Do any of you read children's books (other than Harry Potter)?

[AureliaSeverina]

Just out of curiosity, do any of you guys read children's or young adults' books? And I don't mean Harry Potter or Twilight, because the whole world has read those.
I quite enjoy the Stravaganza series by Mary Hoffman and the Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence.

 

[kantor1003]

The last book I read belonging to such a category would be the BFG, I believe, by Roald Dahl, one of my all time favorites. It must have been 10 years since I've read it however (in my early teens), but I'm sure I would have enjoyed it even now if I decided to pick it up

 

[Cryss Winters]

His Dark Materials

 

[Jennywocky]

Yeah, I'll read some things just because I have teenage kids. But Dr. Seuss, Roald Dahl, CS Lewis, Madeleine L'Engle... I was going to read I am Number Four. I have a copy of The Hunger Games. I remember reading all the Captain Underpants books when they came out. Still working on Ghostgirl. Read all His Dark Materials.

And yes, I read some of the Harry Potter books. I also read all of the Unfortunate Event books and enjoyed them immensely.

I also like to collect children's illustrated texts, if I think they're quality titles artistically and/or writing-wise. As long as a story is good/interesting, I don't care what age it's directed at.

 

[NoID10ts]

I recently read "Bud, Not Buddy" by Christopher Paul Curtis and really enjoyed it. He spoke to the kids at my school and did a book signing. He was a really nice guy, even gave several kids $20 bills during the course of his talk (he called them "bookmarks").

I also read "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman a couple of months ago and it was really good, too.

 

[Cognisant]

The Day My Bum Went Psycho
Zombie Bums from Uranus

The Discworld series.

 

[AureliaSeverina]

The last book I read belonging to such a category would be the BFG, I believe, by Roald Dahl, one of my all time favorites. It must have been 10 years since I've read it however (in my early teens), but I'm sure I would have enjoyed it even now if I decided to pick it up

Sounds nice. Thanks for the link.

 

[AureliaSeverina]

His Dark Materials

Must look into this one. I think I saw the film but don't remember it. Are the books well-written?

 

[AureliaSeverina]

Yeah, I'll read some things just because I have teenage kids. But Dr. Seuss, Roald Dahl, CS Lewis, Madeleine L'Engle... I was going to read I am Number Four. I have a copy of The Hunger Games. I remember reading all the Captain Underpants books when they came out. Still working on Ghostgirl. Read all His Dark Materials.

I love Madeleine L'Engle. I don't know many people who've read her books.
I must admit I have no idea what Dr Seuss is all about, although I see the books knocking around libraries here in England (I'm from Germany originally). Could you tell me a bit about it? (I know I could look it up on wiki, but I like to ask silly questions).

 

[Melkor]

His Dark materials, The chronichles of Narnia, anything by Roahl dahl, the Bible...

 

[P.H.]

I loved His Dark Materials. Almost read the books in one go and I had to have them on me all the time, so whenever I got the chance, I could read. Other than that: The Neverending Story and most of Roald Dahl's books.

 

[tepellian]

The Discworld series.

That count as a children's series? Read it awhile back, quite good.

I somewhat recently finished reading through Artemis Fowl.

 

[Jennywocky]

I love Madeleine L'Engle. I don't know many people who've read her books.
I must admit I have no idea what Dr Seuss is all about, although I see the books knocking around libraries here in England (I'm from Germany originally). Could you tell me a bit about it? (I know I could look it up on wiki, but I like to ask silly questions).

That's so unexpected.
You might as well be asking what The Bible is.

Theodor Giesel was an artist who started writing his own books, with a unique rhyme scheme, back in the 30's and published up to his death sometime in the early 90's (?) he has had many emulators of his poetry style, but most are hackneyed. His art style was also very unique.

The themes of his books, which were drawn and rhymed in a way that made them appealing to children, were typically wrapped around social issues of some sort, which made them endearing to adults. (The Lorax focused on environmentalism and taking responsibility for the planet, The Butter-Battle Book paralleled the arms race, etc.)

