Childrens books recommendations

(I intentionally left the possessive "s" off the blog title, as punctuation does weird stuff to the URL.)

I have a soft spot for children's books: they get to the point right away, and they're (usually) well-written. Here's four of them that I picked up last week from the kid's section of the library. All of them for little kids (one drawing per page). My daughter (5.5yo) is of the age for all but the Emily Dickinson one (need to try it). I can envision a 10yo enjoying them. Heck - I'm 40yo, and **I** liked 'em!

I enjoyed all of them, and will likely eventually buy 'em for myself. Hopefully your local library has 'em.


THE BOY WHO GREW FLOWERS (2005) – by Jen Wojtowicz; found mid-June, 2010; children’s book, one illustration per page; boy who grows flowers from his body and has a family that the town views as oddballs makes friends with a plain but kind girl who moves to his school.

MY UNCLE EMILY (2009) – by Jane Yolen; found mid-June, 2010; children’s book, one illustration per page; fictionalized story of Emily Dickonson’s nephew and his relationship with her as his favourite aunt.

PRINCESS SMARTYPANTS (1992, 1995, 1998) – by Babette Cole; found mid-June, 2010; children’s book, one illustration per page; princess is forced by her parents (king and queen) to choose among suitors; gives them impossible tasks, ends up blowing them all off.

STANLEY PASTE (2009) – by Aaron Blabey; found mid-June, 2010; children’s book, one illustration per page; schoolboy who is the smallest one in his class is an outcast, until an abnormally tall girl moves to his school and becomes his friend.


--GG