Books We Love
Children’s Literature is one of my passions and luckily the boys share this love. As I shared in this post, I hope to be able to write mini-reviews (or book talks) for many of the great books we read. This page will serve as a listing of our favorite books so I can remember which ones I want to write about, and so that I can link to it to provide recommendations.
This list is by no means exhaustive and will be updated as I have the time. Unfortunately, I do need to sleep periodically.
If you are interested in learning more about children’s literature, a great resource is the host of Kid Lit blogs that are out there. I link all my reviews/comments on specific kids books in the Kids Books category. More general discussions about Children’s Literature can be found in the Child Lit category. And posts about reading in general can be found in, yes, the Reading category. (I am nothing but predictable.) Jason also has his own list of book rankings.
Early Readers
Commander Toad - Jane Yolen
Books in the series: Commander Toad in Space, Commander Toad and the Space Pirates, Commander Toad and the Big Black Hole, Commander Toad and theIntergalacticSpy, Commander Toad and the Planet of the Grapes, Commander Toad and the Voyage Home, Commander Toad and the Dis-asteroid.
Elephant and Piggie - Mo Willems
Books in the series: Today I Will Fly, There is a Bird on Your Head, I Will Surprise My Friend, I Love My New Toy
Fantasy
Sisters Grimm - Michael Buckley
Books in the series: The Fairy Tale Detectives, The Unusual Suspects, The Problem Child, Once Upon a Crime, Magic and Other Misdemeanors, Tales from the Hood, The Everafter War
Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread - Kate DiCamillo
Tales of Magic - Edgar Eager
Books in the series: Half Magic, Knights Castle, Magic by the Lake, The Time Garden
Dragon Rider - Cornelia Funke
Inkheart - Cornelia Funke
Other books in series: Inkspell, Inkdeath
Chrestomanci Chronicles - Diana Wynne Jones
Read my mini-review of Volumes I and II.
Books in the series: The Chrestomanci Chronicles Volume I: A Charmed Life and The Lives of Christopher Chant, The Chrestomanci Chronicles Volume II:The Magicians of Caprona and Witch Week, The Chrestomanci Chronicles III: Conrad’s Fate and The Pinhoe Egg, Mixed Magics: Four Tales of Chrestomanci
Dalemark Quartet - Diana Wynne Jones
Books in the series: Cart and Cwidder, Drowned Ammet, The Spellcoats, The Crown of Dalemark
Howl’s Moving Castle - Diana Wynne Jones
Dark Lord of Derkholm - Diana Wynne Jones
Year of the Griffen - Diana Wynne Jones
Children of the Lamp - P.B. Kerr
Books in the series: The Akhenaten Adventure, The Blue Djinn of Babylon, Cobra King Of Kathmandu, Day of the Djinn Warriors
Un Lun Don - China Mieville
Keys to the Kingdom - Garth Nix
Books in the series: Mister Monday, Grim Tuesday, Drowned Wednesday, Sir Thursday, Lady Friday, Superior Saturday
Inheritance Trilogy - Christopher Paolini
Books in the series: Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr
Circle of Magic - Tamora Pierce
Books in the series: Sandry’s Book, Tris’s Book, Daja’s Book, Brier’s Book
Song of the Lioness - Tamora Pierce
Books in the series: Alanna: The First Adventure, In the Hand of the Goddess, The Woman Who Rides Like a Man, Lioness Rampant
The Immortals - Tamora Pierce
Books in the series: Wild Magic, Wolf-speaker, Emperor Mage, The Realms of the Gods
Protector of the Small - Tamora Pierce
Books in the series: First Test, Page, Squire, Lady Knight
Wee Free Men - Terry Pratchett
Other books in the Tiffany Aching series: Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith.
Percy Jackson - Rick Riordan
Books in the series: Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan’s Curse, The Battle of the Labrynth, The Last Olympian
Septimus Heap - Angie Sage
Read a review at Jen Robinson’s Book Page.
Books in the series: Magyk, Flyte, Physik, Queste, Syren.
Bartimaeus Trilogy - Jonathan Stroud
Books in the series: The Amulet of Samarkand, The Golum’s Eye, Ptolemy’s Gate
Flora Segunda - Ysabeau Wilce
Books in the series: Flora Segunda: Being the Magickal Mishaps of a Girl of Spirit, Her Glass-Gazing Sidekick, Two Ominous Butlers (One Blue), a House with Eleven Thousand Rooms, and a Red Dog, Flora’s Dare: How a Girl of Spirit Gambles All to Expand Her Vocabulary, Confront a Bouncing Boy Terror, and Try to Save Califa from a Shaky Doom
Graphic Novels/Comic Books
Sheldon - Dave Kellet
Books in series: Pure Ducky Goodness, The Good, the Bad and the Pugly, 62% More Awesome, A Blizzard of Lizards.
Amulet - Kazu Kibuishi
Books in the series: The Stonekeeper (Book 1)
Bone - Jeff Smith
Read a review by Jason.
Books in the series: Out of Boneville (Volume 1), The Great Cow Race (Volume 2), Eyes of the Storm (Volume 3), The Dragon Slayer (Volume 4), Rockjaw (Volume 5), Old Man’s Cave (Volume 6), Ghost Circles (Volume 7), Treasure Hunters (Volume 8)
Owly - Andy Runton
Books in the series: The Way Home & The Bittersweet Summer (Volume 1), Just a Little Blue (Volume 2), Flying Lessons (Volume 3),A Time to Be Brave (Volume 4), Tiny Tales (Volume 5),
Korgi - Christian Slade
Books in the series: Korgi (Book 1), The Cosmic Collector (Book 2)
Humorous Fiction
Chet Gecko: Private Eye - Bruce Hale
Books in the series: The Chameleon Wears Chartreuse, The Mystery of Mr. Nice, Farewell, My Lunchbag, The Big Nap, The Hamster of Baskervilles, This Gum for Hire, The Malted Falcon, Trouble is My Beeswax, Give My Regrets to Broadway, Murder My Tweet, The Possum Always Rings Twice, Key Lardo, Hiss Me Deadly
Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery - James Howe
Read my mini-review.
Other books in the series: Howliday Inn, The Celery Stalks at Midnight, Bunnicula Strikes Again, Bunnicula Meets Edgar Allen Crow
Picture Books
Daring Dog and Captain Cat - Arnold Adoff
Diary of a Wombat - Cindy French
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus - Mo Willems
Other books in the series: Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late, Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog, Pigeon Wants a Puppy
