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READING TO
CHILDREN
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We present some of the best in children’s literature for
reading aloud and reading. These books are listed by grade, theme,
and title. Age or grade categories usually cover a broad period
in a child’s life, however, please consider our ratings by
grade as a recommendation, not a rigid limitation on the use of
the books.
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Parents will find the best in current books selections
for their children in this bi-monthly book review guide.
BOOKS BY THEME
Adventure
Animals
Anthologies
Bears
Bedtime
Classics
Chapter Books for Young
Concept Books
Countries & Cultures
Dinosaurs
Families
Famous People
Fantasy
Fiction for the Young
Folk Literature
Friendship
Historical Fiction
Holidays & Special Days
Humor & Nonsense
Insects
Mysteries & Detective Stories
Nature
Non-Fiction
Oceans, Rivers, Lakes, & Ponds
Poetry
Recordings
Rhythm & Rhyme
Science Fiction
Sports
Trains, Planes, Cars, & Boats
Wordless Books
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RAISING SMART KIDS
To create a nation of readers, parents need to read
to children early in their child's life and continue well past the
point when their children learn to read.
No education reforms or laws will matter unless parents do their job
and teach children at an early age to love reading. Parents need to
create an atmosphere in the home that nurtures reading. Children get
the impression that reading is valuable when they see their parents
take time to enjoy reading quality books, magazines, and newspapers.
Parents set a powerful example of the importance of reading when they
check out library books for themselves, as well as for their children.
It is a sad reflection on American life when less than ten percent
of the American people regularly use the public library system.
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BARRIERS TO READING ALOUD
Television may be a great babysitter, but it is a huge
obstacle to family togetherness. Television deprives a child of asking
questions. It encourages deceptive thinking and stifles their imagination.
It overpowers and desensitizes a child's sense of sympathy for suffering.
It is a passive activity and discourages creative play.
Most American children do minimal reading. They do not know very much
about history, unless they have seen it on television. This is ignorance,
not illiteracy.
Our society offers so many distractions and negative role models that
most children either cannot read, will not read, or hate to read.
What does this say about their choices in the voting booths, how they
choose to spend their money and leisure time, how they raise their
children, or the value systems they adopt and whom they emulate? |
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HOME ENVIRONMENT
Read to your child on a regular basis. In addition
to stories, read labels on cans and boxes, street signs, receipts,
coupons, etc. Be available to answer questions and praise your child's
efforts. Make available a wide variety of printed material-books,
magazines, newspapers, comics, etc. Have paper and pencil available
for scribbling and drawing, and display their artwork where everyone
can admire it.
Establish the habit of reading aloud everyday, and try to schedule
it around the fewest interruptions. For a busy parent, usually bedtime
is chosen. At this time, children often look for security and appreciate
the physical closeness. They are also tired enough to stay in one
place.
Some hyperactive children listen best while they are
soaking and swishing in the bathtub. Water is magically calming and
enables them to enjoy a story better.
A big, comfortable chair or recliner may be just the ideal place for
children who have physically outgrown their lap sitting and bed sharing
days.
Make sure the readings are interesting and exciting enough to hold
their interest while building up their imagination. Use plenty of
expression when you read aloud and have fun with the language. Whisper,
laugh, oink, meow, or speak gruffly or softly. Read slow or fast to
fit the story and allow time for children to point to everything in
a picture and discuss it.
For children who are not used to listening to stories, keep the initial
readings short enough to fit their attention spans, and gradually
increase the reading time as well as the length of the book. Do not
turn every reading session into a question and answer session. Be
sensitive to the times when your child simply wants to enjoy the story.
Read aloud every day. Turn off the television, get comfortable, have
good light, and enjoy a good book. |
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BOOK SOURCES
The greatest bargain in America today is still found
in the libraries. In addition, patronize bookstores that either specialize
in children's books or have a large children's section. Many parents
also take advantage of school book fairs that offer paperback selections.
Books also can be purchased secondhand at garage sales, thrift shops,
and used bookstores.
Students are usually introduced to a variety of book clubs offered
through their school. Most of these offer paperbacks, and the prices
are good. Children like paperbacks and often choose them over hardcover
editions because they are soft and more flexible. If a book will only
be read once or twice and then forgotten, a paper edition will do.
Begin a children's home library. For young children, divide books
into two categories: expensive (place up and out of reach, but in
sight) and inexpensive (place on lower shelves within easy reach).
Books make perfect gifts. Make a list of favorite titles for grandparents
or relatives and friends to give as gifts. Use holidays, seasons,
or any other fun experiences as an excuse to give a child a good book.
