The recently deceased Maurice Sendak famously said that he wrote books about childhood, not books for children. At our house, we love his books, but it certainly doesn't pay to think too hard about the things he gets right about childhood: the strange and wild fears, the loneliness, the comfortless absurdity that we must endure.
As a connoisseur of children's books, I've lately become fascinated with books that depict childhood accurately, but gently. Here are some of my favorites:
101 Things to To with a Baby written and illustrated by Jan Ormerod
Hands down, the most tenderly perceptive depiction of babyhood and childhood (with extra points for making the adults seem real, too, as they furiously drag the the laundry from the rain, or get winded trying to exercise!). It's not a formal story, but a collection of scenes of a day in the life of a girl (about 7 years old) spending time with her baby brother, who is about 4-5 months old. She loves him and his ankle biting and flower eating, and parents will all recognize the adorable wrinkled forehead and chubby thighs -- but they also feel the blessed relief when baby stops ripping books and smearing egg yolk around, and finally goes to sleep. Just lovely -- would make a great "big brother" or "big sister" gift when a baby is born.
All the World written by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Marla Frazee
This book is new to me (I guess it came in the Cheerios box?). I love the illustrator, Marla Frazee, whom I discovered as illustrator of The Seven Silly Eaters, another acutely observed book about family life. All The World does a subtle job of sketching out the dawning consciousness of a child who is not quite sure where he ends and the world begins. I'm making it sound overly precious, but it's not -- it's a lovely and rhythmic book about the simple things a child experiences with his five senses, and how at home he feels in "all the world."
Beverly Cleary's Beezus and Ramona books and others
Cleary is at her virtuosic best as she manages to elicit sympathy for both pesky Ramona and proper Beezus. Ramona seems SO BAD to Beezus, and Beezus seems SO PRIM to Ramona; and yet, when the story focuses on either sister, you see how they are both good girls -- they're just different. Remember how Ramona ends up sitting in her chair all day, waiting for a gift, because the teacher carelessly told her, "Sit here for the present?" And remember how Beezus aches to be spontaneous and creative as she paints, and just doesn't seem to have it in her? Great stuff. As far as I know, the Henry Huggins books are equally insightful into the mind of a boy. Don't forget to check out the undeservedly lesser-known books, Otis Spofford, Ellen Tebbits, and Emily's Runaway Imagination.
The Little Bear books, by Else Holmalund Minarik, illustrated by Maurice Sendak
Especially the first, Little Bear. It's a small miracle how, in so few words, Minarik shows exactly what's going through Little Bear's simple brain as he deals with a series of very gentle dilemmas: he's cold; he has the hiccups; he thinks maybe his mother forgot his birthday (even though she never did, and she never will). I especially love the scene from "Little Bear Goes To the Moon," where Mother Bear plays along with his pretend game, and acts like she doesn't recognize him. Suddenly it's no fun anymore, and he needs to make things very clear: "I am Little Bear, and you are my mother, and you know it. Now may I have my lunch?"
The Frances books by Russell and Lillian Hoban, illustrated by Garth Williams
All about dear open-faced Frances, the slightly misanthropic poet who can't sleep and who frets over rhymes that don't seem quite right, who is naive enough to be bilked out of her tea set money by the sophisticated Thelma, but worldly enough to go through some painful spiritual struggles as she strives not to eat the Chompo bar she got for her little sister's birthday.
Half Magic by Edward Eager, illustrated by N. M. Bodecker
I feel like I recommend this book every few weeks, but it's worth it. The relationship between the four children is so wonderfully drawn (as are the illustrations!) -- and the story itself is a fascinating, top-notch adventure story. Jane, Mark, Katherine and Martha are such real children, who can afford to fight and shun each other because they know they love each other -- until Jane, for reasons of her own, goes too far. You will love and recognize these children. Edward Eager wrote a series of really good books about children and magic, but Half Magic is the best.
I'm running out of room, so here are some more suggestions from some friends:
Melanie Bettinelli of the Wine-Dark Sea suggests Dahlia by Barbara McClintock; Roxaboxen illustrated by Barbara Cooney; and One Summer Day by Kim Lewis
My sister Sarah Johnson, who doesn't have as much time as we'd wish to post on her poetry blog Long Live the Weeds, recommends The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats and Rain by Peter Spier
Erin Arlinghouse of bearing blog votes for E. Nesbit's The Story of theTreasure Seekers; My Naughty Little Sister series by Dorothy Edwards; The Stories Julian Tells and others by Ann Cameron; and books by Eleanor Estes; and The Real Hole by Beverly Cleary.
