Top Ten: Children's Books and Authors

I believe in the formative power of children's literature, simply because it formed me so completely. Reading raised me just as much as good parenting did. I am just as grateful to the authors of my favorite children's books as I am to my parents. My mind and soul have been shaped by writing: shaped to pursue adventure, to value good, to understand others, to seek beauty. Adventure stories, fairy tales...they taught me bravery, loyalty and strength. L.M. Montgomery, Maud Hart Lovelace, Margaret Mitchell...as a young girl, these authors taught me the kind of woman I wanted to become, the kind of heroine worth being. The simple fact is that reading opens the mind. It forces the reader to put themselves into another's shoes, to understand the world from another perspective, even at a young age. Reading changes the reader.

One of my favorite quotes by G.K. Chesterton: "Fairy Tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten."

What other quote so perfectly encapsulates the merit of myth and legend? The truth is that the value of fantasy, of a story, whether fiction or non-fiction, is not the actual content of the story (although that usually helps) but the message that story promotes and the effect it has...the values, the habits in thought, the emotion evoked, the new interests...The power of the story cannot be denied. Although currently this power is worshipped in our society through film and television, it resonates all the stronger in the written word, and needs to be appreciated, not just by us English aficionados out there, but by everyone. Just as every math nerd claims that arithmetic is not an "interest" to be pursued or cast away, but instead is a necessary, basic skill for life (Can you balance your checkbook yet? I'm working on it) so I believe that reading and writing should be a staple hobby of every person, particularly children.

So my Top Ten books/authors for Children in No Particular Order, guaranteed to have your wee-ones up reading past bedtime:

10. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine: The movie suuuuucks compared to this Newberry Honor book. Although this book is definitely only suited for girls, it most certainly deserves some applause. My copy is worn and ragged. A Cinderella story so perfect in it's character, relationship and story development that I still read it in times of depression when I just need to believe in fairies again.

9. Dianna Wynne Jones: British fantasy author that has published over a hundred children's books. Brilliant. Each book, each new world, is arresting and well-constructed. Her plots are sometimes a bit intricate for a child's mind, but it never stopped me from enjoying them thoroughly when I was younger. Her Dalemark Quartet is reminiscent of the epic scale of Lord of the Rings on a smaller scale, and her Chrestomanci series is a delicious set of stories. Her individual books are great too: Hexwood, Fire and Hemlock, Howl's Moving Castle and The Dark Lord of Derkholm are some of the best.

8. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling: I had to include them. These books are popular for a reason. They champion good ideals, have an intricate plot that astounds me over again with each rereading, and have some of the best character development I've ever seen. The masses love these books because they relate to the characters. The characters are so very knowable... Readers become so incredibly attached to the protagonists that with each death comes more tears and thousands of Facebook fan pages.

7. Gone-Away Lake and Return to Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright: Another Newberry Honor book, this is a simple, sweet adventure story I got from my library several years ago. The tale of 2 children and their discovery of an abandoned resort town on the edge of a once-beautiful lake, now marshland, is straightforward, inspirational, and positive. As a young girl, I wanted to wander through the woods in pursuit of my own Gone-Away Lake the moment I had finished reading it.

6. The Betsy-Tacy Books, by Maud Hart Lovelace : Perhaps the closest books to my heart of all time. In the tradition of Louisa May Alcott (Little Women) and L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables), Lovelace took her turn-of-the-century life and wrote it down, using her main character Betsy as her proxy. The books grow as Betsy does: the first 4 are the stories of Betsy and Tacy as young girls and are written for young children, the next 4 are accounts of Betsy's High School years and are best for pre-teens, and the last 2 cover Betsy's trip around the world and her first year of marriage. There is not much difference in difficulty between the high school years and the adult years, but they are a bit thicker. The books are easy-to-read, beautifully written and heartbreakingly honest. Betsy does not feel like a woman living a century ago, but instead, feels like the reader's best friend or sister. I've reread these books a hundred times, learning more and more from them as I grow older and older. Betsy is everything a young girl could ask for: a companion in struggle, a role model, and wonderfully human. Whether heartbroken or having the time of her life, Betsy is wonderfully real.

5. The Little House on the Prairie Books: In the same vein, Laura Ingalls Wilder makes a historical autobiography any little girl's favorite fantasy. I cried every time I got to the end of this series, and I spent hours wishing and dreaming I lived in pioneer days. These are staple books...you shouldn't be a parent of a little girl without owning these.

4. Eva Ibbotson: Another British Children's author. However, Ibbotson's books are much more fairy-tale like, generally simpler, and more whimsical than complicated compared to Jones' novels. My personal favorite by Ibbotson is Journey to the River-Sea, an adventure story of a London orphan going to Brazil to live with cousins. Her experience in the Amazon is beautiful and inspiring, and the other characters are particularly loveable. Some of the other, better books by Ibbotson: The Secret of Platform 13, Island of the Aunts, and Which Witch?

3. The Chronicles of Narnia: I have nothing to say on these, because nothing I could say would be good enough. C.S. Lewis is a genius. He wrote beautiful philosophy, and made it for children. Perfection. Just don't see the movies. Gag.

2. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner: The series that got me hooked on reading in 2nd grade. The easy-to-read mystery novels are about 4 brothers and sisters that once lived out of an abandoned boxcar. They're filled with adventure, survival and positive reinforcement. The benefit of such a long series (there's over a hundred book easy) is that children who loves them never run out of books to read...there's always another mystery to solve!

1. Edward Eager: Eager wrote 6 books for children, all about magic. Half-Magic, Magic by the Lake, etc. They're short, funny, and sweet. Perfect for 9 and 10 year-olds. Each novel is related to the others, but they do not have to be read in any particular order, which is nice!

Also Recommended: The Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys series, My Side of the Mountain, The Andrew Lang Fairy Books, Hatchet...Once you get started, there's a never-ending list :)

So take your children to the library, and enjoy!


Edit: I forgot one of the best Children's book series ever. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle! the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books are delightful...full of whimsy and imagination. They're also short and easy to read, and unlike most of the other books on my list, could be read as young as 2nd or 3rd grade...so they're a good name to keep on the list!