The other day, Kris said that she was interested in the children's books and mysteries I was reading in addition to Horse. So here are some of them.
In no particular order:
Operation Do Over by Gordon Korman (a middle-grade fiction book)
(Note: I listened to this book, and the narrator was excellent.)
Ty and Mason have been best friends forever. They are 12-year-old, straight-A students and science geeks. Their favorite topic is time travel. All goes well until a new girl, Ava, comes to town, and they both have a crush on her. Their relationship is severed over Ava. I won't give any more away, but the book has a time-travel element to it. As with Korman's other books, the characters are well-thought-out and relatable. The time-travel element adds an extra dimension to the story.
Korman's stories are told with humor and heart. I have not read all of his books (he's written over 100 middle-grade books), but my favorite is The Unteachables, about a classroom of misfits and a teacher who is just biding his time until he can retire.
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler (an elementary school fiction book)
The first version of this book was published in 1924. Another version was published in 1942, and that version is still being published today. It's been on several lists for the best children's books of all time.
I first heard the story of the Alden children in second grade. Every day after our noon recess, Mrs. Murry, my teacher, read us a chapter. I loved the book and liked how the 4 orphaned children made a cozy home for themselves in a boxcar. In the end, they go live with their grandfather. I read this recently when I needed a feel-good read with a bit of nostalgia.
Down Cut Shin Creek by Kathi Appelt and Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer (a children's nonfiction book)
This book is about the packhorse librarians in Kentucky. I picked it up at the library after reading The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, an adult fiction book, to learn a little more about them. This book agrees with the descriptions of things I read in the Troublesome Creek book.
Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar (a middle-grade fiction book)
From the publisher: Spanning over 500 years, Pura Belpré Award winner Ruth Behar’s epic novel tells the stories of four girls from different generations of a Jewish family, many of them forced to leave their country and start a new life.
This book is fairly typical of many kids' books today that deal with serious subject matter. It was a well-written, good book, and I predict it will be an award-winner.
House Love by Patic Richardson
This is the same person, also known as the Laundry Guy, who wrote Laundry Love. Both books are told in a folksy way, including stories about people from his life who inspired him. Unlike Laundry Love, which is full of all kinds of laundry advice, House Love is more general with fewer specifics. This is one of my nighttime reads when I want a non-emotional book before I go to sleep. I actually asked for a copy of Laundry Love last Christmas after reading a copy from the library because of the wealth of info in it. I am going to be perfectly happy reading House Love and returning it to the library.
I think that's enough for now. I'll add a few more to the list tomorrow (or whenever I get around to it.)
Until next time...
Thank you for that list of children's books. The Little House Series of books are one of my favorite series of children's books, although I read the majority of them as an adult. :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't read all of the Little House books. I should add those to my list of comfortable nighttime reading.
DeleteThank you for your list! The only one I have already read is The Boxcar Children. I know I've read some of Korman's books, but that isn't one of them. You have several that sound good.
ReplyDeleteIn case anyone is interested, here are a few authors and/or series for kids/teens/young adult that I have enjoyed reading:
Redwall series by Brian Jacques--animals who live at a medieval-style abbey and have different adventures.
Ranger's Apprentice and Brotherband series by John Flanagan--if you enjoy The Last Kingdom series by Bernard Cornwell but want something less intense, these are great.
Anything by Ruta Sepetys--she writes historical fiction for a YA audience, and while she may write about a popular time frame such as WWII, she approaches her books from a perspective that isn't well-known. Salt to the Sea was a particular favorite of mine.
Sometimes I just want something familiar, so I dive into Narnia, Harry Potter, Laura Ingalls, Anne of Green Gables, etc.
Thanks for listening/reading. :)
My kids LOVED Redwall and read them all more than once. I have not read them. I think I started them and decided they were not my cup of tea. However, I should give them another chance. All of John Flanagan's book are very popular. Another series, I have not read as I don't tend to gravitate toward that kind of book. But a good book is a good book no matter what kind of story it tells. Ruta Sepetys books sound good, but heavy material. That would be my daytime reading. I will add all of these to my list which right now is random slips of paper all over the place. I also would like to get a list established of what I have read. Keep meaning to do that, but my follow through has not been so good thus far.
DeleteThe Boxcar Children was a favorite of mine. Your list is very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI have always loved the Boxcar Children. My kids liked it, too. Now there are over 150 Boxcar children books. However, I don't think the newer ones are as good as the originals.
DeleteSome interesting nooks thank you I'm always on the look our for new authors.
ReplyDeleteI am always on the lookout for new books, too - both for myself and for my job.
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