Children's Lit/Young Adult Lit

I love books written for kids and for teens! I love it when authors don't "write down" in children's books. When I am frustrated with other literature, a lovely YA book will probably make me happy.

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous -- A startling true diary of an innocent young girl who gets drawn into a world of drugs. Such a sad story. The part I love most is the scene with the baby kittens. It made me cry.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit -- Ten-year-old Winnie meets Tuck and his family, and she learns their secret about a fountain of youth. GREAT book. Pay attention to the toad in the book; his role is way cooler in the book than in the movie.

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown -- The "runaway" bunny's mother tells him the extent she would go to be with him. Larry Medcalfe introduced me to this book when he read it during a devotion about how God pursues us. Read this book with that in mind.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett -- I seem to remember liking the pictures in this book before I actually read it. What a great book! Mary goes to stay at Misselthwaite Manor after her parents die; on the Yorkshire Moors she meets Dickon and Colin and discovers a secret garden that has been locked up for years.

The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney -- One day at lunch, Janie looks at a picture of a "missing child" on a milk carton, and it's HER. Janie goes on a scary search to discover the truth of her past. Memorable phrase: "The kiss was long. And serious. Serious like my hair, thought Janie."

The Girl Who Invented Romance by Caroline B. Cooney -- Kelly creates a board game called Romance for a class at school, and in the process of creating the game, learns a lot about romance and love and the difference between them. Read this book if just for the main guy character Will. Sigh.

I am the Cheese by Robert Cormier -- This book alternates chapters between the story of Adam Farmer going on a bike journey and the dictation from tapes from some type of therapy. Two stories or one?

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech -- Written from the perspective of a young boy named Jack who does NOT like poetry but finds himself exposed to it by his teacher, and the more he reads and writes it, the more he grows to love it. I think younger readers would find this book interesting especially because of its poetry-style look.

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson -- Classic about Travis and his dog. Sacrifice and growing up. A must-read.

Other Shepards by Adele Griffin -- Holland and Geneva live haunted by the ideas of their three older siblings who died before they were born.

Ordinary People by Judith Guest -- "He mimicked her soft soprano." Great book. GREAT book. Teenager Conrad is depressed and suicidal from a tormented memory of his brother's death. This book is about his family, their suffering, grieving, and healing processes. Definitely read this one.

Daphne's Book by Mary Downing Hahn -- Daphne and Jessica are paired up in school to write and illustrate a book together for a project. Although Jessica absolutely does NOT want to work with weird Daphne, once they start on the project, they quickly become friends. When Jessica discovers Daphne's big secret, will their new friendship last?

Wait Til Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn -- This was probably the first "horror" book I ever read. I can even remember where this book was located in the Kimball Elementary School library! The narrator's new step-sister befriends a ghost named Helen. For a young mind, this book had one of THE most terrifying scenes I'd ever read.

Kissing Doorknobs by Terry Spencer Hesser -- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: if you don't have it, you don't get it. But if you read this book, you'll get a better glimpse into that world. Please. Read it.

The Tale of Three Trees retold by Angela Elwell Hunt -- A lovely story of three trees who dream of great things and then ARE used for great things ... but not the way you'd think.

The Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge -- Sixteen-year-old Billy spends a summer with his gay uncle. No, I'm not supporting homosexuality, but I did like this book.

A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L'Engel -- One book of a series of four about Vicky Austin's family. This is a story about Vicky's summer on an island with a great boy named Adam whom she helps with his experiments with dolphins. A mostly good book with some weird stuff in it, some evolution-type theory is kinda pushed, but I liked the book. L'Engel is a Christian, although ... a strange one.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engel -- Meg Murray, her brother Charles Wallace, and this other boy Calvin "tesser" to another planet to find Mr. Murray and fight evil. L'Engel references Scripture in this book, but there's also a weird section that mentions Buddha and Ghandi.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis -- AMAZING. Seven wonderful books that center around the land of Narnia. I recommend you read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe first, then go back to The Magician's Nephew, then The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, and The Last Battle. These books are wonderful for anyone to read but will have special meaning to those with the eyes of a believer. You will recognize the parallels between the Gospel and the story. Particular favorite segments: Aslan's comments to Susan and Lucy, the serenity of the final scene in Dawn Treader, the final scene in The Last Battle. These books are incredible. I wish I could write as Lewis does.

The Hunky-Dory Dairy by Anne Lindbergh -- Zannah travels through time to a 19th-century utopian dairy farm while she is dealing with problems in real-time life.

The Giver by Lois Lowry -- Jonas lives in what appears to be a utopian society, until he is appointed the new Receiver of the village and begins to hear the horrible truth of the community. Intrigue will keep you turning pages!

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Series by Betty MacDonald -- Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is a fantastic woman who lives in an upside-down house (because she had always wanted one when she was a kid) and supplies the mothers of her neighborhood with "cures" for their different problem children: Bath-Haters, Answer-Backers, Never-Want-To-Go-To-Bedders.

Winnie-the-Pooh Books by A.A. Milne -- The adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends Christopher Robin, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, etc. Such lovely simplicity.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery -- MY FAVORITE BOOK! Anne is a wonderful, creative, hilarious redhead who is adopted by a brother and sister whose lives are radically changed by her presence. Anne has a great heart but always seems to be getting into some kind of trouble. GREAT stories, wonderful characters, ... and then there's Gilbert. Gilbert Blythe, a girl's dream boy.

Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery -- The series gets a separate "entry" from the first book, because the other Anne books are ALSO great. The continued adventures of Anne Shirley ... book number three Anne of the Island is my next favorite. Oh Anne. Oh Gilbert.