Unlike toys, books are difficult to break and are ready-made with
no assembly or batteries needed. Portable, they can be enjoyed anywhere,
at any time of the day, take up less space than most toys, and never
go out of style. |
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BUILDING A CHILD'S HOME LIBRARY
Every child should own a book with his or her name
inscribed inside-one that cannot be returned to the library or shared
with a sibling. Place a bookrack where it can be used often by a child,
no matter how large or small it is. If parents wish to raise a reader,
they should invest in a bed lamp, when their child is old enough to
stay up late at night and read in bed.
A child's home library should have a least one good nursery rhyme
book by a good illustrator. Purchase one that is beautiful, one the
child will want to pass on to the next generation. They need picture
books that say "good-night" or talk about their world in a way that
makes them feel safe and loved. Include at least one good poetry book,
and purchase a new one for each major shift in the child's comprehension.
A good dictionary is a must, one with large enough print to invite
reading. Finally, a good atlas needs to be part of a standard child's
library. Ask the children's librarian at your local public library
or check with your local children's bookstore for a good recommendation.
Because of their flexibility, children like paperback books. If a
book is read a few times and then forgotten, paperbacks are fine,
but if the book becomes special, an investment in the hardcover edition
is recommended. |
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AWARDS
Each year, several awards are given for the best books
published.
John Newbery and Randolph Caldecott are men in whose names awards
are given annually by the Association for Library Service to Children,
a division of the American Library Association.
The Caldecott Medal has been awarded annually since 1938 to the most
distinguished illustrator of a children's book during the preceding
year.
The Newbery Award has been awarded since 1921 to the author of the
most distinguished contribution to children's literature during the
preceding year.
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal is presented every three years to an
author or illustrator who has, "made a substantial and lasting contribution
to children's literature."
The Coretta Scott King award is, "given to a black author and to a
black illustrator for an outstanding inspirational and educational
contribution."
As prestigious as they are, do not let awards or medals dictate a
choice in children's books. Awards are given for the quality of the
writing or the illustrations and do not guarantee that a book will
be successful. It is the parent's interest, good taste, and discretion
that should be the influencing factor. |
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Welcome to The Children's Hour where those interested in reading to children will find information on various aspects of reading aloud, as well as hundreds of memorable children's books. Our recommendations are also great choices for children, teens, and young adults to read.
The Holidays make sharing books even more enjoyable. Whether five years old or ninety-four, everyone loves a good holiday story, and we hope you will enjoy our special selections.
Several classics in children's literature have been reissued this year, and we hope you enjoy these as well. A classic is the rare book that has a special element, which enables it to endure the test of time and appeal to children from generation to generation. It stands out because it has the ability to touch the heart and cross the boundaries of culture, nationality, religion, race, gender and status.
Classics should make a major contribution to a child's education, merriment and appreciation of literature. Many good stories provide clear standards of right and wrong, show the ethics of human behavior, and evoke natural and wholesome laughter. Classics contain those unique qualities that surpass time and appeal to listeners and readers of every generation.
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THE MITTEN
adapted/illus. Jan Brett, (G. P. Putnam's Sons, $17.99, ISBN
978-0-399-25296-9), 32p, Ages 3-5.
Reissued with a new cover for its 20th anniversary, this famous
Ukrainian folktale centers around a lost mitten and the woodland
animals that try to fit inside for warmth from the snow. Cautioned
by his grandmother not to lose his mittens in the snow, young
Nicki does just that. One by one, the forest animals use it
for refuge: a mole, rabbit, hedgehog, owl, badger, fox, and
finally a bear. The mitten is so stretched to the breaking point,
that when a mouse squeezes in and tickles the bear's whiskers,
his huge sneeze blows everyone out of their knitted shelter.
The mitten sails through the air and lands in the snow, where
Nicki discovers it. Children will love the humorous antics of
the animals as they try to take up residence in one small knitted
mitten, as well as the grandmother's puzzled expression at the
over-stretched mitten. |
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THE WIZARD
OF OZ
written by L. Frank Baum, illus. by Charles Santore, (Sterling
Publishing, $16.95, ISBN 978-0-4027-6625-1), 96p,
Ages 7+.
Originally published in 1900, this enduring classic tells of
a Kansas cyclone that transports a girl, her dog, and house
to a magical land called Oz, where she begins an unforgettable
journey to return home to Kansas. When her house lands on the
Wicked Witch of the East, her sister, the Wicked Witch of the
West, becomes a powerful enemy. Dorothy is advised to traverse
the yellow brick road to the City of Emeralds and ask the Great
Wizard for help. On her way, she meets three special friends,
who also seek help: a stuffed Scarecrow in need of a brain,
a rusty Tin Woodsman looking for a heart, and the cowardly Lion
searching for courage. Through blue Munchkin land, over poisoned
poppy fields, into the sparkling Emerald City, sidetracked by
a Wicked Witch of the West and her winged monkeys, Dorothy and
friends finally reach the Wizard, only to discover that he cannot
help. The story is condensed, rather than adapted or retold,
to accommodate Charles Santore's sixty stunning watercolor illustrations.
