Charlotte's Web Ages 9-12 Named One of the Best Children's Books of the Century by Amazon.com
by E. B. White, Garth Williams (Illustrator), Rosemary Wells (Illustrator)
(Recommended by Pig and Spider)
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Average Customer Review 137 reviews
Children's novel by E.B. White, published in 1952, with illustrations by Garth Williams. One of the classics of children's literature, this widely read tale takes place on a farm in Maine and concerns a pig named Wilbur and his devoted friend Charlotte, the spider who manages to save his life by writing words in her web.
Dominic Ages 4-8 Named One of the Best Children's Books of the Century by Amazon.com
by William Steig
(Recommended by Dog)
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One day, Dominic the outgoing mutt with a heart of gold, sets off on the road to nowhere in particular. On his way to where-ever, Dominic has all kinds of adventures and meets some unusual characters, such as a witch-alligator full of advice, the wretched Doomsday Gang, an invalid pig who leaves Dominic his fortune, and others. In the end, Dominic also finds his life's companion.
The Island of the Blue Dolphins Ages 9-12 Newbery Medal Award Winner Named One of the 10 Best Children's Books of the Last 200 Years by the Children's Literature Association
Named One of the Best Children's Books of the Last 100 Years by Amazon.com
by Scott O'Dell
(Recommended by Dolphin)
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Average Customer Review 117 reviews
Scott O'Dell won the Newbery Medal for Island of the Blue Dolphins in 1961, and in 1976 the Children's Literature Association named this riveting story one of the 10 best American children's books of the past 200 years. O'Dell was inspired by the real-life story of a 12-year-old American Indian girl, Karana. The author based his book on the life of this remarkable young woman who, during the evacuation of Ghalas-at (an island off the coast of California), jumped ship to stay with her young brother who had been abandoned on the island. He died shortly thereafter, and Karana fended for herself on the island for 18 years.
O'Dell tells the miraculous story of how Karana forages on land and in the ocean, clothes herself (in a green-cormorant skirt and an otter cape on special occasions), and secures shelter. Perhaps even more startlingly, she finds strength and serenity living alone on the island. This beautiful edition of Island of the Blue Dolphins is enriched with 12 full-page watercolor paintings by Ted Lewin, illustrator of more than 100 children's books, including Ali, Child of the Desert. A gripping story of battling wild dogs and sea elephants, this simply told, suspenseful tale of survival is also an uplifting adventure of the spirit.
The Owl and The Pussycat Ages 4-8 The Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards, 1999
by Edward Lear, James Marshall (Illustrator)
(Recommended by Owl and Cat)
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Brett sets Lear's beloved poem of courtly nonsense in a lush, brilliantly lit Caribbean landscape . . . her gorgeously colored double-page spreads combine deadpan realism with the wildest flights of fancy and a mocking undercurrent in setting and character
Red-Eyed Tree Frog Ages 4-8 Picture Book Winner The Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards, 1999
by Joy Cowley, Nic Bishop (Photographer)
(Recommended by Red Eyed Tree Frog)
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In this spectacular photo-illustrated book, a plucky red-eyed tree frog searches for something to eat--and avoids the many dangers of the rain forest. Vibrant images and an engaging, simple text reveal the world of the tree frog and the wonder of Earth's creatures, large and small. Full color.
Sounder Ages 9-12 Newbery Medal Winner, 1970 School Library Journal Best of the Best ALA Notable Children's Book New York Times Outstanding Children's Book Named One of the Best Children's Books of the Century by Amazon.com
by William H. Armstrong
(Recommended by Dog)
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Average Customer Review 31 reviews
Sounder is no beauty. But as a coon dog, this loyal mongrel with his cavernous bark is unmatched. When the African American sharecropper who has raised Sounder from a pup is hauled off to jail for stealing a hog, his family must suffer their humiliation and crushing loss with no recourse. To make matters worse, in the fracas, Sounder is shot and disappears. The eventual return of a tattered and emaciated Sounder doesn't change the fact that the sharecropper's oldest son is forced to take on man's work to help support the family. His transition to adulthood is paved by the rocks and taunts hurled at him by convicts and guards as he searches for his father. But along this rough road he ultimately finds salvation as well.
