The Top 100 Children's Books on Goodreads discussion
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Which Book are You Currently Reading From the Top 100 List?
Karen wrote: "Terris wrote: "I Love to Read! wrote: "I love The Watson's Go to Birmingham!! Enjoy! Christopher Paul Curtis is a reaaally good author :)"Yes, I like him too! I'll let you know my final opinion o..."
He sounds like a pretty good guy :)
Mod
Finally finished The Secret Garden. It was really good. A few parts felt a little dragged out but overall I really liked it.
I finally finished reading Wonder. I really enjoyed it but I was also reading an adult fiction book at the same time. Consequently it took me a lot longer to finish it than if I just read it by itself. I know some people read multiple fiction books at a time but I think I'm better with just reading one. I gave the book 4.5 stars. I think maybe I'm tough with my star ratings as I hardly ever rate books 5 stars.
I'm glad you enjoyed Wonder! I'm not sure if I want to see the movie or not. I really liked the book and I think that might be good enough :)
Mod
I reallyyyy want to see the movie!! I enjoyed the book as well, and I will definitely let you all know if I like the movie or not (the trailer seems pretty cool, so I am hoping I like it).
I Love to Read! wrote: "Terris wrote: "I'm glad you enjoyed Wonder! I'm not sure if I want to see the movie or not. I really liked the book and I think that might be good enough :)"I reallyyyy want to see the movie!! I ..."
Yes, please let me know what you think of the movie!
My daughter and my wife got to see half the movie this week and they both said it was really good. My wife hasn't read the book.
I'm currently reading "A Little Princess". I wanted to read it last year but I didn't get around to it so I thought I would start the year reading it. So far I'm enjoying it.
Julie wrote: "I'm currently reading "A Little Princess". I wanted to read it last year but I didn't get around to it so I thought I would start the year reading it. So far I'm enjoying it."Oh, I think you'll like it! :)
I finally started reading From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, which I am enjoying so far. Am planning to read When You Reach Me next. I had vague thoughts of rereading A Wrinkle In Time before doing that, but I'm not really in the mood for a reread just now and I think my memories of the book are strong enough to go in without.
slauderdale wrote: "I finally started reading From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, which I am enjoying so far. Am planning to read When You Reach Me next. I had vague thoughts of rereading A Wrinkle I..."Oh, three good ones!
They ARE good. I enjoyed "Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler," and I ended up rereading "A Wrinkle in Time" after all, which I'm so glad I did, because I felt like I was reading it again for the first time. Am now very excited about the movie that is coming out, and tempted to watch the 2003 adaptation as well, which I've never seen - and in a more bookish vein, I'd like to go read all of Ms. L'Engle's fiction in order of original publication at some point, so I can see when she introduced which characters and what the progression was, and watch the interplay of Chronos and Kairos. Reading her books as a child and teenager was a very discombobulated affair, seeing the same people popping up in such different milieus, and I think reading them in order of publication might help. Other people might find chronological order more helpful, but if time is a malleable construct anyway then I should be able to do what I want. ;)Now for "When You Reach Me."
The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, 4****s
This book is not on the Top 100 -- but it should be!!
This is the sequel to "The War That Saved My Life."
I had enjoyed the first book so much but wasn't sure that I needed to read this second book. But I'm very glad that I did! As this was written for 4th-7th graders, I thought the author did such a good job of being able to teach a young reader about so many topics: religion, the politics of war, child abuse, grief, and joy...just a myriad of issues! As a teacher I would highly recommend these two books for children ages 9-12, but also talk to them about what is happening in the book and what they have learned.
As an adult reader -- I just loved it! I could hardly put it down. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters and their backgrounds. And it also has a pretty nice ending, which always helps :)
Happy reading on this one!
Finally, we read something from the list. We just finished Through the Looking Glass. It was a quick read, but I thought it was very confusing. My daughter liked it though. I'm not sure what we'll read next.
I have finished reading A Little Princess. I read it slowly but I did really enjoy it when I was reading it. I liked how the main character Sara was kind even though her circumstances changed dramatically. I rated it 4.5 stars.
We finished The Princess Academy. I thought it was pretty good. I felt a little cheated at the end with how the princess was chosen. It was like, "Oh! By the way..." Has anyone read the other books in the series? I wonder if they're worth reading...
Now we're reading The Little Princess which seems good so far.