Suzanne Temple of Blessed Among Men recommends The Children of Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren, author of the wonderful Pippi Longstocking books
and Kristen Herrett of St. Monica's Bridge reminds us about charming Harold and the Purple Crayon.
Also recommended: books by Shirley Hughes and books by Barbro Lindgren and Eva Eriksson, not to mention Calvin and Hobbes. Also, I haven't actually read the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, but the things my kids tell me sound hilarious and spot-on.
What do you recommend for books that are not only for children, but about children -- and which get it right?
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Great post! Several of these books were dear to me as a child. My daughter is preschool age now and loves reading just as much as I do. I’m so glad to be reminded of these books I can share with her in the next few years!
That “Harold and the Purple Crayon” has been around for a while, I remember reading that to my 21 year old. My youngest (3) really likes the British “Charlie and Lola” books but they’re hard to find. We managed to get a few.
I think Hilda van Stockum gets childhood and family life right. The Mitchells series and the Bantry Bay series are some of our favorites available from Bethlehem Books.
Also the All-of-a-Kind Family books by Sydney Taylor.
Some classics that were read in our house (by both generations): Little House Series and the Box Car Children Series. My girls also love the Mandie series and most of the American Girl series books.
Penrod and Penrod and Sam by Booth Tarkington
To be clear, Penrod is one book, and Penrod and Sam is another. He also has great books for adults: The Magnificent Ambersons, Alice Adams, The Turmoil, about life at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the midwest, and class/social structure. He won the Pulitzer twice for literature.
One of the loveliest books that my kids love is Dogger by Shirley Hughes. Any child who has had a favorite lovey will identify with this gentle story. I still get choked up at the end.
My daughter, who is homeschooled (6.5 years old) really disliked reading. I took a break from her formal reading lessons and we began the Little Bear series. She has absolutely taken off and LOVES these stories. (A funny comment about Little Bear Goes to the Moon: at the beginning, when Little Bear is telling Mother Bear his plans, she insists he can’t fly. My daughter turns to me and says, “Boy, Mother Bear sure has a terrible imagination!” It worked out very sweetly in the end, though.)
Simcha, could you or any of the other readers tell me which books are about the same level as Little Bear? I’d love to keep feeding her newfound joy for reading.
The Frog and Toad series—those are great!
“James in the House of Aunt Prudence” by Timothy Bush (UD represent!) is one of my favorites. And James Marshall’s Fox, Cut-ups, and Three by the Sea/Up a Tree books are all great depictions of the kids and any adults appearing as well.
Oh, and the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace!
Oh and the Knuffle Bunny books by Mo Willems. I think he catches that transitional object love—and anxiety over its loss—so well. And I love how Trixie grows and changes over the course of the three books. And I love her parents, both sympathetic and exasperated at the same time.
I love reading the Skippy Jon Jones books to my kids. In fact, I like reading them more than they like listening! The main character is a siamese cat who thinks he’s a chihuahua, and who has a very active imagination. Much of the book must be read in a Spanish accent. The writing is truly clever, with lots of word play and Spanish thrown in. One thing, though: El Skippito is a rascal, pure and simple. There is no life lesson or moral to the stories.
We enjoyed the Dr. Seuss books for early readers. “Are You My Mother?” was another favorite when mine were little. Simcha or anyone else out there, can you recommend some good books for my 12 year old daughter who is a reluctant reader? In order for her to finish her 6th grade English project, I ended up reading her book aloud to her. (It was “Entwined” which I felt was borderline on appropriateness for my daughter to read, she’s very impressionable. I was glad to be reading it aloud to her so we could discuss the ‘iffy’ parts.) I’d like to find age appropriate books which will also work for this Catholic household. This summer we’ll do “Anne of Green Gables” and “The Hobbit” as read-alouds to discuss, but I’d love any other ideas you have for me!
run don’t walk to your nearest computer (oh- you are already there….) and order
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The Maggie B- this is a book of “A little girl’s wish to sail for a day on a boat named for her `with someone nice for company’ comes true”
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http://www.amazon.com/The-Maggie-B-Irene-Haas/dp/0689500211/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339169744&sr=1-1
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officially, it is a little kid’s picture book to be read by mama or papa- but I still love it for myself
The Great Brain series. These books convinced one of my reluctant-to- read-for-enjoyment-sons, that reading was also for pleasure. What is interesting for me as a mother, is to observe which of my children have art/language brains, science/math brains, and combo brains. My third boy loves historical fiction. He is far too practical to enjoy fantasy. He also enjoys sneaking to watch the news at night. Poor kid. As you might guess, he has a very serious personality.
