Books for kids

We're library junkies. Once or twice a week, we go and load up on books, movies, and music. I'm cool with perusing music and movies on my own, and books for myself. But when I get to the children's books, I am completely overwhelmed by the choices. Sometimes I'll pick the librarian's brain for author names. She knows me and knows my son, and she always has ideas. When she's not around or is busy, I'll poke around and pull books off the shelves to check them out. I like to have author names and then plow through their entire collection. Dav Pilkey is a current favorite. His books are so creative and original.

Anyway, when I'm poking through the shelves on my own, I think, "Suzanne! Where are you?" Suzanne writes Mimilou and always knows the names of lots of children's authors. Earlier this year she posted a list of house favorites on her site. When I'm pulling books off shelves, I wonder why I haven't printed that list out yet and put in my library bag!

So today, with a sick child on the couch, I had time to dig up Suzanne's list. I've sucked it into Excel, parsed it out, added her readers' faves and some of my family's favorites, then sorted it. Suzanne's kids are preschool (as is mine) and early elementary age, so that's the focus of the list.

Have others to add? Let me know!

And if you'd like the file in Excel format, send me an e-mail! Enjoy!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Some favorite children's authors & books
First name	Last name	Book(s)
Allan	Ahlberg	The Runaway Dinner, The Jolly Postman
Jez	Alborough	Duck in the Truck, Fix-it Duck
Frank	Asch
Rev. W	Awdry	Thomas the Tank Engine
Graeme	Base	The Waterhole, Jungle Drum
Paulette	Bourgeois	Franklin and the Thunderstorm,   Franklin's Secret Club
Jan	Brett	The Mitten
Raymond	Briggs	The Snowman
Mark	Brown	Arthur's Pet Business, Arthur's   Sleepover
Lisa	Campbell Ernst	Bubba and Trixie, Squirrel Park
Eric	Carle
Beverly	Cleary	Ramona the Pest
Joanna	Cole	Magic School Bus books
Donald	Crews
Doreen	Cronin	Diary of a Worm, Click Clack Moo
Kate	DiCamillo	Mercy Watson to the Rescue
PD	Eastman	Llama Llama Red Pyjama, Sam and the Firefly
Ian	Falconer	Olivia
Mem	Fox	Where Is the Green Sheep?
Kevin	Henkes	Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse,   Chrysanthemum
Amy	Hest
Syd	Hoff	Danny and the Dinosaur
Laura	Ingalls Wilder	Little House in the Big Woods
Holly	Keller	Pearl's New Skates
Steven	Kellogg
Kevin	Lewis	My Truck is Stuck
Arnold	Lobel
Kate	Lum
James	Marshall	George and Martha, The Cut-ups
Mercer	Mayer	Little Critters, others…
Susan	Meddaugh	Martha Speaks, Martha Calling
Lucy	Micklethwait	I Spy
AA	Milne
Robert	Munsch	Alligator Baby, Stephanie's Ponytail, Moira's Birthday Party
Larua	Numeroff	If You Give a Pig a Party, …
Peggy	Parish
Linda S.	Park	Bee Bim Bop
Todd	Parr
Bill	Peet	The Caboose Who Got Loose, Kermit   the Hermit
Audrey	Penn	The Kissing Hand
Dav	Pilkey	Dog Breath, The Night Before Thanksgiving,…
Watty	Piper	The Little Engine That Could
Lynn	Plourde	Book Fair Day, Pajama Day
Patricia	Polacco	When Lightning Came in a Jar,   Something about Hensley's
Mary	Pope Osborne	Magic Treehouse books
Peggy	Rathman
Barbara	Reid	The Party
Cynthia	Rylant	Henry and Mudge books, Mr. Putter   and Tabby books
Judy	Schachner	Skippyjon Jones
Maurice	Sendak
Dr	Seuss	The Lorax, The Sneetches
Shel	Silverstein
William	Steig	Sylvester and the Magic Pebble,   Brave Irene
Jean	Van Leeuwen
Chris	VanAllsburg	The Polar Express, Zathura
Bernard	Waber	Lyle, Lyle Crocodile, Ira Sleeps   Over
Martin	Waddell	Owl Babies
Nancy E.	Wallace	Apples, Apples, Apples; Trees, Trees, Trees
Monica	Wellington	Pizza at Sally's, Firefighter Frank
EB	White	Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little
Mo	Willems	Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the   Bus, Knuffle Bunny
Margaret	Wise Brown	Runaway Bunny, Goodnight Moon

 

Comments

[Suzanne]

Go, Marie! What a great idea!

[Marie]

Thank YOU Suzanne for starting this!

[Kristi]

I'd love the list! Even though Isabella is a few years younger, I'd like to keep it for when her book preferences extend beyond "Lift-the-Flap."

[Thumper]

For slightly older kids (7-up, I'd guess...)

Paula Danziger...anything you can find by her is wonderful. I was seriously bummed out when she died last year, and my son hasn't been her demographic for over 15 years.

Bruce Coville...he writes (or used to) fun creepy/sci-fi kinds of kids books. My son absolutely loved him.

Jerry Spinelli--he won the Newberry award for more than one of his books.

Lois Lowry's book "The Giver" is excellent, though for more mature kid-readers.

Judy Blume...anything by her

My son's absolute favorite book in kindergarten--"If You Give A Mouse A Cookie" by Laura Joffe Numeroff

[Uisce]

"I'm a huge Kevin Henkes fan," said Uisce, pointing.

[lisa]

I love Mo Willems - especially Knuffle Bunny. I believe he was coming out with a sequel for that? I had to read it for my Child Lit class.

Hey, "Choo-Choo" (Thomas) will be around this weekend and next. Are you going? :)