I have not read The Princess Academy, but I loved The Little Princess! Enjoy :)
Just finished A Little Princess: The Story of Sara Crewe. I really liked it. My daughter liked it too but she had a little trouble following the story with the language used. I thought it started out a little slow but then I couldn't put it down at the end. I'm not sure what we'll read next.
Jason wrote: "Just finished A Little Princess: The Story of Sara Crewe. I really liked it. My daughter liked it too but she had a little trouble following the story with the language used. I thou..."I'm glad you also thought it made a slow start. I started it once and quit on it, not thinking I'd like it. Then, maybe a year later, I started it again, got past the first slow part and ended up loving the book!
Glad you and your daughter enjoyed it together :)
I'm currently reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. I'm reading it slowly as I only have a copy of it as an ebook on my phone because the library doesn't have a physical copy. So far I'm enjoying it.
I love that book! I hope you enjoy it too :)
Julie NZ wrote: "I'm currently reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. I'm reading it slowly as I only have a copy of it as an ebook on my phone because the library doesn't have a physical cop..."My daughter and I both enjoyed it a lot. It was a really cute story. Enjoy!
Well it sounds like I should enjoy it. :)
I really enjoyed reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and gave it 4.5 stars. It's a book that I would happily reread one day and I've put it as one of my favourites.
Glad you liked it. I finished up The Jungle Book with the girls. It was completely different than any of the movies I've ever seen. I really wasn't that crazy about it. Then we read Mr. Popper's Penguins from the Amazon list. That was cute but a very quick read. And it was a little ridiculous. Not at all like the Jim Carey movie either. We also just read a book we picked up at the school book fair a couple of weeks ago, Dirt. It was a cute book. It's about a one-eyed Shetland pony and a girl who's lost her mother and has no friends and refuses to talk. Now we've started The Arabian Nights.
Julie NZ wrote: "I really enjoyed reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and gave it 4.5 stars. It's a book that I would happily reread one day and I've put it as one of my favourites."I thought you'd like it! I really need to read another children's book this summer. They're kind of soothing when compared to my other reads and all that goes on in the summer :)
Jason wrote: "Glad you liked it. I finished up The Jungle Book with the girls. It was completely different than any of the movies I've ever seen. I really wasn't that crazy about it. Then we read..."You are very ambitious!
Isn't it surprising how the actual books differ from the Disney movies?! I'm always glad to read the books so that I can see what the real story was before it went on the big screen (even though the movie is often much more entertaining than some of the old classics!).
I was really surprised how different the Jungle Book was from the movie. It would not have made a good movie I don't think the way it was written. Its funny how Disney will make a movie that is completely different from the original and then everyone copies them instead of the book.
Chuck Jones did an animated short film about "Mowgli's Brothers" that hewed fairly close, as I recall. And I'm fond of the 1942 movie with Sabu, although it too takes liberties. But at least poor Kaa isn't portrayed as a bad guy.I like the book and I like the Disney movie (and Disney's Kaa!), but there's no denying that they are very different. The Disney movie was originally written and scored to be much closer to the book in feel, but Walt Disney told them to throw that dark stuff out and make it a story about a boy and his animal friends.
For someone who went the other direction, "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman is a modern-day adaptation of "The Jungle Book," with a boy who is raised in a graveyard.
Mod
Oh actually?!? I had no idea The Jungle Book was related to the Graveyard Book....but now that you say, I see the connection!
Where have we all been lately?! I have been trying to catch up on classics for a challenge and that has put me behind on my children's books. So -- these are a few that I would like to read very soon:Sounder, Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida, Maniac Magee, Jacob Have I Loved, and Sideways Stories from Wayside School.
I picked up most of them at yard sales!
Happy Reading!
I've been stuck having a bit of a slump on a children's mystery book and busy with life stuff. I don't want to dnf the mystery book though as when I read it, it's good. I just don't feel like picking it up often. I'm thinking of reading "A Handful of Stars" from the list next.
Julie NZ wrote: "I've been stuck having a bit of a slump on a children's mystery book and busy with life stuff. I don't want to dnf the mystery book though as when I read it, it's good. I just don't feel like picki..."I had not heard of A Handful of Stars, Julie. But just looked it up, it looks very good!! You'll have to let us know what you think. It looks like one your girls might like :)
Terris - Let me know if you want to read it at the same time as me as I can wait until you're ready to read it, if you like.
