We get questions all the time in Children’s Services about “Children’s Classics.” Sometims people will make suggestions – like
Alice in Wonderland or the
Boxcar Children. These are the easy ones. Often parents will wonder if we have
The Incredible Journey or
Finn Family Moomintroll, because their mother or father read these wonderful stories to them. Still others just want a list. When creating lists like our current two,
Enter the World of Family Classics and
Enter the World of Family Classics, 1960-2000, we ask ourselves questions like these. How old does a book have to be to be a “classic?” What characteristics should it have? Does it need to be a great read aloud?
We’ve recently added to our reference collection a title that will help us as children’s librarians, and all of you as our patrons identify familiar and unfamiliar quality titles, that if not “Children’s Classics” are at least “must reads.” It is
1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up edited by Julia Eccleshare and selected and reviewed by leading international critics. The international is important, especially in our community where many of members hail from far away, but also to make sure we United States natives don’t miss some excellent books for children published elsewhere in the world.
It is divided by age levels and includes titles like
Elmer and
Mr. Gumpy’s Outing for ages 0-3. For children ages 3 and up
Jamela’s Dress and
Sleep Well Little Bear are among the offerings. And so it continues from
The Paper Bag Princess (English) (Spanish) for ages 5 and up through
My Friend Flicka for ages 12 and up. Each page includes a brief summary of one or two of the titles. Many pages have a box listing other similar reads or other great books by the author listed. Take it home and peruse; it is a real treasure. Barb L.
This year has been a big one for mice. Not only did they move into my kitchen towel drawer, but they infested children's books as well. One of my all-time-favorite children's books as a fourth grader was The Great Christmas Kidnapping Caper by Jan Van Leeuwen, about some rodents that moved into Macy's department store for the winter. Many well-known authors continued the tradition of great mouse tails, er tales, this year. In the most recent edition of Hornbook magazine, author Richard Peck mentions Stuart Little by E. B. White as an inspiration for a sequel for his new book, Secrets at Sea. Other mouse-y books recently published include: Young Fredle by Cynthia Voigt (a mouse finding his way home), Bless this Mouse (church mice surviving extermination) by Lois Lowry, and The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale (mystery in London) by Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright. Whether underneath your favorite quilt or in your favorite reading nook, enjoy those mice - who are so endearing and enjoyable in our books, yet so troublesome in our walls. -Elaine B. 
