The Canterville Ghost

The Canterville Ghost

by Oscar Wilde

originally published in 1887

64 pp. (1987, Oxford Univ. Press edition)

7 chapters

Age: 7 +

Interests: ghost stories, haunted houses, humour

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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz  (aka The Wonderful Wizard of Oz)

by L. Frank Baum

original illustrator W. W. Denslow

first published 1900

158 pp.  (in New York: Sterling, 1999) –  24 chapters

Age: 5 +

Interests: magic, witches, adventure, travel, tornadoes

Also by this author: 14 Oz sequels, of varying quality

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Madeline’s Rescue


CALDECOTT MEDAL WINNER – 1954

Madeline’s Rescue

by Ludwig Bemelmans

New York: Viking Press, 1953

50 pp.

Age: 2+

Interests: Paris, poetry, dogs, boarding schools

Also by this author: Madeline, Madeline and the Bad Hat, Madeline and the Gypsies

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The Magic Fishbone

subtitle: “A Holiday Romance from the Pen of Miss Alice Rainbird, Aged Seven”

by Charles Dickens

originally published 1868

this edition: illustrated by Louis Slobodkin, Vanguard Press, New York, 1953

36 pp.

Age: 4 +

Interests: magic, fairies, princesses

Also by this author (for children): The Cricket on the Hearth, A Christmas Carol

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Annie (1982)



Rated: PG (language)
Length:  126 min.
Age: 5 and up.       Commonsense Media sez: 6 +

Scary Factor: Annie is kidnapped, shoved into a car and taken away; she is also chased by Rooster (shouting “I’ll kill ya!”), climbs to a great height on a bridge, dangles over the edge before being rescued

Violence: the orphans are very rough with each other; Annie punches out a bigger boy, knocking him down; much slapsticky shoving about, pratfalls, foot-stomping; less amusing is moment at climax when Miss Hannigan tries to stop Rooster and he punches her, knocking her out; also, a ‘bolshevik’ tries to kill Warbucks with a bomb (a brief and rather lighthearted event)

Also: lots of verbal threats, between orphans and from Miss Hannigan (who likes to holler “kill kill kill!”), most used for humour

Language: “shut up”, several “damn”s, “hell”

Bad Behavior: Miss Hannigan is drunk most of the time (makes her own bathtub gin); grownups smoke quite a lot

Sex: Miss Hannigan throws herself at every man she encounters, in a manner, shall we say, unusual for a children’s film; Miss Hannigan lounges about in her lingerie; Rooster and his girlfriend paw one another, fully clothed

Interests: musicals, song and dance, New York, history

Next: OTHER MOVIE MUSICALS: Singin’ in the Rain (all ages), Mary Poppins (3), Meet Me in St. Louis (4), The Music Man, The Wizard of Oz (4), The Sound of Music (6), STAGE: see Annie the musical live if you can

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The Serpent Slayer; and Other Stories of Strong Women

retold by Katrin Tchana

illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman

Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2000

109 pp. – each individual story averages about 6 pages

Age:  5 + (some stories suitable for 4)

Interests: folk tales, princesses, pirates, fairy tales, magic, other cultures

Other books by this illustrator: St. George and the Dragon, Rapunzel

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Miss Rumphius

by Barbara Cooney

New York: Viking Press, 1982

28 pp

Ages: 3 +

Interests: flowers, single life, strong girls, travel
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Ramona the Pest

by Beverly Cleary

original illustrator: Louis Darling

Age: 5 and up    (good too for older, beginning readers)

Interests: kindergarten, school, siblings

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Come away from the water, Shirley

John Burningham, author and illustrator

London: Jonathan Cape, 1977

22 pp

Age: 3 and up

Interests: pirates, seashore, boats, treasure

Also by this author: Mr. Gumpy’s Outing, Where’s Julius?, Avocado Baby, Borka

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Eloise

subtitle: A Book for Precocious Grown Ups

Kay Thompson, author

Hilary Knight, illustrator

New York: Simon & Schuster, 1955

65 pp.

Age: 5 and up        (read full review: some may find content alarming!)

Interests: New York, hotels, room service, strong girls, bad behavior

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All writings posted here are © Kim Thompson, unless otherwise indicated. For all artwork on this site, copyright is retained by the artist.