William H. Armstrong's Newbery Award-winning novel quickly became a classic as a moving portrayal of resilience and hope in the face of profound human tragedy. Decades later, the bittersweet story still rings true, as strong-spirited individuals continue to battle the evil of prejudice.
Squids Will Be Squids: Fresh Morals, Beastly Fables Ages 4-8 Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year American Booksellers Award, 1999
Nominated, ABBY Award
by Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith (Illustrator)
(Recommended by Squid)
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In their inimitable style, Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith have created contemporary fables that reflect all the bossiness, sneakiness, bragging, and silliness of our everyday lives--tales handled with such tact and sensitivity that we would never recognize a person like ourselves in them--would we? Full color
The
Trolls Ages 9-12 The Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards, 1999 National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature 1999
by Polly Horvath
(Recommended by Lizard)
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The gist of Aunt Sally," as Polly Horvath phrases it in this comic novel with a surprisingly poignant under-current, is that she's a storyteller. Before Aunt Sally comes down from Vancouver to Ohio to baby-sit Melissa, Amanda, and Pee Wee, the three siblings know little about her. They know little about anyone on their father's side of the family, and, after Sally leaves a week later, they still aren't sure what they know. Did their uncle John really get the tip of his finger bitten off by a clam and thus not have to play his much-feared violin recital? Was their great-great uncle Louis really a health nut who made his great-nieces and-nephews gnaw sticks for fiber? Melissa, Amanda, and Pee Wee feel certain that not every detail of Aunt Sally's wild and enormously entertaining family tales can be believed. But readers will ascertain that somewhere within the exaggeration lies the "gist" of why the children's father and Sally do not have a close relationship-and along with the answer to that question comes a warning for Melissa and Amanda. Horvath, a master storyteller herself, skillfully parallels the two generations as she conveys the unthinking cruelty older siblings often bestow upon younger ones. Six-year-old Pee Wee lives the "life of a worm" because of the way his sisters treat him. Aunt Sally, who shows Pee Wee the respect the girls withhold, doesn't directly reprimand them for their behavior. Instead, she tells them about the time she tried to give her bratty little brother, their father, to the trolls. "There are no locks to keep out the trolls," she says. "But don't worry, the trolls don't come to you. It's your own darkness that leads you to the trolls." There are hopeful signs that Melissa and Amanda have learned from the older generation's example and will try to keep their own darkness in check.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Young Adult A Newbury Medal Book An ALA Notable Children's Book A Child Study Children's Book Committee: Children's Book of the Year, New York Public Library Named One of the Best Children's Books of the Century by Amazon.com
by Elizabeth George Speare
(Recommended by Crow and Raven)
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Average Customer Review 114 reviews
Forced to leave her sunny Caribbean home for the bleak Connecticut Colony, Kit Tyler is filled with trepidation. As they sail up the river to Kit's new home, the teasing and moodiness of a young sailor named Nat doesn't help. Still, her unsinkable spirit soon bobs back up. What this spirited teenager doesn't count on, however, is how her aunt and uncle's stern Puritan community will view her. In the colonies of 1687, a girl who swims, wears silk and satin gowns, and talks back to her elders is not only headstrong, she is in grave danger of being regarded as a witch. When Kit befriends an old Quaker woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond, it is more than the ascetics can take: soon Kit is defending her life. Who can she count on as she confronts these angry and suspicious townspeople?
A thoroughly exciting and rewarding Newbery Medal winner and ALA Notable Children's Book, Elizabeth George Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond brings this frightening period of witch hysteria to life. Readers will wonder at the power of the mob mentality, and the need for communities in desperate times--even current times--to find a scapegoat.
