Children's Books

[Deleted]

I never really understood the whole Goodnight Moon phenomenon either. When I was expecting, I bought it because it was in every baby/kid store I entered. "It's GREAT! Isn't it the BEST??" people kept saying. I didn't get it and neither did my baby girl.

[snacktastic]

Like Svengali, I still cry at the end of Velveteen Rabbit. Similarly, when I worked at a book store and perused the book Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch, the end (no spoilers) brought a tear to my eye. Aw. The downtrodden and the Redemption. I think there is a theme.

And if you want a great book to read to a 3 year old, try: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. It's hilarious. And kids I know love it.

[messageunit]

I've been reading Goodnight Moon to my son every night since he was about three weeks old. Nowadays, I just recite it in the dark. I think it's such a classic because it's so hypnotic. It's almost like saying the rosary - the text has a quiet, measured cadence that makes it a perfect bedtime ritual. I love the blank page that says "Goodnight nobody." So simple.

[genevieve]

loved the Shoes books by Noel Streatfield, and I think they are reissuing them. I saw Ballet Shoes, Theatre Shoes, and Dancing Shoes with new covers in the store recently.

I read Ballet Shoes so many times as a kid. There was something so engaging about the story.

Another book I really loved as a kid was A Little Princess I had this one edition that had fantastic illustrations and I used to love sitting up late reading the story when I was ten.

[dwanollah]

Another book I really loved as a kid was A Little Princess I had this one edition that had fantastic illustrations and I used to love sitting up late reading the story when I was ten.

Yay! This is one of the books I do a lot of critical work on (including my current book project), and it's easily one of my favorites. I love Sara... she's one of my favorite female literary characters ever.

I also love The Secret Garden, also by Burnett, but always loved A Little Princess just a leeeetle bit more.

[prickle]

Do I have a heart of ice? We got Guess How Much I Love You for Easter this year. (I don't know why -- because it has to do with bunnies, I guess). I'd never read it before. I know it's supposed to be sweet and stuff. And, admittedly I got a little tiny bit teary at the end because I'm just bursting with love for my kids. But what is going on with the I Love You MORE one-upmanship stuff? Big Nutbrown Hare seems to have issues.

[Maddiemoo]

I admit I was disappointed by the sequel to this book. It just fell limp.

Woah! There's a sequel?! I had no idea. I loved Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs when I was little, and now I'm torn between searching for the second book or preserving the first one in it's perfect-ness.

[pepper67]

I also love The Secret Garden, also by Burnett, but always loved A Little Princess just a leeeetle bit more.

I absolutely adore the ending of The Little Princess when she finds out who her benefactor is and when the horrible headmistress finds out the truth too. Yay for happy endings!

While I love most of the Burnett books I've read, my favourite has got to be The Lost Prince. Unfortunately, it seems to be one of her more difficult to find books. I recently found out that my copy is abridged, but the full copy is online here. You have to load a webpage for every single page though, which is annoying.

One of hers I've never been able to love at all, is Little Lord Fauntleroy. I find Cedric to be too sweet, the grandfather to be a royal pain in the ass and the whole situation annoying.

I like The Secret Garden too, but did anyone read the sequel? I haven't read it, and, after looking it up, I now know it was written by Susan Moody; Mary, Colin and Dickon ended up in a love triangle, Mary married Colin and Colin turned out gay. I bet FHB is turning in her grave.

Has anyone read The Chalet School series by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer? That's another set of books I love. The Armada versions are cut to ribbons, but Girls Gone By press are slowly releasing the books in their full, uncut glory.

Edited because I went and looked up The Secret Garden's sequel.

[Deleted]

The Lost Prince reminds me of The Little Prince. Man, I loved those books when I was a kid. I used to love how he could catch a comet w/ his net and fly down to Earth for adventures.

[dwanollah]

I like The Secret Garden too, but did anyone read the sequel? I haven't read it, and, after looking it up, I now know it was written by Susan Moody; Mary, Colin and Dickon ended up in a love triangle, Mary married Colin and Colin turned out gay. I bet FHB is turning in her grave.

That was the WORST BOOK I'VE EVER READ! First, it was just poorly written, like a really crappy fanfic that got published in book form, but also, Moody TOTALLY missed the point of TSG. I mean, I could she she'd prolly read some of the basic Burnett criticism, and was going for the whole psychological damage of two children with deplorable parents and what might've happened to them as adults as a result.

But.

WHAT ABOUT THEIR REGENERATION AND HEALING IN THE SECRET GARDEN!?

Stupidhead.

Unfortunately, it seems to be one of her more difficult to find books.

Penguin's Classics division for children (Puffin, I think) put out a whole bunch of Burnett's non-ALP/TSG books several years back, so that's where I got my copy of The Lost Prince. Interesting colonial issues in there. Well, ditto that for most of Burnett's stuff.