31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books: Eight Books I Loved as a Kid

My 31 Days Wrap-Up

I hope you realize how difficult this series has been for me! I mean, don't get me wrong, it was also fantastically fun, but seriously - I feel so bad for all the books that didn't make my list.There are just too many good kids' books. 

It was especially hard for me to leave out books that I adored as a child. I covered some of them (like The Borrowers, The Castle in the Attic, and All-of-a-Kind Family). But, I also wanted to include new discoveries and library finds (like Homesick, Katie in the Kitchen, and The Iron Ring). Not to mention books that Eleanor loves (like Meeow, Farmyard Beat, and Little Blue Truck Leads the Way).

So, to wrap up the series, I'm going to feature brief snippets about eight great books I didn't get around to reviewing. And, if you missed any of the 31 Days posts, just click on the picture at the bottom of this post, and it'll take you to a list of all of them. Thanks so much for reading along this month, it's been a lot of fun!

31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books: The Kite Fighters

One of the great things about this 31 Days series has been the fantastic books I've randomly discovered at the library. I started just grabbing handfuls of kids' books every week at the library, mostly based on cover art and blurbs, and then looked at them in more leisure at home. Some of them ended up not being that great, but I found a few gems, like this one.

The Kite Fighters tells the story of two brothers, Young-sup and Kee-sup, who are part of a traditional 15th century Korean family. Young-sup has an especial gift for kite flying - he just senses exactly when and how to fly a kite. Kee-sup can't fly as well as Young-sup, but he's gifted at the artistry of making kites. Between them the brothers make and fly the most beautiful kites in the country, which comes to the attention of the King. He asks them to make and fly a kite for him in the New Year kite competition. They plan to have Kee-sup make the kite, and Young-sup fly it, but then their father forbids it. Because Kee-sup is the oldest, Confucian tradition dictates that Kee-sup must represent the family. 

Young-sup is angry that yet again Kee-sup gets more privileges than he does, and Kee-sup is dismayed, because he knows he can't fly a kite as well as Young-sup, and he doesn't want to upset the King. 

The way the brothers work out their dilemma, without breaking tradition or disappointing their King is sweet. They discover that they've each been jealous of the other for different reasons, and make up nicely. They also cleverly make up a new kite-flying technique in order to try to guarantee a win for the King. 

I really enjoyed The Kite Fighters, and will definitely be looking for other books by Linda Sue Park. And, I was fascinated by the Korean culture of the era - women weren't allowed to leave the house at all! Young-sup and Kee-sup's mother oversaw the household, and the ordering of supplies, but she had to send a male servant to the market to do the shopping, because women weren't allowed to handle money.

Are you familiar with Korean traditions?

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Recommended age: 8 and up

This post is day 30 of my 31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books.
This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books: Summer Reading is Killing Me!

Summer Reading is Killing Me! is by Jon Scieszka, author of many hilarious books, including the beloved Stinky Cheese Man. This particular book is number seven in the Time Warp Trio series, and is kind of like The Eyre Affair for elementary boys.

For his last birthday, Joe's uncle gave him The Book: which keeps magically transporting him, and his friends Fred and Sam to different places. This time Fred accidentally stuck their assigned Summer Reading List into The Book, which plopped the three boys smack into the middle of Hoboken, New Jersey, with all the characters from the list.

31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books: Gone-Away Lake

My mom came down to play with Eleanor for a few hours last week, so that I could get some packing done. She kept listing all these classic kids' books that I hadn't included in this series. I explained that I'd purposely chosen a few classics, and a few modern books, and a few randoms from the library, because I didn't want the series to turn into "the awesome books Jessica read in the late 1980s". (Although, now that I think about it, maybe I will do that series next year).

Anyway, she was jokingly indignant that I hadn't included the Melendys. Unfortunately I'd already packed those. But, as I was packing, I'd set Gone-Away Lake aside, because I was thinking I'd like to reread it. To avoid disappointing my mother, I read it in a hurry, and now I'm sharing it with you! Sorry mom, no Melendys. But at least Elizabeth Enright is represented, and I promise that as soon as we unpack I'll do The Saturdays or The Four-Story Mistake or something!

