Hannah Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 What is on your list of "ten classic books every child should read"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Danny Champion of the World by Roald Dahl; Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe, Peter Pan, Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, Secret Garden, and I'd round up my other 4 options with BFG, James and the Giant Peach, Twits and Willie Wonka. We're big Roald Dahl fans here and I have 2 boys. My opinion is a bit slanted. :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenniferB Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 ooh ooh, the tales and poems of Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne!! I LOVE Pooh bear!! :) Oh the Places You'll go by Dr. Seuss, that book brings me to tears when I read it. Beautiful. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tallwoodsca Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 My list in no particular order: The Tale of Troy by Roger Lancelyn Green King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green The Wanderings of Odysseus by R. Sutcliff Chronicles of Narnia The Little Princess by Burnett The Secret Garden by Burnett Andrew Lang's color fairy tale series The Bible Robin Hood Aesop's Fables Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikeBookBread Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Narnia, Madelene L'Engle's Time series (Wrinkle, etc.), Anne of Green Gables et al, James and the Giant Peach, Little Bear books, the old Miffy/Dick Bruna books (for VERY little kiddoes) from the 1960's if you can find them, Heidi, Secret Garden, The Hobbit, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Tricky. I'm trying to think if my girl list and boy list would be different. I suppose it would be. The Australian classics for me would be: Snugglepot and Cuddlepie Blinky Bill Possum Magic Walking the Boundaries, by Jackie French So Far from Skye I think it ought to be mandatory for all children to read the original 101 Dalmations. Perdita and Missus were two different dogs! Mrs Pepperpot also rocks, as does the original Pippi Longstocking. :) Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tricia Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 For my girls it would be...Heidi, Anne of Green Gables, Princess Adelina, Raising Maidens of Virtue, Bible, Little Women, Anne's Anthology, All of a Kind Family, Little Princess, Jo's Boys For my boys, Oliver, Pilgrims Progress, Bible, Chronicles of Narnia, anything by C.S. Lewis and G.A. Henty, all of them. So there goes my 10 choices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGin Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, The Hobbit, The Secret Garden, Black Beauty, The Black Stallion, Where the Red Fern Grows, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Charlotte's Web, and Redwall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marf1273 Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 I would go for Winnie the Pooh, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, The Jungle Book, The Wizard of Oz, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Aesop’s Fable, Arabian Nights, Little Women and Robinson’s Crusoe, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I would recommend the Harry Potter series for older kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Tricky. I'm trying to think if my girl list and boy list would be different. I suppose it would be. The Australian classics for me would be: Snugglepot and Cuddlepie Blinky Bill Possum Magic Walking the Boundaries, by Jackie French So Far from Skye I think it ought to be mandatory for all children to read the original 101 Dalmations. Perdita and Missus were two different dogs! Mrs Pepperpot also rocks, as does the original Pippi Longstocking. :) Rosie what about Wombat stew? we love that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Virginia Dawn Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 All my kids have read these books, except the 5yo. 1. Trumpet of the Swan 2. Stuart Little 3. The Phantom Tollbooth 4. The Cricket in Times Square 5. Little House on the Prairie 6. Farmer Boy 7. Ben and Me 8. The Hobbit 9. Robin Hood 10. Pinnochio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 I can't narrow it down to 10 books, and I'd still like a few dozen additional slots to fill. 1. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (more properly a must-have read aloud) 2. Roald Dahl 3. Lang's coloured Fairy Books 4. E. Nesbit 5. Padraic Colum 6. Grimm's Fairy Tales 7. The Little Grey Men by BB, and its sequel, Down the Bright Stream 8. Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass 9. The Hobbit 10. Asbjornson & Moe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 what about Wombat stew? we love that one.And I can't remember where I got the recommendation (Laura Corin maybe?), but the Bottersnikes and Gumbles books are among the kids' most loved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nutmeg Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 My list would definitely include Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Tricky. I'm trying to think if my girl list and boy list would be different. I suppose it would be. The Australian classics for me would be: Snugglepot and Cuddlepie Blinky Bill Possum Magic Walking the Boundaries, by Jackie French So Far from Skye I think it ought to be mandatory for all children to read the original 101 Dalmations. Perdita and Missus were two different dogs! Mrs Pepperpot also rocks, as does the original Pippi Longstocking. :) Rosie I'm going to look for these. Think I can find them in the USA? I agree about the original 101 Dalmations. It is a wonderful book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deeke Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 I can't narrow it down to 10 books, and I'd still like a few dozen additional slots to fill. 1. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (more properly a must-have read aloud) 2. Roald Dahl 3. Lang's coloured Fairy Books 4. E. Nesbit 5. Padraic Colum 6. Grimm's Fairy Tales 7. The Little Grey Men by BB, and its sequel, Down the Bright Stream 8. Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass 9. The Hobbit 10. Asbjornson & Moe Great list!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 (edited) Without peeking at the other lists, I would have to say: To Kill a Mockingbird (ok, this is more for older kids) Tom Sawyer Hobbit (and LOTR if the kid is old enough) Little Britches Harry Potter series (how far in the series depends on age of kid) The Giver some Ray Bradbury short stories and/or Dandelion Wine The Borrowers series by Mary Norton Shane A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (slightly older kids) How could I forget - the entire Laura Ingalls Wilder series, of course!