My Favorite Books for Children

Highlights for Children - This is a great magazine for kids. Lots of stories, puzzles, jokes, articles and more. The stories and articles are clearly written and engaging. There is a wide variety of article topics from sports figures to classical music. The puzzles are challenging but not overly difficult. Each issue contains a Hidden Pictures puzzle, which is a big favorite. The Headwork section at the end of each issue poses a series of questions that encourages independent thinking. Every month we'd eagerly await each issue, then fight over who got to read it first! A nice feature for parents is a guide that shows which section helps with certain skills and and is geared towards certain age groups.

Zoobooks - Another great magazine. Each issue features a different animal group or species. My favorites were the Big Cats issue and the Seals issues. The text is fun and informative, and the photographs and illustrations are beautiful. I was fascinated and absorbed, I still remember a lot of what I read. For example I remember that otters love to play in the water and so do tigers! I remember the pictures and illustrations too. These magazined instill a love for the natural world.

The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander - A well-written fantasy series with a lot of action, adventure, wit, and humor. Follow Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper and his friends through their journeys. These books were a big part of my childhood. They aren't your typical swords and sorcery fare. The characters are very human. Not only do they face epic situations but also mundane, everyday problems. There are five books in the series. The fifth book, The High King, is the best one. They are all very good and I recommend that you read them in order.

The Town Cat and Other Tales by Lloyd Alexander - A collection of humorous short stories about cats who outwit the humans around them. I had a lot of fun reading about the exploits of Pescato the town cat, Baraka the bazaar cat and company. Cat lovers will surely enjoy these tales, perhaps recognizing in them their own pets. Illustrated by Laszlo Kubrnyi.

The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander - A collection of short stories set in Prydain long before the events in the main books. These stories provide an interesting backstory to the Chronicles. I especially liked the one about the black sword Dyrnwyn. You will meet characters, locations, and objects from the main books and learn their history. Though much shorter, it has the same wit, humor, and insight into human nature. You can probably tell I'm a big Lloyd Alexander fan. I wrote him once, and he sent back a handwritten reply. Nice guy and excellent author. Sadly I lost it.


Ladybird books - These are real classics. I just loved these books. Stories from Greek mythology (Famous Legends 1 and 2), the Hannibal series (adventures of a hamster named Hannibal), Aladdin (which quite interestingly featured Chinese people and locations in the illustrations), and lots more. The artwork is very good, none of the watered-down cartoony stuff books are filled with these days. These are some of the first books we had. I learned to read with Ladybird books.

Choose Your Own Adventure books - These were some of the hottest items at the school library. We'd even hide them behind other books or in other sections of the library so we could read or borrow them the next day. The librarians probably didn't like that. In each book you fill the shoes of a different character. As you read the the story you have to make decisions, which will of course determine the ending you get. I made sure I followed every possible path so I'd find all the endings. I loved these books so much I wrote a few adventures of my own.

Classics Illustrated - Classic novels in comics form! What more could a (nerdy bookworm) kid ask for? These comics introduced me to some of the greatest literature ever written. Robinson Crusoe, Swiss Family Robinson, Castle Dangerous, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein are just a few. The originals are of course superior but these comics are well-drawn and well-written. The books came in two versions, a full-size, full color comic and a smaller black and white edition. The artwork is excellent. The dialogue is simplified and some plotlines of the more complex novels (Crime and Punishment) were removed, but they are still a lot of fun to read. They stimulated my imagination and fueled my love of reading.


Time-Life The Enchanted World Series - This is a fascinating series of books dealing with myths, legends, magic, ghosts, and everything that is of the world of fantasy. We bought these books in my teens. I always thought we had a complete set (we have 12), but I've just discovered that there are actually 21 books. The storytelling has a good mix of action, humor, suspense, and emotion. A common theme runs through all the books. When the world and the human race was young chaos, magic, and the supernatural were supreme. As humanity grew in number and ability, they brought order to the world, naming, classifying, and studying everything around them. Thus did magic and superstition give way to science and logic. Anyone who even has the slightest interest in magic, fantasy, and the supernatural will love these books.


The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatriz Potter - What I like most about this book is the drawings. Those vegetables look so tempting! Who can blame Peter for wanting a little bite? Other favorites are the ones of the cat and Peter hiding in the watering can. All the illustrations bring this wonderful story to life.

Clementine series by Sara Pennypacker - Very funny and entertaining books. Our heroine Clementine gets into all sorts of scrapes and situations that challenge kids in elementary school, being told to pay attention, worrying about the upcoming talent show, that Margaret... Clementine is a creative, intelligent girl who gets lots of ideas. And she acts on them too! She has good intentions for everything she does, but of course they often have unexpected outcomes. Illustrated by Marla Frazee.


The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas - An interesting twist on the classic fairy tale. Very nice, appealing artwork and a very well-written story. I was genuinely surprised and delighted by the ending. This is so well-drawn you will really feel for the poor wolves! It's also a lot of fun to look for interesting details in the drawings. Kids and adults in our family love this book. I won't spoil the ending! Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Mister Beetle's Many Rooms written and illustrated by Robert Magnuson - This is the story of Mister Beetle, who finds the perfect home only to have unexpected, and unwanted, guests move in. The illustrations are very vibrant and colorful, complementing the story very well. The book has both English and Filipino text, perfect for children (or even adults) who know one language and are learning the other. This book is published by Adarna House, a Filipino publishing company. Many other English+Filipino books are also available, so if you or your children want to learn Filipino check them out!


Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - Very funny and heartwarming. This book made me laugh. Anne (with an E) is a well-rounded character, she seems like a real person instead of just someone in a book. Another reason I like this book so much is that I identify with Anne: hyperactive imagination, always daydreaming, and feeling every emotion so strongly. The Anne story is filled with the highs and lows of the human condition. Children and adults will enjoy reading about her many (mis)adventures.

The Macmillan Treasury of Nursery Stories by Mary Hoffman - This is a charming collection of fairy tales, fables and other stories for children. There are forty-two stories in all. I was pleased to find not only old favorites but new ones as well. I'd never heard of Clever Gretel nor Kate Crackernuts before. I love stories so these were a pleasant find. There are also beautiful color illustrations on every page. This book is a perfect gift to introduce or to foster a love of reading in young children. Illustrated by Anna Currey.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman - This is the story of a little girl who discovers another world almost, but not quite like her own. She soon discovers that things are not what they seem. This is a fantasy-horror novel. Though it is written for children, I liked it and got a good scare too. The story may be a bit dark for some, but I think it's okay for kids around 10 or older.

It's said you should only lend books that you never care to see again. We learned that the hard way. Here is a list of my favorite books which are missing and I hope is just somewhere in the house.

Teeny Tiny and the Witch Woman - Teeny Tiny must outwit the witch to save himself and his brothers. This is an exciting story with artwork exactly how you would picture it. The forest, the mountain of soap, everything is drawn really well that the story jumps off the page. Unfortunately I have no idea where the book is. Used copies are a bit expensive on Amazon.

Another favorite is a book about two kids who discover a tunnel to a secret castle in their barn. They then see what medieval life was like. The boy becomes a page and helps a knight prepare for a joust and the girl becomes a handmaid to the knight's lady love. If anyone knows what I'm talking about please post a comment (and a link if you have one!).

A third missing favorite is a big pink book of Romanian stories. There are variations on well-known tales, like The Kids and the Wolf and some unfamiliar ones like the Tale of Harap Alb. These are all fascinating stories retold by Ion Creanga. I've looked all over the Internet but can't find where to buy it.