However, the heart, brain, and courage of the story remain for
children of another generation to enjoy. The Introduction, written
by Michael Patrick Hearn, leading authority on L. Frank Baum,
explains the making of this unforgettable classic, which should
be an essential addition to all home libraries. |
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ALICE'S ADVENTURES
IN WONDERLAND
written by Lewis Carroll, illus. by Robert Ingpen, (Sterling
Publishing, $19.95, ISBN 978-1-4027-6835-4), 192p,
Ages 10+.
Alice's nonsensical and curious adventures begin when she follows
a frantic white rabbit down a hole into a magical world called
Wonderland. There she meets a Cheshire Cat, the hookah-smoking
Caterpillar, a Mad Hatter, the March Hare, a Doormouse, an absurd
Dodo, a Dutchess, a Gryphon, and the bossy Queen of Hearts,
with whom she plays a bizarre game of croquet. Through her adventures
and predicaments, where the nonsensical become the norm, Alice
retains her humor, reason, and sense of justice. Robert Ingpen's
artwork is fascinating and memorable. As Alice states, "and
what is the use of a book…without pictures or comments?" Told
to a group of children in 1862, this unabridged edition will
capture the heart, mind, and imagination of children everywhere.
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ALICE THROUGH
THE LOOKING-GLASS
written by Lewis Carroll, illus. by Helen Oxenbury, (Candlewick
Press, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-7636-4262-4), 208p, Ages
10+.
In the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Alice climbs
through a mirror on the family's mantel and into a giant chessboard
world, where it takes walking backward to get anywhere. In order
to become a queen, Alice must move through sequences on the
chessboard to reach the other side and return home. On her way,
she meets Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Humpty Dumpty, the Lion
and the Unicorn, the White and Red Queens, the White Knight,
and the oyster-loving Walrus and Carpenter. Throughout all her
sideways, upside down, and backward adventures, Alice maintains
her sensible and analytical ways. Lewis Carroll also uses clever
wordplay, symbolism, and hidden messages for older readers to
enjoy. |
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THUMBELINA
written by Hans Christian Andersen, retold by Brian Alderson,
illus. by Bagram Ibatoulline, (Candlewick Press, $17.99, ISBN
978-0-7636-2079-0), 40p, Ages 4-8.
A tiny girl, the size of a thumb, is kidnapped by Mrs. Toad
and betrothed to her Toadikins. "Thumbelina wept big tears,
but the river fish heard what was going on, and they nibbled
at the lily pad stalk and-whisht!- away it floated down the
river." On her journey, Thumbelina meets selfish and fickle
maybugs, a manipulating Mrs. Fieldmouse, and a pompous marriage-minded
mole, who keeps her in his underground home. After rescuing
a hurt swallow, Thumbelina nurses him back to health until he
is well enough to fly. Because of her care and concern, the
swallow offers to fly her to his summer villa, where she finds
Crystal Fairies and her own fairy king. Throughout all of her
harrowing adventures, Thumbelina never loses her compassion
and sympathy for others. |
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WYNKEN, BLYNKEN,
AND NOD
written by Eugene W. Field, illus. by David McPhail, (Scholastic,
Inc., $6.99, ISBN 978-0-439-92144-2), 20p, Ages
2+.
Originally published in 1889 and now available in board book,
this classic bedtime poem tells of three fishermen, who set
sail in a wooden shoe into the night sky in search of fish.
With their nets of silver and gold, they meet the Old Moon,
who laughs and speeds them along with a song. "All night long
their nets they threw/To the stars in the twinkling foam;/Then
down from the sky/Came the wooden shoe,/Bringing the fishermen
home." Home is a little girl's bedroom, where her mother sings
of the fisherman, Wynken, Blynken, and Nod. |
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REGARDS TO
THE MAN IN THE MOON
written/illus. by Ezra Jack Keats, (Viking Children's Books,
$15.99, ISBN 978-0-670-01137-7), 40p, Ages 5+.
