RC: Amazon 100 Children's Books (birth to age 12) to read in a Lifetime

Amazon's List of 100 Children's Books

to Read in a Lifetime

Personal Challenge
Book list a amazon can be found here

So many children's books remain close to our hearts long after we first read them. But which ones are the can't-miss favorites, those that will last a lifetime? The Amazon Book editors set out to compile a list of 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime that included classics from years gone by, classics in the making, the serious, the silly, the surreal--children's literature has it all. We chose the books based on the idea of selecting the 100 that cover the years from birth (those first well-worn titles) up to age 12. Of course, the age at which people read these may vary wildly, but we tried to pick books that would feel significant in the years leading up to becoming a teenager, and be warmly remembered all their lives. And, naturally, we didn't want the list to feel like homework. We talked and argued and reminisced about the books we read when we were kids, the ones we've read to our own children, and the ones we've discovered since. The result is our list of 100 favorites.

There is a GoodReads Listopia
 

List of Books

1. Aesop's Fables
2. Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
3. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
4. Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
5. Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
6. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
7. The Bad Begining: Or, Orphans! by Lemony Snicket
8. Beatrix Potter, the Complete Tales by Beatrix Potter
9. Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace
10. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
11. The Borrowers by Mary Norton
12. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
13. Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business by Esphyr Slobodkina
14. * Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
15. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
16. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
17. * Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
18. The Complete Adventures of Curious George by Margret and H. A. Rey
19. Corduroy by Don Freeman
20. The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
21. The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
22. D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths by Edgar and Ingri D'Aulaire
23. Diary of a Wimpy Kid, book 1 by Jeff Kinney
24. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Buss by Mo Willems
25. Dr. Seuss's Beginner Book Collection by Dr. Seuss
26. * The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce
27. * From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
28. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
29. Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker
30. * Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales by Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm
31. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
32. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling
33. * Holes by Louis Sachar
34. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by  Brian Selznick
35. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
36. Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
37. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
38. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
39. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
40. The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper
41. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
42. Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
43. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
44. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
45. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
46. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
47. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald
48. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
49. The New Way Things Work by David MacAulay
50. Olivia by Ian Falconer
51. Owen by Kevin Henkes
52. Paddle-to-the-Sea by Holling C. Holling
53. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
54. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
55. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
56. Press Here by Herve Tullet
57. The Real Mother Goose by Blanche F. Wright
58. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
59. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
60. The Story of Babar: The Little Elephant by Jean de Brunhoff
61. The Story of Ferdinard by Munro Leaf
62. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
63. The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo
64. The Tower Treasure by Franklin W. Dixon
65. * Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
66. Watership Down by Richard Adams
67. The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
68. The Westling Game by Ellen Raskin
69. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
70. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
71. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
72. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
73. * The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham
74. * The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
75. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

I have no idea why there are only 75 titles on the list!
~ I've crossed off the ones I remember reading although I may re-read some of them.
* I do own a few more, this doesn't include the ones on order ;-)

List of Books Read

from September 1, 2016 to . . .

copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2016

10,000 Dresses

I thought I saw this book on a "challenged" list but don't remember where I saw it. I can see where someone might take offense but I don't.


10,000 Dresses
Marcus Ewert
Illustrations by Rex Ray

Seven Stories Press
Nov 1, 2008
Ages 4-8
32 pages

I checked this book out of the library.

amazon product description:
Every night, Bailey dreams about magical dresses: dresses made of crystals and rainbows, dresses made of flowers, dresses made of windows…Unfortunately, when Bailey’s awake, no one wants to hear about these beautiful dreams. Quite the contrary: “You’re a BOY!” Mother and Father tell Bailey. “You shouldn’t be thinking about dresses at all.” Then Bailey meets Laurel, an older girl who is touched and inspired by Bailey’s imagination and courage. In friendship, the two of them begin making dresses together. And Bailey becomes the girl she always dreamed she’d be!


My Thoughts:
Gay. Lesbian. Bi. Transgender. Transgender? This is a great book for the kid who doesn't quite feel like everyone thinks they should.

This is a cute book. Bold colors, big graphics. Interesting dresses although we only "see" three of them. It's creative, simplistic and goes right to the point. Stay true to your self. I loved it but I wanted more!

I'm hoping Marcus and Bailey will come play.


