100 Best Books for Children

Well, first off, the bit in the blurb that says "If we miss them when we are young, we’ll miss them forever: no Hungry Caterpillar, no Winn-Dixie, no Roll of Thunder" is BS. The best books can appeal to people of any age. And I'm reading for just that reason: to see what I can catch up on.

I am familiar, as it turns out, with almost all of the books Silvey lists. Many of them are among my favorites. Of course, some of my favorites are missing, but that's to be expected.

There are spoilers (sans alerts!), especially for [b:The Giver|3636|The Giver (The Giver, #1)|Lois Lowry|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1342493368s/3636.jpg|2543234]. If you've not read that, and its sequel, don't read Silvey's notes for that book!

Each of her micro-essays show more is interesting. Usually there's a tidbit about the author, illustrator, or making of the book. Usually there's a summary of what it's 'about.' Often there's context, why the book is valuable, what it teaches, which kinds of children, or teachers, like it.

Seldom, unfortunately, is there much of an analysis of what actually makes it a good book. Valuable lesson? Check. Interesting setting? Check. Accessible character? Check. But, is it effective, and how, and why? Well, I guess that might be beyond the scope of a populist book like this. But for those titles I don't appreciate, it would have maybe helped to have more explication. I am *still* not convinced that [b:Mr. Gumpy's Outing|999371|Mr. Gumpy's Outing|John Burningham|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388687668s/999371.jpg|984862] is one of the top 100, or even 1000.

I do like her revelation of the idiom 'reading rebel' instead of 'reluctant reader' in the story behind [b:Stone Fox|817982|Stone Fox|John Reynolds Gardiner|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348701872s/817982.jpg|126861]. Apparently [a:John Reynolds Gardiner|75867|John Reynolds Gardiner|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1200683081p2/75867.jpg] was such a lad. I appreciate learning that the working title of [b:The Westing Game|902|The Westing Game|Ellen Raskin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1356850909s/902.jpg|869832] was "Eight Imperfect Pairs of Heirs," which I prefer. This would be a handy accompaniment to a Newbery challenge, as many of Silvey's favorites are also the committees' favorites.

The specialized lists at the end are less relevant & helpful than the Listopias here, though. And I don't believe there's more than one or two books here that are less than 20 years old.

Most damning of all, imo, is that I got no (zero, 0, zilch) titles to add to my to-read lists. And though I have been inhaling children's books for many of the past five decades, I'm not as well-versed as Silvey must needs be, and I'm sure there are gems I've not yet become aware of.

Recommended to god-parents and new teachers, especially, as they develop libraries for the children they serve. Recommended to anyone interested.

Not *highly* recommended to anyone, especially not to my fellow fans of children's books who have already read so many: Lisa, Gundula, Ronyell... etc.... you-all can skip it.

3.5 stars rounded up because it was a quick & fairly engaging read, even given its imperfections as a resource. show less

Silvey claims that she tried to think of a set of books to bring along on a long ocean voyage - what books would you want if you were stranded on a desert island with a bunch of kids. If that is the criteria, then the absence of a book of nursery rhymes is glaring. That said, this is a collection of 100 tried and true books that for the most part have already stood the test of time. Appendices expand the choices but without the lovely essays. If you are looking for a manageable list to begin with, at any point through middle school, this is a nice little resource. Another quibble - she has a large section for "younger readers" and although she makes distinctions between books for the 2-5 crowd and the 5-8 crowd in the main book, the show more Beyond 100 list does not which makes for some frustration. show less

Skimmed, to be totally honest. Got some good reminders -- The Phantom Tollbooth!! Made a list for the 9 and 11 yr olds. Too many weepies in my opinion but lots of people like those books.

Handy as a get-started guide for those new to the field of children's books but the titles hold few surprises. Tidbits about authors and publishing make this a notch better than the usual annotated list.

It's interesting to read the history behind each of the classic children's books. I love seeing how individual editors discovered these classic books and how much they influenced the authors' final product. Really inspiring!

This is a great book for choosing books for kids-it goes from infancy to teenagers, picks the best of the best for each age group, gives a background of the author and the book, and even has reading lists at the back of the book. I've looked through a lot of 'choosing books' and this is the best one I've ever found for kids.

Silvey comes with impeccable credentials. She was a reviewer for The Horn Book Magazine for years, and she has read and reread thousands of books to create her list, which covers from birth to twelve. Because she has kept her list to 100, she can offer detailed discussions about each entry. Even with a closing section (“Beyond the 100”), this book remains slim in comparison to other weighty references, and it’s a worthy addition to any library that serves children.