My daughter, Jerah, is a voracious reader. And by voracious I mean she spends nearly all of her waking moments reading (she reads at the dinner table, in the bathroom, while walking, while she is supposed to be doing her schoolwork…). I asked her to collect 13 books she really liked reading so I could share them with my readers. So here they are — 13 books Jerah highly recommends.
The Incredible Journey, by Sheila Burnford.
"Instinct told them that the way home lay to the west. And so the doughty young Labrador retriever, the roguish bull terrier and the indomitable Siamese set out through the Canadian wilderness. Separately, they would soon have died. But, together, the three house pets faced starvation, exposure, and wild forest animals to make their way home to the family they love. The Incredible Journey is one of the great children's stories of all time–and has been popular ever since its debut in 1961."
Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls
"Billy and his precious coonhound pups romp relentlessly through the Ozarks, trying to "tree" the elusive raccoon. In time, the inseparable trio wins the coveted gold cup in the annual coon-hunt contest, captures the wily ghost coon, and bravely fights with a mountain lion. When the victory over the mountain lion turns to tragedy, Billy grieves, but learns the beautiful old Native American legend of the sacred red fern that grows over the graves of his dogs."
Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie
"Peter Pan, the book based on J. M. Barrie's famous play, is filled with unforgettable characters: Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up; the fairy, Tinker Bell; the evil pirate, Captain Hook; and the three children-Wendy, John, and Michael-who fly off with Peter Pan to Neverland, where they meet Indians and pirates and a crocodile that ticks."
Heidi, Johanna Spyri
"What happens when a little orphan girl is forced to live with her cold and frightening grandfather? The heartwarming answer has engaged children for more than a century, both on the page and on the screen. Johanna Spyri’s beloved story offers youngsters an endearing and intelligent heroine, a cast of unique and memorable characters, and a fascinating portrait of a small Alpine village."
The Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare
"When his father returns East to collect the rest of the family, 13-year-old Matt is left alone to guard his family's newly built homestead. One day, Matt is brutally stung when he robs a bee tree for honey. He returns to consciousness to discover that his many stings have been treated by an old Native American and his grandson. Matt offers his only book as thanks, but the old man instead asks Matt to teach his grandson Attean to read. Both boys are suspicious, but Attean comes each day for his lesson. In the mornings, Matt tries to entice Attean with tales from Robinson Crusoe, while in the afternoons, Attean teaches Matt about wilderness survival and Native American culture. The boys become friends in spite of themselves, and their inevitable parting is a moving tribute to the ability of shared experience to overcome prejudice."
The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
"Frightened orphan Mary discovers the joyful wonders of life on the Yorkshire Moors with the help of two local boys and a mysterious, abandoned garden…where all things seem possible."
Dr. Dolittle: A Treasury, by Hugh Lofting
"Doctor Dolittle — a 19th-century English physician — has never been one for worrying much. Even after his human patients desert him (when one too many sit on one of the doctor's unusual parlor pets), he manages to convert gracefully to animal medicine. Having mastered animal language along the way (with the help of his caustic yet amusing parrot, Polynesia), he has a good head start in his practice. Then, one cold, dark winter night, as the doctor and his pets sit around the fire, a message arrives, via sparrow, from Africa. A terrible epidemic has broken out among the monkeys, and Doctor Dolittle is the only one who can save them. The beneficent physician checks his money box–not a penny left. But the fate of Africa's ailing apes lays squarely on his shoulders."
Mr. Popper's Penguins, by Richard and Florence Atwater
"More than 60 years have not dated this wonderfully absurd tale–it still makes kids (and parents) laugh out loud. Poor Mr. Popper isn't exactly unhappy; he just wishes he had seen something of the world before meeting Mrs. Popper and settling down. Most of all, he wishes he had seen the Poles, and spends his spare time between house-painting jobs reading all about polar explorations. Admiral Drake, in response to Mr. Popper's fan letter, sends him a penguin; life at 432 Proudfoot Avenue is never the same again. From one penguin living in the icebox, the Popper family grows to include 12 penguins, all of whom must be fed. Thus is born "Popper's Performing Penguins, First Time on Any Stage, Direct from the South Pole." Their adventures while on tour are hilarious, with numerous slapstick moments as the penguins disrupt other acts and invade hotels."
The Wheel on the School, by Meindert DeJong
"Why do the storks no longer come to the little Dutch fishing village of Shora to nest? It was Lina, one of the six schoolchildren who first asked the question, and she set the others to wondering. And sometimes when you begin to wonder, you begin to make things happen. So the children set out to bring the storks back to Shora. The force of their vision put the whole village to work until at last the dream began to come true."
The Water-Babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land-Baby, by Charles Kingsley
"Tom, an ill-treated chimney-boy, jumps into a cool stream to clean the soot off himself — and becomes a water baby, cleaner and happier than he has ever been, in a fairy world under river and sea. Meeting beautiful and frightening creatures, Tom travels to the Other-end-of-Nowhere on an unforgettable voyage of discovery."
Justin Morgan Had a Horse, by Marguerite Henry
"Joel Goss knows that Little Bub is a special colt, even though he's a runt. And when schoolteacher Justin Morgan asks Joel to break the colt in, Joel is thrilled! Soon word about Little Bub has spread throughout the entire Northeast — this spirited colt can pull heavier loads than a pair of oxen. And run faster than thoroughbreds!
This is the story of the little runt who became the father of the world-famous breed of American horses — the Morgan."
Gentle Ben, by Walt Morey
"The Alaskan wilderness is a lonely place for Mark Andersen, especially after the death of his brother. But Mark finds a friend named Ben, who happens to be an Alaskan brown bear. Ben and Mark form a special bond, but the townspeople are determined to destroy it. It is only through the strength of an enduring friendship that Ben—and Mark—have a chance of being saved."
Five Children and It, by E. Nesbit
"The five children found the Sand-fairy while they were exploring in the gravel pit. "Don't you know a Sand-fairy when you see one?" it asked them. The Sand-fairy smoothed his long ratlike whiskers and smiled between them. I daresay you have often thought what you would do if you had three wishes given you. "We want," said Robert slowly, "to be rich beyond the dreams of something or other." But we all know that wishes for avarice never work out the way they are supposed to. . . . and to his credit, the Sand-fairy was never mean spirited, nor vengeful, nor destructive. But he certainly could be weird…"
This post is linked to Happy to be at Home's Thursday {Thirteen}.
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