@Micaela-The Frog and Toad Series is about the same reading level. My daughter really enjoyed the Oliver and Amanda Pig books by Jean Van Leeuwen.
@Rose-I loved Anne of Green Gables in my preteen years and actually just read Anne of Avonlea for the first time last month and still enjoyed the character of Anne, even though I am now an adult. She might also enjoy From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler or Because of Winn Dixie.
As I book lover myself I am loving all of these suggestions:)
We’re just finishing up the Mary Poppins series, which has been an outstanding read-aloud, and the sibling relationships are wonderfully real and warm. The mother and father, on the other hand, are caricatures—but that’s to be expected in a book about a magical nanny, and they are nice goofy caricatures.
But nothing, nothing compares to Frances. Love that badger family.
Posted by Amira on Friday, Jun 8, 2012 8:52 AM (EST):Penrod and Penrod and Sam by Booth Tarkington”
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Thanks so much for mentioning those books.You never hear about them anymore.Very, very funny.And I guess politically incorrect.Maybe that’s why we don’t hear so much about them?
The Real Hole! This was in a box of books from my (and my older brothers’) childhood and my 3 year old would have it read to him every day if I didn’t insist on rotating books. It is just wonderful. Another one from that box that he loves is Snuff by Quentin Blake.
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Please continue to recommend books as I go back to your lists when buying books for my older nephews and nieces. :)
Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter books, especially “Just for You.” These really show a good contrast between a child’s perspective of their actions in the world and a parent’s. The illustrations help move the story and are not just there for the “scenery.”
Hey, in my opinion, it can be anything, just so long as it isn’t those horrific Berenstain Bears.
Oh, but don’t forget the Betsy-Tacy series…simply lovely…
Don’t forget Pinocchio. I mean the original not the Disney version. It was written by Collodi long-ago probably a hundred years ago as a serial in the newspaper. The chapter endings are written to get you to come back and read again so it’s excellent for a read-aloud story. While it’s a great adventure story extremely appealing to children it’s full of symbolism of good and evil as well with our heavenly father personified in Geppeto who always forgives the wayward child who comes back. There’s a wonderful edition newly published in the last few years which has loads of notes by the Italian scholar who translated it into English with the original Italian there too. I read it to my kids 35 years ago as the oldest was preparing for first reconciliation and it was very appropriate. Reading it again five years ago to a grandson who had no background in Catholicism showed me how appealing it was to all children. I highly recommend it.
I’m so glad the Beezus and Ramona books made it onto the list. I always thought they were a very realistic depiction of childhood including the loving, worried, slightly impatient grown-ups. My favorite part of all Beverly Cleary’s books was when Beezus and Ramona were punished for complaining about their food and had to make dinner for the family in Ramona Quimby Age 8. I think the first time I laughed out loud reading a book was when Beezus and Ramona pulled off the chicken skins and Ramona decided to use tongs because she didn’t want to touch them.
The Anastasia books by Lois Lowry.
I used to have children now have adults. They grew up captivated by ‘Night Kitchen’ and ‘Outside Over There’ and Thurber’s “Pet Department’ etc.
but we are all are IN LOVE with Rosemary Wells ‘Noisy Nora’, cus we have one…
“Emily’s Run Away Imagination” is a favorite book that I didn’t discover until 5 years ago. The audio reading is worth buying. There is also an audio of the “Frances” stories read by Carol Channing that is a treat. I didn’t really like “Pinocchio” and it gave my kids the fantods (see Huck Finn). It’s just a little too surreal. My husband is the only one in the family that really enjoyed it, but he likes Salvador Dali and Stravinsky.
@Julie Parmenter: I’d forgotten those, but I loved the Anastasia books! They were coming-of-age type books, but she didn’t go around talking about periods all the time like most coming-of-age “heroines” seem required to do (yes, I’m gagging at you, Judy Blume!). Great early teen who is becoming independent, but still loves her parents even while rolling her eyes at them sometimes.
“One Morning in Maine” and “Blueberries for Sal” by Robert McCloskey.
“The Midnight Fox” by Betsy Byars. An excellent book about a young boy who unwillingly spends the summer with relatives on a farm. I don’t see it mentioned a lot, but it is absolutely wonderful and I would highly recommend it.
Beverly Cleary’s books are also at the top of my list for getting childhood right.
Posted by suburbancorrespondent on Friday, Jun 8, 2012 4:24 PM (EST):
“Hey, in my opinion, it can be anything, just so long as it isn’t those horrific Berenstain Bears.”
I was neutral on the Berenstain Bears, but my kids LOVED them. So I read them. Aloud. Many times. NOT in Starbucks, because such didn’t exist at the time, nor did family schedules pencil in quality time with kids in coffee houses with internet access.