Z for Zachariah by Robert O'Brien -- The world has been devasted by nuclear war, but for some reason, the radiation hasn't affected Ann's valley. She wonders if she is the only person left alive in the world until Mr. Loomis shows up in his "safe-suit." A chilling book.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell -- 12-year-old Karana lives alone on an island for 18 years. I think in 4th grade I did a presentation on this book AND created a paper slideshow (remember, it was pre-Power Point) on this book. A Newberry Award winner.

Bridge to Terabithia by Kathleen Patterson -- Run, do not walk, to your nearest bookstore and purchase this book. I endorse it that much. Although it has questionable theology, this book about a boy named Jess and his friendship with a girl named Leslie is FANTASTIC. Have kleenex ready.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin -- Great book! So intricately woven! The story of Sam Westing's fortune, and the crazy game he orchestrated to determine those who would stand to inherit it.

Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls --

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls -- TEARS! I wonder if this is the first book that made me cry ... it just might have been. The story of Billy and his hunting dogs, the beloved Old Dan and Little Ann. A TERRIFIC book.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson -- A fantastic and funny story about a horrible family of dirty, mean, rotten children who insist on being a part of a church's Christmas pageant, what ensues, and what they teach the others. Quick and good read.

For Your Eyes Only by Joanne Rocklin -- For younger readers. Two 6th-graders' English class journal entries that allow the reader to learn more about their lives and to see how they are growing in their appreciation of poetry.

Holes by Louis Sachar -- Stanley Yelnats gets sent to a juvenile detention camp (Camp Green Lake) where the boys are forced to dig to "build character" -- there's an interesting back story to it, and all ends are tied up. Go read!

Small Steps by Louis Sachar -- Armpit, one of the boys from Camp Green Lake, is back home in Texas, where no one expects much out of him. Another boy from Camp Green Lake gets Armpit involved in a get-rich-quick scheme, despite Armpit's hesitations. Mix into that a meeting with a young, beautiful pop singer, and you have the book Small Steps. Loved this book!

There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom by Louis Sachar -- Bradley is a 5th-grade troublemaker and Carla is the new school counselor. I seem to remember loving Carla's character and how she handled Bradly when I read this book.

Baby Sister by Marilyn Sachs -- I loved this book in junior high! Penny has always adored her beautiful older sister Cass; when Cass goes away to college, Penny finally starts realizing who she is. Awww! Thinking about this book makes me want to go read it right now!

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! by Jon Scieszka -- We read this book in elementary school, and I thought it was so great -- then we got to write our OWN stories using this one as a model -- great project! It's the story of the 3 little pigs but told from the "innocent" Wolf's perspective. Love it!

Amazing Grace by Megan Shull -- Grace "Ace" Kincaid is a tennis superstar with millions of dollars of endorsements but she WANTS OUT. She gets a "make-under" and moves temporarily to hide from the media backlash -- to Medicine Hat, Alaska, population 813 ("including one cute boy: one very cute boy," says the book flap).

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak -- Classic! Max is sent to bed without supper and imagines sailing away to the land of the Wild Things, where he is their king.

Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss -- What a fantastic book! For years, I read this book to my cabin girls at Pine Haven. It's such a good commentary on life, in poetic, Dr. Seuss style. "And will you succeed? Yes, you will, indeed! 98 and three-fourths percent guaranteed! Kid, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!"

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein -- Another book I take with me to camp! Boy loves tree, and tree loves boy. Tree sacrifices for boy. An interesting picture of sacrificial love.

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein -- Fantastic book of poems for children. These poems are funny and wonderful, and there are illustrations to go with them!

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli -- Oh wow. SUCH good writing. Go read this one. Even if you didn't like Maniac Magee, read Stargirl. I read it and was wowed. Stargirl is the main character, and she is so different, it's crazy, and there's a little love story in there.

Wonder by Rachel Vail -- Loved this one in junior high! Jessica (nicknamed "Wonder") is tormented by a clique of girls called SCANTA, one of whom used to be her best friend. This is her story of how she survived her first year of junior high. GREAT BOOK. She refers to the boy she likes as "Orange Crush" because of his red hair, and there is a wonderful little scene with a belt loop that I'm thinking about now ... Oh! Love this book!

Shots on Goal by Rich Wallace -- Bones deals with being on the same soccer team with his best friend Joey along with his resentment for Joey, as Bones likes Joey's girlfriend. I like Rich Wallace's writing style and interesting interjections. Wrestling Sturbridge was the better of Wallace's two books I've read, but I liked them both.

Wrestling Sturbridge by Rich Wallace -- Since Ben wrestles at the same weight class as his outstanding wrestler best friend, he is forced to sit the bench. As his senior year season comes toward its close, he decides he must challenge his friend. Loved this book! Another one I want to pull off my shelf right now!

The Green Book by Jill Paton Walsh -- I need to check on this one again, but I believe it is from the perspective of a young girl whose family has just left Earth after a nuclear war destroyed it. Quick but interesting!

Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White -- Louis is a trumpeter swan with no voice! He learns to play the trumpet to communicate his love to Serena. Great book.

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams -- Classic story of how a child's love can make a toy real.

The Pigman by Paul Zindel -- LOVE THIS BOOK! Lorraine and John are best friends who each have problems with their parents; they randomly meet Mr. Pignati, and he teaches them much about life. The Pigman is a really, really good read. This is a book that I read pre- AND post-college.

The Pigman's Legacy by Paul Zindel -- The continued adventure of John and Lorraine.