by Oscar Wilde
originally published in 1887
64 pp. (1987, Oxford Univ. Press edition)
7 chapters
Age: 7 +
Interests: ghost stories, haunted houses, humour
Talking about children's books and films. Useful information for parents.
27 Jun 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 7+, Classics Tags: ghosts, Hallowe'en, haunted house, strong girls
by Oscar Wilde
originally published in 1887
64 pp. (1987, Oxford Univ. Press edition)
7 chapters
Age: 7 +
Interests: ghost stories, haunted houses, humour
20 Jun 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 5+, Classics Tags: adventure, castle, Magic, storms, strong girls, travel, witches, wizard
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
06 Jun 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 2+ Tags: cities, dogs, Paris, poetry, strong girls
CALDECOTT MEDAL WINNER – 1954
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
17 May 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 4+, Classics Tags: fairies, Fairy Tale, Magic, Princess, siblings, strong girls
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
16 May 2011 Leave a comment
in Movies, movies 5+ Tags: adoption, American history, dogs, history, New York, song and dance, strong girls

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
16 May 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 5+, Gender Differences Tags: adventure, Fairy Tale, folktales, pirates, Princess, strong girls
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
13 May 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 3+ Tags: flowers, gardening, strong girls, travel
by Barbara Cooney
New York: Viking Press, 1982
28 pp
Ages: 3 +
Interests: flowers, single life, strong girls, travel
More
10 May 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 5+ Tags: bad behavior, kindergarten, strong girls
original illustrator: Louis Darling
Age: 5 and up (good too for older, beginning readers)
Interests: kindergarten, school, siblings
06 May 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 3+ Tags: adventure, beach, boats, ocean, pirates, strong girls, treasure
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
06 May 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 5+ Tags: bad behavior, cities, New York, strong girls
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