I feel very sorry for parents who are coping with the rising social media. You are dealing with new territory, and it’s, frankly, terrifying. I count my spouse and self as unbelievably lucky in having kids who graduated high school just before issues of Facebook bullying were raised. But hang in there. I strongly believe that personal, family bonds will in the end, rule.
We loved The Secret Garden although none of the movies made of it contained the doxology ,which was the high point of the book for us.and also Charlotts Web which included an introduction to some very important “catholic terminology”.does anyone remember which book of the Ann of green Gables contained the one of the main charactors calling someone a “transubstancionalist”?
I second Hilda Van Stockum. Her books on kids in WWII, The Winged Watchman and The Borrowed House are very good too.
The Wizard of Oz series—I think they are better after the first book.
Brighty of the Grand Canyon was a favorite of mine when I was young. Marguerite Henry wrote some other horse stories that I enjoyed too.
I love “Edward and the Pirates” by David McPhail. A boy is reading a pirate book and it takes him on a fantasy in which his parents (and he actually has two!) come to save him like superheros. Beautifully drawn, very family affirming. My boys really liked it. It says it is for 4-8 years old.
Books about childhood—anything by Maria Montessori, Dr. Suzuki, or John Holt!
My children have all loved the “Little Tim” books by Edward Ardizzone, and the Flicka,Ricka, and Dicka and Snipp, Snapp, and Snurr books by Maj Lindman. Also, Elsa Beskow books, and, my personal favorite, “The Two Windmills” by Maryke Reesink.
Talking about this list with my 21 yo dd has provided for an interesting evening. We would add some Farley Mowat books (Owls in the Family, The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be) and “Matthew Mark Luke and John” by Pearl S. Buck.
The latter is about 4 orphan boys who take care of each other. We can’t remember which Asian country in which the book is set.
Also…The Velveteen Rabbit…oh, and Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling.
Ditto Hilda van Stockum, Beverly Cleary.
Oh! DD has just reminded me of a book we all enjoy (which comes with a CD) called “The Composer is Dead” by Lemony Snickett. It is an introduction to the orchestra, and goes through a wild list of classical composers. I would suggest it for older children. It’s done up like a murder mystery.
Maybe a bit off-topic, but really funny. And dd insisted.
@Rose, I’d suggest Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters by Lesley M. M. Blume for your 12way year old. It’s a sweet sweet story about a girl who feels misunderstood by her famous mother and is befriended by an eccentric old lady neighbor who shares her love of stories. Virginia, the woman, tells Cornelia all about the wild adventures she had as a young girl. I’m not really doing it justice ... it’s funny and sweet and tender at the end. We loved it!
Definitely second the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace! The best!!! And they’re great fro reading from childhood right up through high school.
When our kids were small, board-books about being a kid they loved included:
The Little Fur Family
In The Forest
The Snowy Day
Little Gorilla
Are You My Mother?
As they got older, they loved the original “Pinocchio” and all the Oz books too.
Children’s books! Still buy a few them now…
My Mom raised us on Berenstain Bears, Magic School Bus, Little Critter… She also bought a lot of Caldecott award winners like Eric Carle, Jack Prelutsky and Tomie de Paulo books…
When we were older I loved reading Beverly Cleary, Roald Dahl, E L Koningberg, C S Lewis, Madeliene L’Engle, Lois Lowry, Christopher Paul Curtis, Anne of Green Gables series, Little Women series… Most of these authors also got childhood right! They can express the childhood frustration why parents can’t see that they have “grown up” and give kids the credit that just cause they’re young doesn’t mean their dumb… I loved them!
Amongst the Newberry medal awardees… I loved The Giver, Wrinkle in Time, Up a Road Slowly, A Ring of Endless Light, The Watson’s go to Birmingham, Bridge Terabithia, Jacob Have I Loved… This list could go on and on… Still partial to young adult books till now..some of them are quite deep! And in truth not for children at all. Like “Out of the Dust” by Karen Heese.
I just wanted to add the Arthur series and the classic Madeline series by Ludwig Burnham for children! :D
I loved, loved, loved the Chronicles of Prydain,by Lloyd Alexander, beginning with the Book of Three and moving to the short stories written about the characters after end of the series.
Taran wants so badly to be treated like an adult, but he lacks maturity and often fails miserably even when he throws himself into the task at hand. He has to learn about things like persistence, prudence, leadership, kindness, self-sacrifice, and when compromise is needed and when it is out of the question. That war is sometimes just and necessary, but it is bloody and ugly and people you love die. Yet, the reader isn’t beaten over the head with the lessons so the reading is enjoyable all the way through. Although it is based loosely on Welsh mythology, the characters seemed like real people to me when I read it the first time (about age 9). Taran was believable because I could clearly see I would do the same things (and complain about the same things).
