Recently, the Williamsport Sun Gazette ran a great article on the World of children's literature and bookstores in our area. One of those bookstores that was the focus of the article was Wellsboro's very own From My Shelf Books and Williamsport's independent bookstore, Otto's.
The article by Nancy Baumgartner highlights the amount of expertise a bookseller utilizes to choose the right book for the child. Of course, you don't work in a bookstore if you aren't passionate about reading, and the good news is that many of the books you've read as a child are still relevant.
Kasey and myself were asked to review some of our favorite children's books. What is a children's book. At what age do you make the distinction? We had a hard time choosing. So we chose both a picture book and a middle reader.
For the younger crowd, Kasey really likes Hondo & Fabian written and illustrated by Peter McCarty geared to ages 2-6. "It's my new favorite picture book for kids. I love the soft, sweetly funny illustrations. It's a deceptively simple story about a dog and cat who are best friend. and what a typical day is like for them.
A favorite of Kasey's for readers from sixth grade on is Gilda Joyce by Jennifer Allison. "I believe this series is a lesser-known treasure. The first book in the series is Gilda Joyce, Psychic Investigator, introducing us to the unsinkable Gilda, her back story, her family, and her friends. Think a modern day Nancy Drew, with a dash of Harriet the Spy, and a smattering of Encyclopedia Brown.
I chose Big Red because I love the timeless appeal of Jim Kjelgaard's stories. I love the straight forward approach to the relationship between man and nature. His characters are involved in vocations that are closely related to the outdoors and his well-researched insight into these nature involving careers make an excellent resource for young readers ages 9 and up. His books are interesting, entertaining and colorful.
I don't remember a time when I couldn't read. I went to a rural school without a library, but had books at home, as well as weekly visits from the bookmobile. I often read books by Bill Peet and my favorite was Farewell to Shady Glade. I love his illustration style. Bill Peet worked for Disney studios before going on to write and illustrate over 30 books of his own.
In Shady Glade, a raccoon and his friends must leave the glade because bulldozers are coming. They must find another Shady Glade. His animal characters are lifelike and lovable and his storytelling is excellent. Appropriate for ages 5 through 8.
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