Julie NZ wrote: "Terris - Let me know if you want to read it at the same time as me as I can wait until you're ready to read it, if you like."Yes, that would be fun to read it together! I can't get to it until sometime in September (maybe around the 10th?). I just have a couple I have to get to for 2 book clubs I'm in. When is good for you?
Mod
Thanks for the update Terris! And for the conversation starter too - it's been quiet on here for a while :)
To everyone - hope all of you have been reading great books recently!!
I have not been reading books on the Top 100 list lately either (woops my bad! ;)) but I really do want to get to some soon! Some of the ones I want to read now include: A Wrinkle in Time and The Borrowers (cross my fingers it actually happens relatively soon because I've realized thatI am very bad at getting to the books I anticipate reading in the near future! At least I have something I can improve on! :))
One book that I read recently was I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives. It is nonfiction, but I think it is super relatable to young readers around the ages 11-15. Still, it is definitely targeted towards all ages. I think it would be a great one for an addition to the Top 100 list! (I know Terris has already read this and I know she liked it a lot as well!)
Julie and I are getting ready to read A Handful of Stars soon -- maybe the middle of September -- if anyone else wants to join in!
Terris wrote: "Julie and I are getting ready to read A Handful of Stars soon -- maybe the middle of September -- if anyone else wants to join in!"
The middle of September suits me. Yes, anyone can join in to read A Handful of Stars. We could start a new discussion thread about it, if there are a few of us reading it.
The middle of September suits me. Yes, anyone can join in to read A Handful of Stars. We could start a new discussion thread about it, if there are a few of us reading it.
Mod
The middle of September suits me...."
Starting a new thread seems like a great idea! I've already read the book (and loved it!), but I can't wait to see what you all think of it. I will join in the discussion too - if I can remember all the details!
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford, 4****s
I very much enjoyed this children's book about two dogs and a cat and their journey. They are staying at a friend's home while their owner is out of the country for a couple of months. And they decide that they want to go home -- which turns out to be several hundred miles away! And what an adventure it turns out to be!! Good story, exciting, dramatic in places, and sweet :)
@ Julie NZ -- I think your girls would like this, but..... don't forget that it is written in 1960 and I think some of the animal fighting scenes might be a little scary for some children (I can't remember the age of your children). Some of the animals get hurt by other animals, one animal gets shot and killed (not one of the main characters, of course). So, there are some sad and distressing parts in the story. But -- spoiler alert -- it does have a happy ending :)I just think that this book is a little more blunt and straight forward because of when it was written than some children's books are written now. But maybe that's just me.
So you might want to quickly read through it first (it's not very long) if you plan to read it with your girls.
Also, I am planning on starting A Handful of Stars this weekend! It will be fun to compare these two books. I don't have any idea what to expect :)
Terris wrote: "@ Julie NZ -- I think your girls would like this, but..... don't forget that it is written in 1960 and I think some of the animal fighting scenes might be a little scary for some children (I can't ..."
I have an 11 year old boy and a nearly 6 year old girl. They are both sensitive in nature so I don't think they would be ready for it yet but that gives me time to pre read it before they are ready. I'll start A Handful of Stars this weekend too. I'm looking forward to reading it.
I have an 11 year old boy and a nearly 6 year old girl. They are both sensitive in nature so I don't think they would be ready for it yet but that gives me time to pre read it before they are ready. I'll start A Handful of Stars this weekend too. I'm looking forward to reading it.
Julie NZ wrote: "Terris wrote: "@ Julie NZ -- I think your girls would like this, but..... don't forget that it is written in 1960 and I think some of the animal fighting scenes might be a little scary for some chi..."I'm sorry, I thought you had two girls. Anyway, if they are sensitive about animals and nature, you might read through it first. But it really is a good story!
I got my copy of A Handful of Stars today (online version). I was glad to get it because the first copy said it was on hold for 70 days!!! But then I was able to get another one. I have read a very few pages and it looks pretty good :)
The Top 100 Children's Books on Goodreads
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Yes, I like him too! I'll let you know my final opinion of the book, but..."
Christopher Paul Curtis has a few You tube videos on his books and how he became a writer. He is very warm and likable. He weaves great historical fiction novels placing the reader in these loving, smart African American homes. I love it this perspective.