Younger Readers

Special Post from the UK

 in Books / Younger Readers by

I am sorry that I have not posted for a while, but I am back with some interesting things. As I write I am in England (looking for books that haven’t made it to the US) and looking for other interesting things. Today is not going to be a book review, but a Top 20. The Sunday Telegraph (a really serious paper in the UK) has a section called BOOKS LIFE. and last week there was an article about “The 20 Greatest Children’s Books Ever” by Lucinda Everett, and I though that I must share it with my readers. Some of the books mentioned are uniquely British so you might not have either heard of them or seen them. So let us not dilly-dally and get on with the books.

  1. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
  2. The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
  3. Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling
  4. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
  5. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
  6. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
  7. The Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
  8. Babar by Jean De Brunhoff
  9. Treasure Island by RL Stevenson
  10. The Railway Children by E Nesbit
  11. Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
  12. Winnie – The – Pooh by AA Milne
  13. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
  14. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
  15. Peter and Wendy (Peter Pan) by JM Barrie
  16. Watership Down by Richard Adams
  17. the Story of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson
  18. The Tiger Who Came To Tea by Judith kerr
  19. the Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
  20. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Those are the Top 20 books in the UK. I have only read bout 7 of them. How about you? But I will work on it while I am here. Have you read any of them?Are there any books that you think should be on this list?

Lucinda Everett has also listed “The 10 Worst Villains Of All Time”.

  1. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – The Witch
  2. Harry Potter – Lord Voldemort
  3. Matilda – Mrs. Trunchbull
  4. The Jungle Book – Shere Khan
  5. One Hundred and One Dalmatians – Cruella De Vil
  6. The Dr Seuss Books – The Grinch
  7. The Wonderful Wizard of OZ – The Wicked Witch of the West
  8. Peter and Wendy (Peter Pan) Captain Hook
  9. The Witches – The Grand High Witch (Of All the World)
  10. Fantastic Mr Fox – Boggis, Bunce and Bean

What do you think? Which ones do you agree with?  Any other villains that you think  should be added to this list? Hopefully these are not the only bad people and there are some others. Tell me who should be added to this list!

Halloween Books

 in Books / Holiday / Interesting / Picture Books / Younger Readers by

Since we are in the season, I thought that it would be appropriate to review some of my favorite Halloween books to get you in the mood.

These are my top 4.

#1. Winnie Flies Again

by Korky Paul and Valerie Thomas

This book is about how Winnie the Witch use to fly on a broomstick but she decided that the skies were too dangerous for her and so she tried many different ways to get around.
This little book is very funny and even though the topic of the story has nothing to do with Halloween, the Witch part does. This book has great illustrations. They are very colorful and the drawing are the best part of the book.

#2. Winnie’s Magic Wand

by Korky Paul and Valerie Thomas

This book is about how Winnie the Witch WASHES her magic wand and how the wand starts to have a mind of it’s own. This is a very funny book and again, even though it is not about Halloween, this is still a good book to read at that time of the year. Again the books illustrations are great. That is what makes it so good.

#3. I’m Not Afraid of This Haunted House

by Laurie Friedman

illustrations by Teresa Murfin

This is a great book for Halloween. It is very funny especially the end but I cannot tell you why. You will just have to read it yourself to find out. The book does not have many words but the pictures in this book literally say a thousand word.

#4. Whooo’s Haunting the Teeny Tiny Ghost?

by Kay Winter

illustrated by Lynn Munsinger

This also is a really good book for Halloween. It pertains to the holiday. It also makes you have little goosebumps. (Especially when you read it in the dark.) The pictures are very good and they help elaborate the book even thought the word in the book do a pretty good job of doing that as it is.

Halloween Time is Arriving Once Again

 in Books / Fiction / Fun / Holiday / Interesting / Picture Books / Younger Readers by

Halloween is a great time of year. You get to dress up and run about with your friends saying “Trick or Treat” and collecting candy at every house in your sight. You get to eat sweet things that you would never be allowed but because this is a special time of year, you get this one time opportunity. So now that time of year is rolling around once more and the time for the scary displays and the costumes is arriving. It is time for the witches to do their hurleyburley and try and scare all of the little children into giving their candy to them. In recognition of the holiday (which is on a Saturday this year) for the rest of the month, I will be doing Halloween books. Some of the books I will be reviewing are The Graves Family by Patricia Polacco, HOOOOO’S Haunting the Teeny Tiny Ghost by Kay Winters, Winnie the Witch by Korky Paul and Valerie Thomas and many, many more. I hope you enjoy this little treat.

Halloween Quotes

On Hallowe’en the thing
you must do
Is pretend that nothing
can frighten you
An’ if somethin’ scares you
and you want to run
Jus’ let on like
it’s Hallowe’en fun.
– – – from an Early Nineteenth Century Halloween Postcard


From ghoulish and ghosties and long leggety beasties and things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord, deliver us!
– – – Scottish saying

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