Reading for kids of all ages
As you may gather, you should check Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/), which
may have some of these even if I haven't indicated that it does.
Analog SF Magazine -- http://www.analogsf.com
-- for older kids, teenagers, and up. You'rre never too young to start
reading the good stuff!
The Oz series, beginning with The Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum.
Picked up later by Ruth Plumly Thompson. Good for the younger kids aged
6 or so, basically as soon as one can read. Available from Project
Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/.
Enid Blyton (author, British) -- many adventure and mystery series
written for kids. May be hard to find over here in NA, and seemingly a
bit obscure for Project Gutenberg. Try Google or Amazon.
Edgar Rice Burroughs (author): his Mars series (of which I've read the
whole thing -- number 7, A Fighting Man of Mars, is
particularly memorable and romantic), his Tarzan series (of which I
have read only the first), and his Venus series (of which I haven't
read any). Suitable for older kids. He's
written more, aimed at young adults -- boys. Some are available from
Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/.
Robert A. Heinlein (author) -- "juveniles" written for Scribners.
Aimed at boys. Minimum age to appreciate these might be 10, but they'll
want to reread these when older, to pick up what they missed the first
time. Ask your librarian for help choosing these (Heinlein's adult
stuff
gets quite risque).
Rudyard Kipling: Just So
Stories and The
Jungle Book. Available from Project Gutenberg.
Mark Twain (real name Samuel L. Clemens): Tom Sawyer. Available from
Project Gutenberg.
The Essential Fantastic Four, (collections) Marvel Comics --
b&w reprints of the early color comics. Turns kids on to science
and engineering. Also good for the younger kids. Give them to girls,
too,
and see what they think!
Tom Swift (aimed at
boys), The Hardy Boys
(ditto - boys into detective work - made into a TV series in the 70s,
featuring 18-20-somethings rather than boys)
The Narnia series, C. S. Lewis. Girls, too, like these! -- from what I
heard girls discussing when I was in school.
The Doctor Dolittle series, Hugh Lofting. More aimed at boys. A couple
are available from Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/.
Robin Hood (many different versions)
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (many different
versions) -- There's also a Norse saga about a Norse analog of King
Arthur: Hrolf Kraki's Saga,
by Poul Anderson, although this has adult content. It's noteable,
however for its story of a King with his hall of heroes, each of whom
have his own series of legends.
Ivanhoe, Sir Walter
Scott -- once when my father saw me reading this, he commented that it
was too old for me. However, I got a lot out of it. Along with Robin
Hood, it had tales of persecution of Jews (told in a disapproving way,
which is good). I firmly believe that someone should be allowed to read
anything they're capable of sticking at. I have found that when I
reread some of these stories in the light of later experience, I see
much that I hadn't understood previously, but that doesn't mean that
the earlier reading shouldn't have been done. How else can the
experience be gained?
Starswarm, Jerry Pournelle. More aimed at boys.
Harry Potter (series), J K Rowling
The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien. Somewhat more aimed at boys.
The Neverending Story, Michael Ende. I'm sure girls would like
this one as much as would boys.
Star Prince Charlie, Poul Anderson and Gordon R. Dickson; also Earthman's
Burden and the "Hokas" series by the same authors. See my Poul Anderson pages for more on
him.
Vault of the Ages, Poul Anderson -- aimed at boys. AFAIK, the
only "juvenile" that Anderson wrote on his own. Try libraries and
used-book stores. Comic-book stores often carry used SF books.
Watership Down,
Richard Adams, 1974. The adventures of a brave band of rabbits seeking
a new home after their original warren was bulldozed for a housing
development. Was made into a movie with exquisite animation.
The "Bone" comic series (55 issues). PG for violence. http://www.boneville.com (See
comments
on my FandSF page).
I've heard that the G. A. Henty (author) series of historical fiction
is good, too, but I haven't read any. See http://www.henty.com/. Available from
Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/.
Myths and legends of Gods and heroes (aside from the obvious Bible
stories): ancient Greece, the old Norse, Asian Indian, North American
Indian, etc. As long as you get the kids' versions, they'll be "clean"
enough, as were those that I read. However, all religious myths and
legends from every culture are full of sex and violence (if you look up
the versions that hew close to the original -- Jerry Springer certainly
hasn't invented anything new) and in my experience the grimmest tales
of all come from the old Norse (in fact some Norse tales constitute
horror, at least in part). The kids' versions are still highly
recommended for their educational value (here, the antics of Loki, God
of Mischief are cute and amusing. Even Ragnarok -- the end of the world
-- isn't too hard for a kid to bear). Otherr myths and legends: those
of the Japanese, of which I have read little, and of the Chinese of
which
I have read less. Those of other cultures should certainly be worth
digging
up, too.
I also recall a series about twins that my mother had; each book was
about a different set of twins (each set a girl and boy fraternal pair)
in a different culture. The first book might have been titled "The Cave
Twins". I remember "The Swedish Twins" and "The Chinese (and/or
Japanese) Twins". Author: Lucy Fitch Perkins, ca. 1916. Some are
available from Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/.
I also recall the Half Magic
series by Edward Eager that I read when I was in public school. Four
children find a "half magic" coin that gives half of any wish, leading
to many interesting adventures.
Don't hold the "boys" books back from the girls (or vice-versa). Give
them to the other kids too, and see what they think!
Revision History: Jan 28, 8, 2006, Dec 23, 2005, June 20, 6, 4,
3,
1, May 31,
Created May 30, 2004