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The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
The first of Lang's fairy books containing thirty-seven of the most famous fairy tales.  First published in 1889, this book has been the standard ever since.  Lang's prose is beautiful and accessible to children.

 

 

 

 

-OR-

The Red Fairy Book  by Andrew Lang
Lang's second fairy book. Contains familiar classics such as Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, and Snow White, and a wonderful collection of lesser known tales from French, German, Danish, Russian, and other sources. 

 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
      Twenty-seven of Longfellow's most famous poems, including The Village Blacksmith, Paul Revere's Ride, The Wreck of the Hesperus, and Hiawatha.




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3.  Lewis Carroll
      Fun poems written by the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. 
 

                                 


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Jungle Book (Kipling)
The Jungle Books can be regarded as classic stories told by an adult to children. But they also constitute a complex literary work of art in which the whole of Kipling's philosophy of life is expressed in miniature. They are best known for the 'Mowgli' stories; the tale of a baby abandoned and brought up by wolves, educated in the ways and secrets of the jungle by Kaa the python, Baloo the bear, and Bagheera the black panther. The stories, a mixture of fantasy, myth, and magic, are underpinned by Kipling's abiding preoccupation with the theme of self-discovery, and the nature of the 'Law'.  -from publisher

 

 Lassie Come-Home
Joe's beloved collie, Lassie, must be sold because of the family's financial crisis.  The exciting account of Lassie's journey back to her little master.

(This hardcover version is unabridged.  However, I also like Rosemary Wells' beautifully illustrated abridged edition.)

 

Pollyanna
The heartwarming story of the young orphan  Pollyanna and her transforming affect on those around her-- particularly on her stern Aunt Polly.  For those of you who have only seen the movie-- take note:  the book is much better!  In fact, the story is quite different and the characters are more likeable.

(If your child does not have a long attention span, you may want to save this book for later.  Boys may also find a different book that is more to their liking :-) 

 269pp 

A Bear Called Paddington
Adults seem to enjoy this classic story of the bear who is adopted by the Brown family as much as the children do.  Charmingly funny.

 

*A CD version is available- this one is fun to listen to in the car!

pb    144pp 

Li Lun, Lad of Courage
 Because Li Lun is afraid of the water, his fisherman father is disappointed in him.  The gentle story of how Li Lun shows great courage in the face of danger, winning his family's approval.

pb    93pp 

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
You may remember this funny story from your own childhood.  Enjoy watching as Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle cures the neighborhood children of their bad habits.  An absolute riot!

 pb    128pp

The Mouse and the Motorcycle
When a young boy with a magnificent mouse-sized motorcycle moves into the room adjoining his mouse hole, adventurous Ralph is determined to ride the two-wheeled wonder and ends up on the ride of his life!

176pp    pb 

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
As impoverished little Charlie Bucket opens the second candy bar, he is awestruck to find one of the five Golden Tickets to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.  The wacky story of what happens to Charlie and the other four ticket holders while in the infamous factory.

pb    155pp 

The Big Wave
Written by Pearl S. Buck, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Good Earth, this is the story of two boys whose lives are changed forever by the Big Wave.  A good introduction to another culture and geographical area.

pb    57pp 

Little Lord Fauntleroy
The classic rags-to-riches story of seven year-old Cedric, an American boy who suddenly finds  himself heir-apparent to a title and a huge fortune in England.

(This book is in the boy's reading listt, rather than A Little Princess, which is in the girl's list)

 

A Little Princess
One of my favorite stories-- Sara Crew seems like a real princess to the other girls when she arrives at Miss Minchin's boarding school.  However, when she suddenly becomes penniless and must live in very poor circumstances, Sara proves she really is a princess-- on the inside.

pb    336pp 

(This book is on the girl's reading list, rather than Little Lord Fauntleroy, which is in the boy's kit)

 Peter Pan
Barrie's enchanting tale of Peter Pan, a boy who never grows up. 

   pb  

 

Favorite Poems Old and New
   This anthology is the poetry "must-have."  A magnificent volume, it contains over 700 poems written by classic and contemporary (before 1957, anyway) poets. 
  
   I've looked at countless poetry books for children, and believe that no other volume comes close to this one with regard to quality and quantity.  

  *Sweet black & white illustrations
  *Arranged according to a wide range of topics
  *Appropriate for all ages

                                                hc    598pp.       

 

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 © 2005 Diana Cunningham