He's definitely worth a read. Probably The Cat in the Hat and the Grinch Who Stole Christmas are the most popular favorites, and both also had Warner Bros cartoons made of them back in the 50's/60's. (Comedian Allen Sherman played the Cat in the Hat, Boris Karloff narrated the Grinch.)

Madeleine's a gem, I miss her. Not that I knew her personally, but she did reveal a lot of herself in her books, and we shared a birthday along with CS Lewis.

 

[AureliaSeverina]

^^^ Thanks for the explanation about Dr Seuss. Will put him on my mile-long to-read list.
About Madleine L'Engle: when Meg and Calvin are "kything" over their maths (?) homework, that sounds suspiciously like xNTx + xNTx communication

 

[ElvenVeil]

awh.. I don't consider 'His dark materials' a children's book. But yeah I enjoy many children stories. Reading cartoons such as Calvin and Hobbes, Death Note, (just found and read an old Iznogood ). I also enjoy watching Cartoons in the television, as one of the few things that I ever watch, (aside from thousands of documentaries ). Oh and Artemis Fowl.. Perhaps I should read those books again.. They are, after all, pretty funny
@Aurelia, Yes 'his Dark Materials' is a good series The author, Philip Pullman does a very good job at combining his own free imagination with his knowledge of a classical education I think.

 

[MizKodomo]

I love childrens literature; Wind in the Willows and Matilda being some of my favorites.
I love Artemis Fowl as well.
Eoin Colfer is a fabulous writer.

 

[tepellian]

I love Artemis Fowl as well.
Eoin Colfer is a fabulous writer.

Read any other Eoin Colfer books? If so, thoughts?

Am curious; haven't explored his other work myself.

 

[MizKodomo]

Read any other Eoin Colfer books? If so, thoughts?

Am curious; haven't explored his other work myself.

I've read one other book by him, called the Wish List, and enjoyed it greatly. I don't have much to say since it has been ages, but I will say that he excels in Dark, Dry humor for children's literature exceedingly well. I hadn't realized how much in common I had with the main character in Wish List until later in my life.

 

[Pyropyro]

I've read the Narnia books and have started the Time Quartet. Any suggestions for good classics to read?

 

[AureliaSeverina]

I've read the Narnia books and have started the Time Quartet. Any suggestions for good classics to read?

Classic children's books?
The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton.
Pippi Longstockings series by Astrid Lindgren.

 

[Taniwha]

Chronicles of Narnia, A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Cay, Mary Poppins...
Thats all I can really think of right now.

 

[MizKodomo]

Pippi Longstockings series by Astrid Lindgren.

I had almost forgotten this series
+1 for good taste

 

[duke of new york]

I teach elementary school ESL, so my classes read some authors like Judy Blume, Sid Fleischman, and Roald Dahl. All favorite childhood writers of mine, especially Dahl. I really enjoy re-reading the books I read as a child. Lately I've read Matilda, The Whipping Boy, and Fudge-a-mania, which I didn't even realize I had already read when I was a kid until the end.

Often I'll vaguely remember a book or series I liked when I was a kid, and I'll have an urge to read it, but I won't be able to remember the title, author, or enough of the plot to find it on the internet. I used to read a lot of obscure young adult science fiction novels.

 

[Solitaire U.]

Beverly Cleary's 'Dear Mr. Henshaw' is a sleeper. Its sequel, 'Strider' is also a good read. I had all the Henry/Bezus/Ramona/Ribsy books when I was a kid, though they were written in the 1950's and are probably showing their age now due to era-esque language ("Jeepers!"). The 'Ralph S. Mouse' series has aged well however. My third grade EFL class is nuts for "The Mouse and the Motorcycle".

*Edit* I should mention the Curious George books too. Never really got into them as a kid, but my students adore them. I exploit H.A./Margret Rey's writing style to teach simple past tense.

Other illustrated kids books that have been winners with my 8-9 year old students:

'The Bull and the Fire Truck' by Tony Johnston

'A Fish Out of Water' by Helen Palmer Geisel (Dr. Seuss's wife)

'Are You My Mother?' by P.D. Eastman

 

[BridgeOfSighs]

I've enjoyed the Weetzie Bat Series (still working on that one), Neil Gaiman, Antoine De Saint-Exupery, Grimm's Fairy Tales, and this nifty version of Japanese Fairy Tales for free on Kindle.