Friends tease Louis about his father "the junkman," but his
father explains that imagination can transform junk into amazing
adventures. With help from his parents, Louis transforms junk
into a special spaceship called "Imagination I", which Louis
and a friend magically fly into outer space. "They floated past
strange and wondrous things . . . and on through worlds no one
had ever seen before." While gliding through space, they discover
two friends, who decide to follow in a converted bathtub. When
the friends become frightened during a rock storm, they lose
their imagination, and Louis tows them safely home. Reissued
for the fortieth anniversary of the first lunar landing, children
will learn about the power of dreams and imagination. The paint
and collage illustration are marvelous. |
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WE'RE GOING
ON A BEAR HUNT
written by Michael Rosen, illus. by Helen Oxenbury, (McElderry
Books, $18.99, ISBN 978-1-4169-8711-6), 40p, Ages
4-8.
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, this classic tells of a brave
father, his four children, and pet dog, who find adventure in
hunting a bear. "We're going on a bear hunt. /We are going to
catch a big one. /What a beautiful day! /we're not scared."
Whenever they experience an obstacle, they declare, "We can't
go over it. /We cannot go under it. /Oh, no! / We've got to
go through it!" Running, climbing, crawling, and trudging through
grass (swishy swashy), cold water (splash splosh), mud (squelch
squerch), and a snow storm (hoooo wooo), they stumble upon a
dark cave, inhabited by an unfriendly bear. Quickly retracing
their steps (followed by the bear), they hurry home, bare the
door, and hide under the covers, exclaiming no more bear hunts.
The final scene depicts the bear tromping home to his cave.
Children will love the clever language and good-natured antics
of a family determined to experience adventure. |
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AMOS & BORIS
written/illus. by William Steig, (Square Fish, $6.99, ISBN
978-0-312-53566-7), 32p, Ages 5-8.
This charming and whimsical tale concerns a life-long friendship
between a mouse, Amos, and a whale, Boris, who have nothing
in common but their desire to help their fellow mammals. Amos
loves sailing, but one day he accidentally falls overboard and
meets Boris, who kindly takes him back home to the Ivory Coast
of Africa. It seems that Boris was on his way to a convention
of whales from the seven seas. During the trip, the two strike
up a lasting friendship. "Boris admired the delicacy, the quivering
daintiness, the light touch, the small voice, and gemlike radiance
of the mouse. Amos admired the bulk, the grandeur, the power,
the purpose, the rich voice, and the abounding friendliness
of the whale." Hoping the repay the kindness someday, Amos pledges
his help, if ever needed. Little does Boris realize that one
day he will need a rescuing that only Amos can provide. Appealing
to all ages on many levels, these two characters will wind their
way into every reader and listener's heart. |
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KATY AND
THE BIG SNOW
written/illus. by Virginia Lee Burton, (Sandpiper, Book/CD,
$16.00, ISBN 978-0-395-18155-3), 40p, Ages 3-7.
Katy is a red crawler tractor, who is a bulldozer in summer
and a snowplow in winter. After a blizzard buries the city of
Geoppolis under many feet of snow and the city's truck snowplows
break down, Katy is called into action. With power lines down,
the fire department unable to reach a fire, the railroad station
and airport closed, and a break in the water main, everyone
is helpless. Katy begins to chug slow and steady throughout
the city, past the police station, the post office, the railway
station, the telephone company, East Geoppolis, the water department,
North Geoppolis, West Geoppolis, past the hospital, South Geoppolis,
and the airport. "Katy finished up the side streets so traffic
could move in and out and around the city." Tired from a long
day of work, Katy returns home for a well-deserved rest. This
classic tale teaches children the value of persistence and endurance,
addresses problems created by snowstorms, and becomes a great
tool for understanding how maps work. |
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GOLDILOCKS
retold/illus. by Ruth Sanderson, (Little, Brown & Co., $16.99,
ISBN 978-0-316-77885-5), 32p, Ages 4+.
"Goldilocks loved to pick blueberries. That morning, she wandered
from bush to bush to bush, and before she knew it, she was standing
in front of a cottage she had never seen before." Forgetting
her manners, Goldilocks creates a mess by eating the inhabitants'
porridge, breaking their chairs, and sleeping in their beds.
Confronted by the bear inhabitants, Goldilocks is embarrassed
by her rudeness and makes amends by straightening up and helping
around the house with chores. Offering the bears her bucket
of blueberries, they all pitch in to make blueberry muffins.
Endpapers offer a delicious recipe. Of the numerous renditions
of Goldilocks, this interpretation, with its delightful twist
and happy ending will appeal to a new generation. |
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ABOUT US
The Children's Hour was created to promote and encourage reading
to children. We believe that reading aloud not only creates
a special bond between parents and children, but it is important
to the development of their imagination and curiosity. Our books are also great choices for children to read.
The Children's Hour
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Suite 300
Arcadia, CA 91006
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