Posted on April 2, 2021
This is an update of my post published on April 2, 2010:
This is the birthday of fairy tale author Hans Christian Anderson, and the day has been set aside to help children discover the joy of reading and to call attention to children's books. As the IBBY website points out to kids, “A book is waiting for you. Find it!”
On this auspicious day, I thought it would be fun to post some personal Top Ten lists of children's books.
I'm old. A "senior" - retired - cheap movie seats if any of us ever get to go to the movie theater again - priority on the COVID vaccine!
A lot of the books I adored as a child and that my now-grown children adored when they were young - well, those books are even older than I am. And you probably already guessed that what I'm going to say is this: there are some super yicky moments of sexism and racism in most older books.
Sexism and racism aren't okay, and they were never okay - not even back in the past. But in the past these and other forms of bigotry were a lot less considered or even acknowledged - in society generally and in publishing houses as well. Publishers were mostly white men, and editors were mostly white, and the authors who actually got published were mostly white; older books are, as a group, decidedly more racist and sexist than is acceptable today.
Please notice any examples of exclusion, stereotyping, and bigotry that you run into. Think about them, talk about them, and reject them.
Second, a word about genres:
Many kids and adults think that they “aren't into” or won't like certain kinds of books. I have especially noticed that many girls and women think that they could never like science fiction. But I think that there are all sorts of science fiction books, from really-it's-a-Western-shoot-'em-up-set-in-space to dark dystopian dramas, from lighthearted comedies to thoughtful stories that call forth wonder and hope. I hope everyone gives science fiction books a chance!
Now, on to the lists!
I have listed some of my favorites roughly in order--#1 being the best, of course.
Top Ten Well-Known Picture Books I Happen to Own
10. Miss Rumphius - (Barbara Cooney)
9. Little Bear - (Else Holmelund Minarik)
8. Is Your Mama a Llama? - (Steven Kellogg)
7. Blueberries for Sal - (Robert McCloskey)
6. The Runaway Bunny - (Margaret Wise Brown)
5. Are You My Mother? - (P. D. Eastman)
4. Where the Wild Things Are - (Maurice Sendak)
3. Make Way for Ducklings - (Robert McCloskey)
2. Winnie the Pooh - (A. A. Milne)
1. Paddle-to-the-Sea - (Holling Clancy Holling)
Top Fifteen Lesser-Known Picture Books I Happen to Own
15. Mr. Pine's Purple House - (Leonard Kessler)
14. Tikvah Means Hope - (Patricia Polacco)
13. Officer Buckle and Gloria - (Peggy Rathmann)
12. Henry's Awful Mistake - (Robert Quackenbush)
11. The Hiccupotamus - (Aaron Zenz)
10. Imogene's Antlers - (David Small)
9. George's Store - (Frank Asch)
8. Never Ask a Dinosaur to Dinner - (Gareth Edwards and Guy Parker-Rees)
7. A Day with the Animal Mechanics - (Sharon Rentta)
6. Kuwi's Huhu Hunt - (Kat Merewether)
5. But No Elephants - (Jerry Smath)
4. Toys in Space - (Mini Grey)
3. The Hat That Wore Clara B. - (Melanie Turner-Denstaedt)
2. Willie Bear and the Wish Fish - (Debi Gliori)
1. Little Rabbit's Loose Tooth - (Lucy Bate)
Top Ten Children's Book Illustrators
NOTE: These are some of my favorite books, but I put them here rather than above because it is really the illustrations, rather than the text, that I especially love!
10. Patricia Polacco - (Rechenka's Eggs and other books)
9. Paul Goble - (The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses and other books)
8. Hilary Knight - (The Circus Is Coming)
7. Ruth Heller - (Chickens Aren't the Only Ones and other books)
6. Cicely Mary Barker - (Flower Fairy books)
5. Margo Humphrey - (The River that Gave Gifts)
4. Jan Brett - (Fritz and the Beautiful Horses and other books)
3. Mitsumasa Anno - (Topsy Turvies and other books)
2. Gyo Fujikawa - (Fairyland and other books)
1. Peter Parnall - (Everybody Needs a Rock)
Top Five Historical Fiction Novels for Kids and YA
5. Calico Captive - (Elizabeth George Speare)
4. On the Banks of Plum Creek - (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
3. Moccasin Trail - (Eloise Jarvis McGraw)
2. The Witch of Blackbird Pond - (Elizabeth George Speare)
1. Mara, Daughter of the Nile - YA (Eloise Jarvis McGraw)
Top Ten Science Fiction Books for Kids and YA
10. Ender's Shadow - YA (Orson Scott Card)
9. Star Girl - (Henry Winterfield)
8. Jumper - (Steven Gould) – YA some violence, older-teen situations
7. A Wrinkle in Time - (Madeleine L'Engle)
6. The City of Ember - (Jeanne DuPrau)
5. The Pool of Fire - (John Christopher)
4. The City of Gold and Lead - (John Christopher)
3. The White Mountains - (John Christopher)
2. Enchantress from the Stars - (Sylvia Engdahl)
1. Ender's Game - (Orson Scott Card) – YA name-calling, some violence
Top Ten Fantasy Books or Series for Kids & YA
10. Peter and the Starcatchers series - (Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry)
9. Castaways in Lilliput - (Henry Winterfield)
8. Percy Jackson and the Olympians series - (1st) The Lightning Thief - (Rick Riordan)
7. Half Magic series - (Edward Eager)
6. The Castle in the Attic series - (Elizabeth Winthrop)
5. Song of the Lioness series - (1st) Alanna: The First Adventure - (Tamora Pierce)
4. The Indian in the Cupboard series - (Lynne Reid Banks)
3. Prydain series - (1st) The Book of Three - (Lloyd Alexander)
2. Harry Potter series - (J. K. Rowling)
1. Taash and the Jesters - (and prequel) Kashka - (Ellen Kindt McKenzie)
Top 10 Novels for Kids and YA
10. One Is One - (Barbara Leonie Picard)
9. The View from Saturday - (E. L. Konigsburg)
8. Walk Two Moons - (Sharon Creech)
7. The Secret Garden - (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
6. Ellen Tebbits - (Beverly Cleary)
5. The Egypt Game - (Zilpha Keatley Snyder)
4. Frindle - (Andrew Clement)
3. The Outsiders - (S. E. Hinton) YA - some violence
2. Holes - (Louis Sachar)
1. A Little Princess - (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
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