Challenges:
PB&J
Banned/challenged
GLBT
10*10*10

Three New Review Books

I don't have cover graphics right with me but wanted to tell you about three new children's books I received for review.

Red in the Flower Bed:
An Illustrated Children's Story about Interracial Adoption
The journey of adoption is beautifully depicted with the comforting imagery of a poppy flower who is welcomed into a garden family. It is a charming story of "seeds" being planted in the perfect place - exactly where they belong. Children and adults will enjoy this simple yet meaningful story and homespun illustrations. The book's loving approach helps children to understand adoption. Andrea Nepa has captured the essence of adoption and family, and has illustrated it beautifully with images and poetry that even a small child can comprehend and enjoy.


Second Chance:
How Adoption Saved a Boy with Autism & His Shelter Dog
Over the past 10 years, author Sandra Gerencher has been on a mission to save dogs from high-kill animal shelters. Her first rescue was P.J., the black and white Pomeranian in the story. She also adopted the orange Pomeranians Shelby and Lil Rascal, and of course, Chance, the big black Rottweiler/German Shepherd mix. All characters in the story are based on Sandra's real life family. The book is filled with softly blended watercolor photos of her loved ones. Her most significant adoption was her son, Terry. He was considered a special needs child because he was born with a genetic disorder known as Fragile X Syndrome. The disorder can cause many cognitive disorders, such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, mental retardation and depression.



Nine Things Nathan Noticed at Night
Nine great things happen when the sun sets for the evening. Each page includes a statement about what is happening and then some fun facts and information about that event. Written from a Christian perspective, the story describes how God made things when He created the Earth. While the story was written specifically for ages 3-8, children of all ages will enjoy this book. Even adults can admire the beautiful watercolor artwork.


Special Thanks go to Mary Ann Langan of Tribute Books for sending me htmls for review

Review: Ghouls Don't Scoop Ice Cream

Ghouls Don't Scoop Ice Cream
The Adventures of The Bailey School Kids #31
Debie Dadey & Marcia Thornton Jones
Illustrator John Steven Gurney
Scholastic Inc.
Categories: Juvenile Fiction - Fantasy
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 66
Reading Level: 3
Grades: 3 - 5
still available from the publisher

from the publisher:
It´s just a normal day for the Bailey School kids. That´s until they head to their favorite ice cream shop and meet Scout, the new girl working the counter. Clad in dark clothing and with a hollow and forlorn look on her face, Scout tells the kids that she´s in town to find a house for the family she works for. When she adds that she´s interested in finding a home that´s made of stone and has no windows near the cemetery, the kids realize Scout must be a ghoul looking for a home for a family of vampires. Will the kids be able to stop Scout from bringing a new family of monsters to Bailey City?

My Thoughts:
Genies don't ride Bicycles, Unicorns don't pull sleighs, Frankenstein doesn't plant Petunias, Vampires don't wear Polka-dots. There is always some strange or unusual person/animal that the four friends notice and there always seems to be a good explanation.

The whole series is fun and quirky, I'm glad to see they're still writing them. If you have a excited reader, they'll breeze through this and be ready for the next one but it is short enough and exciting enough for reluctant readers.


My Rating:
I'm going with a 3 on this one. At one time it was a 5 but I'm not at the school library anymore, my children are grown and I got rid of the others. There isn't any reason to keep this one but I do love the series.

This one was sitting on the desk during Dewey's 24-hour Read-a-thon and I needed something quick to read while pages were loading.

Island of the Blue Dolphins

Borrowed from the library (Support Your Local Library) because of a ning group book club read.


Island of the Blue Dolphins
Scott O'Dell

The most recently published edition:
Publisher: Thorndike Press
Illustrated by: Ted Lewin
Release Date: February 2, 2005
format: hardcover, large print
pages: 183
genre: Children's Literature


Based on a true story of an Indian girl living on an island off the California coast. This book won the John Newbery medal in 1961.

A ship comes to the island to hunt Sea otters and when the village men try to enforce the deal that had been made, they're killed. Now the village women must take up the slack which doesn't sit well with the remaining men. The headman goes off in a canoe to find help.

Time goes by and a new ship arrives but not to hunt. It is there to take the villagers to safety. All are gathered with the best of their possessions and loaded up. All except one little boy who had run back to the village (against his sister's permission) to retrieve his spear. Fearful that he would not survive alone, his twelve-year-old sister & only remaining relative, jumps ship. Her basket of prized possessions is too heavy so she leaves it at the bottom of the ocean and swims to shore.

