Wednesday, November 15, 2006

96

For children's literature fans...

The following books are from the Teachers' Top 100 Books listed on the National Education Association's page, compiled in 1999. Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Mark the book selections you have read in bold. If you liked it, add a star (*) in front of the title, if you didn't, give it a minus (-). Then, put the total number of books you've read in the subject line.

*Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
*The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
*Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
*The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
*Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
-Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch
-The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
*Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
-The Mitten by Jan Brett
*Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
*Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
*The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
*Where the Sidewalk Ends: the Poems and Drawing of Shel Silverstein by Shel Silverstein
*Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
*Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
Oh, The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss
*Strega Nona by Tomie De Paola
*Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
*Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin, Jr.
*Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
-The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
*A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
-Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
*How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
*The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by John Archambault
*Little House on the Prarie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
*The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
-Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
*Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
*The BFG by Roald Dahl
The Giver by Lois Lowry
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
*James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
*Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
*Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
*The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
*Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
*Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
*Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien
*Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

-The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
*Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
Corduroy by Don Freeman
*Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg

*Math Curse by Jon Scieszka
*Matilda by Roald Dahl
Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
*Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White
Are You My Mother? by Philip D. Eastman
*The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
*Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
*One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
*The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
*The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

-The Napping House by Audrey Wood
-Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
*The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
-Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
* The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
*Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss
Basil of Baker Street, by Eve Titus
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
*The Cay by Theodore Taylor
*Curious George by Hans Augusto Rey
*Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox

Arthur series by Marc Tolon Brown (Some)
*The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
*Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
*Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
*The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
-The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
*Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
*A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
*My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
-Stuart Little by E. B. White
*Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
*The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

The Art Lesson by Tomie De Paola
*Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
-Clifford, the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell
Heidi by Johanna Spyri

Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
*The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
-Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
*The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch


Thanks to FuseNumber8 for the link. It's interesting to find out what books my friends and colleagues enjoy as well as what they detest. People's tempers can run blue-hot, too. I try to be careful when I discover books my friends love (truly love) that I detest. It's not my job to say, "The book that is dear to you is totally worthless and in fact has been a detriment to the human psyche since its publication" unless the person actively wants my opinion. If I leapt out of the library stacks, waving and shrieking, "Don't take The Giving Tree off of the shelf! Or if you do, make sure you bury it somewhere, and I will gladly pay your fines," I'd probably be chased by a horde of indignant colleagues right into the 364.152 section of the library.

I'm giving myself snaps for having read 96 out of the 100 on the list. It means I'm not totally out of the game.

8 comments:

Hazed said...

I know this is off topic, but I have a book I'd like to send Lucia. I'm trying to get the little singy thing that was on it, originally, to work, first, though. I believe she would love it. If I can get the singy thing to work...

limpy99 said...

I've read a lot of those book, mostly to my kids. They should have included the Treehorn stories in there somewhere. Great stories about a kid surrounded by oblivious adults.

Liz said...

I've read pretty much all the same ones you have. Though to be honest alot of them have only been since having my own kids.

Just as a side note, "The Giving Tree", to me, is one of the saddest books ever. "The Velveteen Rabbit" is too.

Saints and Spinners said...

Friday: I would enjoy looking at the book! Thanks.

Limpy99: Ah yes, the kids surrounded by oblivious adults theme. I understand it a bit better now, but I still like the stories best where the grownups are there, and they're pretty cool, but they're fine with being supportive without insisting upon being childlike themselves or denying the children the magic. Edward Eager springs immediately to mind.

Nonny: I agree. I haven't read it yet, but I've heard that The Story of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo is even more relentless than Velveteen Rabbit.

Lone Star Ma said...

Well, I have only read 81 of them. These are the ones I haven't read:

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin, Jr.
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
Matilda by Roald Dahl
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Basil of Baker Street, by Eve Titus
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
Arthur series by Marc Tolon Brown
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare

Of the ones I've read, I actively don't like these:
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
I'm not a huge fan of Bridge to Terebithia, either, but it's well-written. I just never-wanted-to-read-it-again. It's a rare animal book that I like (I love NIMH) beyond picture books and I am generally a bit offended by Dahl with his evil adults.

I love The Napping House! Wow!

Loops O'Fury said...

There are a lot on that list that I haven't read. But I've read The Very Hungry Caterpillar in English AND German, hooooo-ah!!!!

Anonymous said...

I think that it's safe to say that you won. Hands down. Top score o' the blogosphere.

Saints and Spinners said...

Woo-hoo! Do I get cupcakes?