Favorite Children's Books Pt.3

Today we will finish up the 'What made the cut on the Mangos bookshelf for children's fiction?' Post.   I have enjoyed going through these books with you and hope that someone has found it helpful.  If you have any book questions, let me know.  It is a real hobby/addiction of mine.

 I talked about some of these authors in the last post, but didn't get to the last one in the picture.  Scott O'Dell.  He writes excellent historical fiction.  They do tend to be a little dark and sad.  Hard stuff happens to hi main characters.  'The Hawk that Dare Not Hunt by Day' is an excellent fictionalized biography of William Tyndale.  He wrote a lot of books, and you can still find many of them around.  You may want to pre-read them if you have a sensitive child.

Donald Sobol wrote a whole series of Encyclopedia Brown books.  I have most of them, but only have 2 out.  My children have enjoyed these books and all have read them at one time or another.  Encyclopedia Brown is a boy detective who solves a mystery, only they don't tell you the answer, you have to figure it out yourself.  The answers are in the back of the book.  They usually are solved by catching the historical inaccuracy or the scientific error that the 'crook' lied about.  They are usually simple neighborhood crimes, and nothing graphic or violent.  Good fun! Excellent thinking exercises.  He also wrote a book that is for a little older kids/adults called 'Two Minute Mysteries' that is along the same lines.  We used it as a logic exercise in school some times. 'Plain Girl' is a a story about an Amish girl growing up.  Elizabeth Speare is an excellent author of historical fiction.  'The Bronze Bow' takes place at the time of the crucifixion.  Armstrong Sperry writes historical fiction and naval novels (one of my favorite genres of books as I love adventure stories!) They are grand stories of tropical islands and ships.  I believe he also has at least one about a wagon train.  Many of his books have been done in audio format.  Johanna Spyri writes of Switzerland.  Everybody is familiar with her story of 'Heidi', but have you read all three sequels?  You really need to do that!!!  They are so excellent, Did you know she ended up marrying Peter?  Sorry for the spoiler. Read them!

Robert Louis Stevenson writes historical fiction and adventure novels as well as travelogues and poetry.  Truly a broad base of writing.  His works are well done and exciting.  This is something that junior high boys will really enjoy.  Patricia St John (last name is really pronounced sin-gin not Saint John)writes missionary stories as well as stories of boys and girls.  'Treasures in the Snow' is probably her best known book and has been made into a movie.

 Noell Streatfield writes classic kid americana books.  All of the books have some kind of shoe as the title.  I have enjoyed reading them as an adult even as I didn't read them when I was young.  Showell Styles was a british author.  I only recently ran across his books.  Bethlehem books has reprinted a couple of them.  He writes children and adult books.  His passion is mountain climbing and many of his books center around that.  He also writes historical fiction.  One note... Adult characters in his book frequently smoke.  Not a deal breaker for me, but just something to be aware of. Rosemary Sutcliff writes really great historical fiction.  Her series that takes place in Rome is one of her best.  She was very prolific as a writer and her books are very well researched and written.  Used to find her books easily but now they are almost gone from sales.  There are a few still in print.  I only put a few of the ones that I thought Elizabeth would want to read in the next year or two until I can get a spot for the stored books.

Sidney Taylor writes about a Jewish family of 5 girls in Uptown New York City during WWI in 'All-Of-A-Kind-Family'.  They are sweet americana and well written.  I only have two of the three books in the series.  Albert Payson Terhune writes about dogs, usually collies.  They are written about dogs he has owned and their adventures.  He really was a collie breeder.  He wrote a lot of dog books.  I have really enjoyed them as have the kids.  Hilda Van Stockum! Another of those frequently missed authors.  She is another Newbery award winner.  Her best known book is 'The Winged Watchman' about an American flyer who crashed in Holland and was rescued by the main character's family.  She wrote a lot of books about families in Europe and Canada and their adventures during WWII. She has become one of my favorite authors!  If you haven't read her books before it is worth searching out. I have put all of he books that I own on the shelf.

I have three favorite Jules Verne's books,  'Around the World in 80 Days', 'Michael Strogoff', and 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea'.  'Michael Strogoff' is my favorite  It is unusual fare for Vernes.  It is a historical fiction book about a young man who was traveling undercover for the Russian Czar.  He has excellent character and it is a thrilling story!  The sad thing is that I loaned my copy out and it hasn't been returned, so it isn't in the picture.  Bummer!  I would like to read it again. Louisa Vernon wrote a number of fictionalized biographies of famous christians who lived during the reformation.  They are great reads and not too long.  They have all been reprinted in paperback.  E.B. White is a must read of childhood.  No childhood would be complete without having read 'Charlotte's Web', 'Stuart Little' or 'The Trumpet of the Swan'.  Enough said!

Esther Wier writes stories about growing up in Australia.  I like to have stories about children from around the World.  These books fill a spot on the shelf that they have earned.  Kate Douglas Wiggins is well known for her classic story 'Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm'.  She has also written other books, one is a sequel to Rebecca as well as a retelling of the story of the Arabian Nights.  Of Course, the 'Little House Series' made the cut.

Yep is an author who writes about China and Chinese people in America.  'Dragon's Gate' is the story of the Chinese immigrants who worked on building the cross continental railroad.  It is a part of American History that we don't often think or teach about.  Charlotte Yonge is an author of the 1800's who wrote a lot of historical fiction.  Some have even suggested that she may be a female counterpart to G.A. Henty. THey are written in an old fashioned style, but I really have enjoyed them.  'The Little Duke' has been read by most of my children when they were in 2nd grade.  I finished out the shelf with some biography books that are about multiple people.  They really didn't fit on my biography shelves specifically.  

I do have to say that I have a few books stashed elsewhere.  I pulled a dozen Nancy Drew books for ELizabeth to read.  She has been enjoying them lately. I also have all the G.A. Henty books that have been reprinted in the living room.  Some of the children's classics that I want Elizabeth to specifically read in the next year or so are on her school shelves.  

My long term plan is to find a trailer home or classroom pod and set it up as a library.  Then I will be able to unload all the books in my attic and set them out.  If anyone knows of one available for cheap please let me know.  We have lots of room for it here on the farm.