 

[AureliaSeverina]

Often I'll vaguely remember a book or series I liked when I was a kid, and I'll have an urge to read it, but I won't be able to remember the title, author, or enough of the plot to find it on the internet. I used to read a lot of obscure young adult science fiction novels.

LOL, I know exactly what you mean. I've spent hours looking for these young adult science fiction book that I read as a teenager and couldn't find it for the life of me. Went through loads of lists on wikipedia etc, but to no avail. I took them out from a public library when I was a kid and they were translated into German, so you'd think they must be well-known enough to be traceable....

 

[Nauiz]

Mmmm, I love The Secret Garden, but the language is a bit advanced for most children now anyways, so I feel no guilt. I also love(d) all the Roald Dahl books, I had the entire collection as a kid and I still re-read them. I also love The Chronicles of Narnia, I make sure I reread them at least once every year, and have since I was probably around seven.

 

[snafupants]

Recently I've begun writing a children's book about Jerry Sandusky. The book is entitled Can You Keep a Secret? and is expected on book shelves this never.

 

[Trebuchet]

Terry Pratchett: Tiffany Aching books (Discworld) and Bromeliad Trilogy

Patricia Wrede: Sorcery and Cecelia, Thirteenth Child, Dealing with Dragons, Mairelon the Magician (and others in those series)

Andrew Clements: Frindle and lots of others

Zilpha Keatley Snyder: Green Sky trilogy

Those are my favorites, but we have a whole room full of kids' books for my daughter, and I read those, too. Lucy and Stephen Hawking have a series that starts with George's Secret Key to the Universe. Nick Bruel's Bad Kitty books are family favorites. I think the Fairy School Dropout series by Meredith Badger is charming and funny.

So, yes. A good children's book is a good book.

Snafu - Interesting topic for children's literature. Good luck with that.

*Edit* I should mention the Curious George books too. Never really got into them as a kid, but my students adore them. I exploit H.A./Margret Rey's writing style to teach simple past tense.

The history is interesting, too. The Rey's dramatic escape from the Nazis, and the later addition of Margret's name as the author. She wrote them and he illustrated them, but the field of children's literature was dominated by women so they used only his name, in hopes of generating sales.

 

[Sanctum]

Circe Du Freak was the last "childrens" book series I've read. I never read twilight nor Harry Potter and really don't plan to.

 

[Code_Name_Ozz]

I read the Series of Unfortuante Events, by Lemony Snicket.

 

[keekins]

I love those kind of books... of course I'm still in highschool, so I'm not completely out of the age group. I read His Dark Materials back in middle school, but stopped near the end of the last book because it was depressing me. I really want to go back and read them.

Also, I'm rereading the Inheritance Trilogy (though it's no longer a trilogy). I haven't read the fourth book, but I want to start back at the beginning.

Not to mention the Chronicles of Narnia is probably my favorite series ever, and I really love Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I've always been into mythology, so I find those pretty interesting.

 

[Jennywocky]

On Book #3 of Hunger Games... started the series a month or two before the movie came out. Fast read. Some parts of it, I like; some parts of it are a little derivative. Still, I like that the book version has real cajones in spots, for a teen book.

Also, there's a good chance that Katniss is an ISTP (or at least some function mix involving ISTPs and INFJs), a personality not often written from the perspective of in regards to teenage females.

 

[AureliaSeverina]

On Book #3 of Hunger Games... started the series a month or two before the movie came out. Fast read. Some parts of it, I like; some parts of it are a little derivative. Still, I like that the book version has real cajones in spots, for a teen book.

Also, there's a good chance that Katniss is an ISTP (or at least some function mix involving ISTPs and INFJs), a personality not often written from the perspective of in regards to teenage females.

I just looked up that series on amazon. Sounds really good. I hadn't heard of it before and the title sounded like something to do with anorexia. LOL, anyone care to buy me a ticket to get off my own planet and visit the real world?

 

[C.J_Finn]

I love Roald Dahl's books. I also love all of the Unfortunate Events books. I reread the first three awhile back, but I ended up deciding to read other things since then.