Henry and Mudge books (by Cynthia Rylant) are about at the reading level of Little Bear and Frog and Toad and all three of these series were instrumental with my “slower” reader. Henry (an only child with a prissy cousin Annie who appears in several stories) and his big lumbering dog Mudge are a really sweet pair. And I love the illustrations here too. Ditto on that Calvin and Hobbes recommendation! While they’re not always depicting the sweetness and light part, they definitely get childhood right! Taught both kids a literal ton of vocabulary too!
Jeanne Birdsall more than measures up with her three (so far) The Penderwicks, The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, and The Penderwicks at Point Moutette. Four sisters who are as very real, very endearing children. The stories have real-life situations but are sweet, charming, and funny. I read them with joy—and I don’t even have kids to share them with!
I like all the pre-1965 children’s literature, too! But for modern-day settings, I found “The Penderwicks” to be great, and also anything by Hilary McKay. She (or maybe he, since he/she is British!!) writes about siblings so naturally. Start with “Saffy’s Angel” and then read all the sequels (each sibling gets a book, the youngest one gets two!)
Meg in NH
“The Children of Green Knowe” by Lucy M. Boston is a beautiful, gentle story about a little boy who goes to spend his Christmas holiday with his great-grandmother in their family manor house, which is almost 1000 years old. While there, he experiences magic and the supernatural—or does he? The author did an exquisite, heartwrenching job of depicting young childhood so that you experience it almost as the little boy would: Are the fantastical happenings real, or are they part of his imaginination? It’s not a religious book, but it does have some lovely snippets of Catholic culture and is, in my opinion, basically a story about the communion of saints, although I’m not sure that’s what the author intended. They would also be good for getting children interested in the tumultuous history of 17th century England.
“Charlotte Sometimes” by Penelope Farmer, a gorgeous, bittersweet English YA novel that got a lot of well-deserved attention when the band The Cure did a song about it. Set in an English boarding school during WWII, it’s the story of a girl who gets swept back to the same school during WWI. A haunting meditation on time and space that is nearly impossible to describe.
Both books are beautifully written and remarkably sensitive to children.
Loved, loved, loved “Harriet the Spy” when I was a little kid. That book was reread over and over again. Judy Blume was also a dear favorite as well as all the “Little House on the Prairie” books… We have all of these now in our home family library and they are beloved by my kids as well.
Thanks for this column, it helped me remember a book I loved as a child:
Hitty: Her First Hundred Years
Rachel Field (Author)
Dorothy P. Lathrop (Illustrator)
(Seems there’s a new, PC version out written by another author,too.)
Henry and Mudge—the series by Cynthia Rylant (as well as many of her other books).
As a librarian ... I love to read book lists and what people read because everyone has so many different tastes!!
So this is a wonderful list ... but I do have to say ... just make sure you read to your children!!! And make sure they keep reading as they get older!!!!
(not only for my job security but because reading produces self sufficient thinkers!)
Am I the only one that loves “Chester’s Way” by Kevin Henkes. It cracks me up every time!
I finally read the introduction to my copy of Dr. Dolittle, which discussed books being about vs. for children. It was quite interesting, and something I pondered occasionally in the kid’s department of the bookstore. It seems that everything written now is starring the children, whereas books from Yore that lasted and became classics were more books that were written about adults, but FOR children, on a level they could understand and relate to. Personally I love these, as I find it shows real insight into the mind of children and how the perceive and understand the world. I wish that more modern authors could get into that style of writing.
Books that get childhood right? I’d say the Boxcar Children (the first one at any rate. I never did follow up with the series), the Babysitter’s Club series (which they’re finally reprinting!), and Charlotte’s Web (I know the children aren’t in it a lot, but what they are in I find quite good).
I personally can’t stand Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I think it’s drivel. Please do read it and judge for yourself!
@Guenevere
Re-printing Babysitter’s Club?! YES!!! That was my tween-hood book series! :D I still many of the old books at foot of my bed!
The Melendy books by Elizabeth Enright.
@andkaras: Anne of Ingleside is the book where Anne’s son stops a would-be bully with “transsubstantionalist.”
As a Canadian, I feel some obligation to plug the Anne books, but honestly, they are kind of cloying. I would not put them on a list of books that get childhood right.
Veronica beat me to it—Elizabeth Enright’s books do most definitely get childhood right, especially the Melendy ones.
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