Colfer as well as The Golden Compass and other books in that series.

 

[TUSSC]

Go for books that are Caldecott or Newberry Medal winners. They are both awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children for literature and illustration. Here are links to a list winners:

Caldecott:
https://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/...tmedal/caldecotthonors/caldecottmedal.cfm#00s

Newberry:
https://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/...a/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal.cfm

A seasonal book to consider is The Polar Express, which is a Caldecott winner.

Also, at my Barnes and Noble, they are having a book drive for the local Ronald McDonald house, and they have a whole bunch of recommended books for kids, most of which are under USD5.00. Check you B&N to see if they have something similar.

 

[Pequenita]

Thanks for the suggestions. Some of my favorite books were Newberry Award winners, but it never ocurred to me to look up current winners.

 

[Jenny]

I know I was reading the Little House series, Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, etc. during that time.

Also love the Susan Cooper Dark is Rising sequence.

 

[Jenny]

Forgot - the Tale of Despereaux.

Also, on the young end - I really like The Story of Frog Belly Rat Bone. The artwork totally amuses me.

 

[MaryLou]

Great suggestions already.

Other ideas:

Peter & The Starcatchers (by Dave Barry and someone else)
Eragon
Magic Tree house series - my kids have loved them

You probably have enough already lol

Second the Tales of Desperoux (sp?) - both my older kids loved it, and it's now a movie.

I was going to also recommend A Snowy Day. That is probably my favorite kid's picture book - I love everything about it, and it's a story about snow - how can you go wrong?!

 

[Pequenita]

I went with Tale of Despereaux. Between the Newbery Award, seeing it on the NYT bestseller list of kids books, and the recommendations here, I figured it was a good bet!

Thanks so much for the recommendations, ladies!

 

[Arlaquinn]

5 year old books

I have a little boy who loves planes, trains, automobiles.....

anything illustrated by Loren Long is great
very funny author with good messages
David Shannon...love his books!

https://www.lorenlong.com/

https://www.answers.com/topic/david-shannon-children-s-author