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now that I have peeked at the other lists - how could I forget Charlotte's Web, Jungle Books and Wrinkle in Time??!! I'd pull Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Shane and To Kill a Mockingbird (since these are more for older kids anyway) and substitute Charlotte, Mowgli and Meg. Edited May 20, 2009 by JFSinIL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 1. The Tales of Beatrix Potter (original language) 2. A Cricket in Times Square 3. Charlotte's Web 4. The Trumpet of the Swan 5. The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe (and the series) 6. Black Beauty 7. Watership Down 8. A Seperate Peace 9. Because of Winn Dixie (not a classic, but SUCH a great book!) 10. Harry Potter and the Sourcerer's Stone (and the series) I also really loved The Penderwicks. It reminded me of myself and my own sisters; I was Jane and my sister Nicole was Skye exactly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 I didn't even know there was a 101 Dalmatians book! Have to look for it now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pooh bear Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 I didn't even know there was a 101 Dalmatians book! Have to look for it now! It is written by Dodie Smith. There is also a sequel called Starlight Barking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 I would definitely put Ramona the Pest (the whole series if I could!) on the list for girls, and of course the Little House books and A Little Princess. I just finished A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - I'd put that down for older kids/teenagers. Amazing book though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Some have already been mentioned, but I'll list them anyway: :-) The top three: Understood Betsy The Little White Horse The Chestry Oak Everything else: 101 Dalmations (original, not Disney) Mary Poppins (series) Chronicles of Narnia (series) Wizard of Oz The Borrowers (series) The Rescuers (series; original, not Disney) The Incredible Journey Lassie Come-Home Rabbit Hill Velveteen Rabbit Alice (both books) Little Women Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm Anne of Green Gables (series) Mrs. Pigglewiggle (series) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 I'm going to look for [Rosie's suggestions]. Think I can find them in the USA? Snugglepot and Cuddlepie Blinky Bill Possum Magic Walking the Boundaries, by Jackie French So Far from Skye It appears so :) Though I wouldn't pay $33 for Walking the Boundaries... Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUJLBE Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 (edited) 10 Classic Books Every Child Should Read: 1. Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson 2. Charlotte's Web by EB White 3. Cricket in Times Square by George Selden 4. D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths 5. D'Aulaire's Book of Norse Myths 6. Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling 7. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll 8. Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne 9. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder 10. Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett There are certainly many ways of looking at this question. Classics by time would be over 100 years old? Classics by sex I would include Treasure Island for boys and Hitty for girls? Classics by pure enjoyment would include City Under the Back Steps by Evelyn Sibley Lampmen and Saturdays series by Elizabeth Enright? Classics by foundation for reading adult classic literature would include Bible, mythology, Homer, Shakespeare? I could even put forth an argument for just mythology-Greek, Ramayana, Norse, etc? My list is sort of a jumble of all of these for both sexes. Generally books that have stood the test of time and are well written and gender neutral. -Susan ds(8) Edited May 20, 2009 by MUJLBE Forgot signature Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 (edited) Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass (Lewis Carroll) The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis) The Green Knowe series (Lucy Boston) Swallows and Amazons (Arthur Ransome) The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett), also Racketty-Packetty House by the same The Hobbit (Tolkien) The Phantom Tollbooth (Norton Juster) Peter Pan (J. M. Barrie) Winnie the Pooh (A A. Milne) Mary Poppins (P. L. Travers) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum) The Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Graham) That's more than ten, but oh well. These are just the ones that popped into my head first or that I can see on the shelf right now. And my son adds Harry Potter (J. K. Rowling) as his favorite. Off to look at the other lists. :) (Now I am looking at other lists and thinking, "I can't believe I forgot that one! And that! Oh, and that too!") Cat Edited May 20, 2009 by myfunnybunch Adding a thought Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Snugglepot and Cuddlepie My mother brought us a copy back from a visit to Australia. It's absolutely charming! We thoroughly enjoyed it. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Youngs Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 The Hobbit by Tolkien Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe by Lewis Treasure Island by Stevenson 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Verne Journey to the Center of the Earth by Verne Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Pyle Beatrix Potter Treasury Winnie the Pooh by Milne Frog and Toad Treasury by Lobel Little Bear Treasury by Minarik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Trumpeter of Krakow is a book boys should enjoy. Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 I couldn't narrow it down to just ten... The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach Little Women, Little Men, Jo's Boys Charlotte's Web The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Where the Red Fern Grows Lassie Come Home Anne Frank: The Dairy of a Young Girl The Black Stallion Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Heidi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 The Swing in the Summerhouse Freckles Mandy The Great Brain series Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikeBookBread Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Last night after I responded to this thread WELL after my bedtime, I just could not go to sleep thinking about one particular book the title of which I just couldn't remember, but here are some more I came up with: Caddie Woodlawn Pippi Longstocking The Oz books Little Women The Princess and the Goblin (George MacDonald) & The Princess and Curdie (These are the ones that I just COULD NOT remember! All I could think of was the cover of the book in my school library of a little girl following a "troll" up a mountain...and "George", but with that little big of info, I found it on Amazon. The mind is crazy at 11:30 pm) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harrison_B Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 My list would include (no particular order): 1. The Phantom Tollbooth 2. Little Women 3. Alice in Wonderland / Through the Looking Glass 4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 5. Anne of Green Gables 6. Aesop's Fables 7. Just So Stories (Kipling) 8. D'Aulieres Greek Mythology 9. Charlotte's Web 10. Frindle My number one pick would be "The Phantom Tollbooth". I absolutely loved this book and its message. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidlit Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I'm sure I'm duplicating (I haven't read all the responses), but I would definitely include Charlotte's Web, Black Beauty, and Where the Red Fern Grows, among many others. I'm :lurk5:! ETA: Thought of a few more--A Girl of the Limberlost and Heidi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 And I can't remember where I got the recommendation (Laura Corin maybe?), but the Bottersnikes and Gumbles books are among the kids' most loved. We loved Bottersnikes and Gumbles. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 Right???????????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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