Books Every Child Should Know Part I
2007-04-20
By D. E. Herrod, B.Ed.E, M.Div
In a recent conversation with my best friend, she mentioned that her two year-old loved poems and nursery rhymes. I decided to purchase a copy of A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson. Unfortunately, I was unable to find a copy of this classic in the local bookstores. This got me thinking about my childhood favorites and other classics that every child should read.
BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOLERS
1. A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson. The book that stated this whole list. This is a must have for any child’s library.
2. A picture dictionary. Picture dictionaries are great for promoting language skills.
3. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. This is probably one of my all time favorite children’s books. Alexander has one of those days where everything goes wrong. This is a great book for helping children (and adults, too) deal with those bad days.
4. An illustrated Bible story book. There are many Bible story books available. Look for one with colorful illustrations and simple stories.
5. Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman. The journey of a confused baby bird to find his mother.
6. Berenstain Bears by Jan and Stan Berenstain. Learn life lessons with Brother, Sister, Mama and Papa Bear. The books cover a variety of topics including going to the dentist, bullying and telling the truth.
7. Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do you See? written by Bill Martin, Jr. and Illustrated by Eric Carle. Predictable books like Brown Bear, Brown Bear Promote reading skills. Young children are able to read the book by pictures and repetition. Tracking the words with your finger while reading will help your child make the connection between written and spoken words.
8. Busy, Busy Town by Richard Scarry. Richard Scarry’s books are packed with colorful illustrations. Every page in crammed with little things to discover and comical characters. As a child this was one of my favorite books to read.
9. Clifford the Big Red Dog series by Norman Birdwell. Join the fun with Emily Elizabeth and her dog Clifford.
10. Curious George by H.A. Rey. Rey’s tale of the adventuresome and loveable monkey George. Curious George was one of my childhood favorites. The Curious George books were also some of the first ones I began reading by myself in elementary school.
11. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Williams. A silly book that requires audience participation. You will enjoy reading one as much as your child or maybe more. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus is a Caldecott Honor book from 2004.
12. Good Night Moon by Margret Wise Brown. This is a classis bedtime story of the little bunny attempting to delay bedtime.
13. Hop on Pop and other Dr. Seuss books. Dr. Seuss books are fun and silly. In my opinion every child should have at least one Dr. Seuss memorized. The rhyming in Dr. Seuss books prompts language development and phonemic awareness.
14. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is a fun easy to read book that is also great for beginning readers. I like the edition that comes with the mouse puppet.
15. Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber. Ira is excited about his first sleepover at friend’s house until his older sister teases about sleeping with his teddy bear. A great book to help children deal with fears and teasing. I really enjoy the read aloud version recorded by Jim Trelease.
16. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. Join Mr. & Mrs. Mallard as they search for a safe place to raise their young ducklings in this 1942 Caldecott Winner.
17. Old Hat, New Hat by Stan & Jan Berenstain. Old Hat, New Hat was the first book I learned to “read” as a child. It is a fun book with a simple vocabulary.
18. Polar Express by Chris Van Alsburg. The tale of one boy’s magical trip to the North Pole. Be sure to read the book before watching the movie.
19. Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost and illustrated by Susan Jeffers. Jeffers’s illustrations make this classic Frost poem a delightful read for children and adults.
20. The Amelia Bedelia Series by Peggy Parish. Children will love the mixed-up adventures of Amelia. The Amelia books are great read aloud books for preschoolers that 1st and second graders will enjoy reading.
21. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. A great book for a rainy day. Preschoolers will love to hear this book. 1st and 2nd graders will enjoy reading it.
22. The Mitten by Jan Brett. Brett is a wonderful story teller but the best part of her books is the illustration.
23. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. Williams’s classic tale of the toy rabbit that comes to life.
24. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. A great bedtime story about the adventures of a rambunctious boy. Winner of the 1964 Caldecott Award
25. Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne. The original version of Pooh and friends by A.A. Milne is a good read a-loud book for children between the ages of 4-8.
MORE IN THE BOOKS EVERY CHILD SHOULD KNOW SERIES
* Monday, April 23rd: Part 2: Books For Elementary School Children
* Wednesday, April 25th: Part 3: Books for Teens
* Friday, April 27th: Part 4: Books for Adults and Parent Resources
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