Eighteen years later another ship arrives at the island.


My Thoughts
So much of what I want to tell you would ruin the story if you haven't read it. The story is one of respect, love, survival, courage and plain old good luck. I was fearful at times, laughed at others and cried. The story is simply told & beautiful illustrated. I'm sure it could be read, a chapter at a time, to a small child.

I only read it because of book club but I'm glad I did.


amazon.com's sales rank as of 8-23: #31,620 in Books

#4 in Books > Large Print > Children's Books
#6 in Books > Large Print > Literature & Fiction
#77 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Classics

There's No Such Thing as a Dragon

There's No Such Thing as a Dragon
by Jack Kent (1920-1985)

Random House
Golden Book (hardcover, 10x8.5)

32 pages
reading level: Baby-Preschool

(It will be available in paperback from Dragonfly Books in September)



Billy Bixby woke up one morning to find a dragon in his bedroom. It was about the size of a kitten. Now the size is important because when Billy told his mom, she said "There's no such thing as a dragon". The dragon is ignored all day and spends the day getting bigger. It also does several cat/dog like things that should have been disciplined but how do you discipline something if it doesn't exist?

Mom spends all morning doing her chores, having to go around the dragon, which I'm sure would have moved for her, even climbing in and out of windows to get around. Poor Mr. Bixby, by the time he came home for lunch, the dragon had gotten big enough to move the house when it chased the bakery truck!

The dragon shrinks back to kitten size and on the last page it is curled up on Mom's lap:

"I don't mind dragons THIS size," said Mother, "Why did it have to grow so BIG?"

"I'm not sure," said Billy, "but I think it just wanted to be noticed."

Profound words from a little boy.

This is a picture book with the print size/number of words per page that you'd expect from a picture book. The graphics are simple but very nice watercolors like the cover. The dragon is very cute and I wish I'd find one in my bedroom when I woke up one morning :-)

I feel there are two "morals to the story". The one on the last page but also, a mother's, or a father's, words make a world of difference.

Children's books!

Isn't it sad, I've signed up for so many challenges that I can't remember if I've signed up for this one. If not, I should. I LOVE children's books!


Becky from Becky's Book Reviews has a Young Readers blog with the Young Readers Challenge. She wants you to post reviews on the 15th and you don't have to do one a month, just 12 in the year. I think I can post 3 or 4 before the wedding and get the rest after our reunion/vacation.




1. And Tango Makes Three reviewed
2. The Different Dragon reviewed
3. If You Give a Cat a Cupcake
4. There's No Such Thing as a Dragon reviewed
5. The Dragonling
6. A Dragon in the Family
7. The Last Holiday Concert
8. The Library Card

Do these fit?
DragonSpell
DragonQuest
DragonKnight
DragonFire
DragonLight

and Tango makes Three

And Tango makes Three
by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
April 26, 2005
32 pages

reading level: ages 4 - 8

Two male penguins in New York City Central Park Zoo hatch an egg. Yes, two males. The book is cute but simplistic. It is a "picture book" geared for kindergarten and I can see why some parent's are in an uproar. I also don't see what the big deal is. Male and female Chintrap penguins look the same so if you see a couple, there is no way to tell it is male/male. The two boys did all the mating rituals that the other couples did, there is no way the zookeeper could have been mistaken.

You can only assume that the pair stayed together through more than one breeding season, otherwise why would they try to hatch a rock. Only after seeing the boys try this, did the zookeeper help. He gave the pair an unhatched egg from another couple that did not do well when taking care of two eggs. He DID NOT take another couple's egg from them, but instead relieved them of having to care for two eggs and possibly losing both.

Full color, short & simplistic, looks to be a bit bigger then legal size paper. I don't know what kind of media happened during/after the hatching, but really, no matter what your view on this is, the penguins are together, the zookeeper did a good thing and baby Tango survived when maybe she would not have. We should not throw away our children (the egg) when there is another option for them.

edited to add picture & publish info, "Wow, a comment already!", and... This book is for my banned/challenged category of the 999 challenge. I picked it because it was a children's book and I just love children's books. The librarian my children had in elementary school would not have taken this out of the school library but she may have placed it with "penguin" instead of the picture books. Usually the kindergarten kids stayed with the picture books. This is what she did with a Holocaust picture book.