Radiant Child; The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat
by Javaka Steptoe
Age: 5+
Interests: artists, art, biography, New York, city life
Talking about children's books and films. Useful information for parents.
07 Dec 2017 Leave a comment
in Books, books 5+, Uncategorized Tags: art, artists, biography, city life, New York
by Javaka Steptoe
Age: 5+
Interests: artists, art, biography, New York, city life
17 Oct 2017 Leave a comment
in Books, books 5+, books 7+, Classics, Uncategorized Tags: animals, community, country life, farm, nature, rabbits
written and illustrated by Robert Lawson
Age: (read to) 5+, (independent reading) 7+
Interests: animals, rabbits, farms, country life, community
21 Oct 2014 Leave a comment
in Books, books 5+, books 7+ Tags: country life, family, farming, strong girls
written and illustrated by Elizabeth Enright
Age: 5+ (read to); 7+ (independent reading)
Interests: farms, country life, family, strong girls
16 Nov 2013 Leave a comment
in Books, books 5+, Classics Tags: animals, comedy, fairy tale updated, folktales, Magic
by Carl Sandburg
illustrated by Maud and Miska Petersham
Age: 5+
Interests: folk tales, history, poetry, language More
26 Sep 2013 2 Comments
in Books, books 5+, Canadian books Tags: artists, bad behavior, cats, comedy, mice, storytelling, writers
text and illustrations by Mélanie Watt
Age: 5+ (but older kids will find it funny too – 7,8)
Interests: cats, mice, artists, telling stories, bad behaviour, humour
18 Apr 2013 Leave a comment
in Books, books 5+ Tags: fear, maps, mice
15 Apr 2013 Leave a comment
in Books, books 5+ Tags: family, father, flight, inventions
by Grahame Baker-Smith
Age: 5+
Interests: flight, inventors, fathers, flying machines
30 Mar 2013 1 Comment
in Books, books 5+ Tags: art, Christmas, religion
GREENAWAY MEDAL WINNER – 1995
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
text by Susan Wojciechowski
illustrations by P. J. Lynch
Candlewick Press: 1995
34 pp.
Age: 5+
Interests: Christmas, art, wood carving, Christian religion
Also by this illustrator: When Jessie Came Across the Sea
03 Oct 2012 3 Comments
in Books, books 5+, books 6+, Classics, Quick Lists Tags: adventure, Magic
As I wrote yesterday, Harry Potter books (and movies) can be pretty scary and intense for younger children. If your child is intrigued by magic and fantasy, but you’re not certain she or he is quite ready for Hogwarts, here are a few fantasy titles they may be more comfortable with.
(Click on the titles to see full reviews.)
1. The Cuckoo Clock by Mrs. Molesworth – age 5+
A very sedate and old-fashioned (1877) story about a girl who visits some magical places and learns to behave herself a little better.
2. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum – age 5+
Quite different from the movie – a rambling, weird tale with a few scares and dustups along the way. (NB. some violence: see full review.)
3. Half Magic by Edward Eager – age 5+
One of my childhood favourites. This and other titles by Eager are lovely stories about children who come across something magic and mess things up a little. Slightly old-fashioned but charming and full of insight about sibling relations.
4. The Book of Dragons by E. Nesbit – age 6+
Snappy and very funny short stories, each about a very unique dragon.
5. The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit – age 6+
Nesbit books like The Enchanted Castle and Five Children and It inspired Edward Eager’s work, and are similarly about children who acquire some kind of magic and mismanage it with amusing or chilling results. This title in particular has one very creepy sequence.
And Two bonus titles… Rather long and wordy, only for the most hardy listeners (and readers).
6. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie – age 6+
Find an abridged version if you can. (But NOT a Disney version!) The plot is captivating, but the original novel is a very dense read, and tangled with tangents.
7. The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald – age 6+
Goblins living under a mountain plot to kidnap a Princess, but she is aided by the ghost of her great-great-great grandmother and a courageous miner boy. Another very old classic, creepy and intriguing, but a trifle loooong and slow to get going. (Not sure if there are any abridged versions out there.)
As you can tell, my tastes go to the older, classic novels. I must start reading some newer books!
If you have any suggestions for early fantasy books, new or old, please share them!