31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books: Meeow

Today you get two reviews for the price of one! Eleanor and I just discovered the Meeow books at the library last week, and we're in love. We checked out Meeow and the Blue Table and Meeow and the Little Chairs. 

31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books: The Lightning Thief

 

You may remember that last spring I blazed through the Percy Jackson series. They're a quintet of middle grade/young adult fantasy novels that feature Greek mythology in the modern day. See the Greek gods are still alive and kicking, but since the seat of Western civilization has moved to the United States, Mt. Olympus now hovers above New York City, and Hades lurks below Los Angeles.

31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books: The Borrowers

This is one of those books that I contemplated not including, just because I thought maybe everyone has already read it. But then I got worried that maybe you don't know about The Borrowers, and everyone needs to know about them! Plus, I just kind of wanted to read the book again. Et voila: The Borrowers.

31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books: 5 Fun Halloween Books

Eleanor, Halloween 2010. Because she refused to wear a costume at all in 2011. 

If, like me, you prefer to introduce your kids to new concepts via books... and your kid isn't old enough to remember Halloween last year, then I have some great recommendations for you. Halloween is only one week away - so hurry to your library or bookstore to find them!

 

First, my friend Dayna loaned us Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin. We loved Duck and Goose at Easter time, and their Halloween shenanigans are just as fun. Bright, happy illustrations, and a fun, ironic text that will make parents chuckle make this book a win-win. We've read it about a bajillion times in the last week. 
Rating: 5 out of 5 Recommended age: 1-3

31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books: The Iron Ring

I was a big fan of Lloyd Alexander when I was a kid. I read and reread the Chronicles of Prydain - a quintet based on Welsh mythology. (One of the Prydain books - The Black Cauldron  - was later made into a movie). I also liked his Westmark books, and Time Cat.

While we were at Disneyland I read The Iron Ring for the first time, and as I expected, enjoyed it. It's based on Indian mythology - which I'm largely unfamiliar with - so I really liked the newness of the experience. 

31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books: Pippi Longstocking

At the bookstore where I used to work, Halloween was a BIG deal. There were prizes for best employee costume. And in 2006 I brought my A game as Pippi Longstocking. I had my sister braid my hair out along a straightened clothes hanger, and slather it with temporary red dye gel. Then I used makeup to draw on freckles, bought some hideous mismatched clothes at Savers*, and wore a pair of Noel's black size 13 dress shoes. 

My hair was so wide I had to turn sideways to go through doors. And while I was driving to work I had to roll down my window to let the left braid poke out. That got some stares, needless to say. By the end of my 8 hour shift I had a little raw spot on my scalp from the hanger rubbing**.

31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books: How the Sphinx Got to the Museum

How the Sphinx Got to the Museum is my favorite kind of picture book: wonderfully illustrated, with an intriguing text that teaches some great lessons about history and culture. Eleanor's too young for it now, but I snagged a used copy at Bookmans anyway, since I'm sure she'll like it in a few years.

31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books: Homesick

Benny has several problems. First of all: his name is really Beignet. His parents named him after the popular doughnuts from New Orleans. Second, his dad is a crazy, obsessed packrat (in today's terms: a hoarder). Third, as a result, his mom just left his dad.

She told Benny she's going back to New Orleans to get a job, and she'll come get him in a few months. In the meantime, Benny's stuck in Dennis Acres, Missouri (population 54 people) with his crazy father, Calvin, and a growing mountain of trash. Calvin's "treasures" range from a splinter from Jesus's cross to old motorcycle parts to a mildewing pile of empty pizza boxes.

Though published in 2012, Homesick is set in 1983, and Calvin is convinced that someday soon a world wide computer network is going to be created and he'll be able to sell all his items to people all over the world. So in the short term he refuses to sell anything, because the local people can't pay him what his things are truly worth.  

In addition to risking being buried by his dad's mountains of trash, Benny has a crush on a girl named Stormy at school, but he's shy about telling her. And, he's been supposedly taking piano lessons from Mrs. Crumple for months, but instead he's been sneaking away to help his friend Myron start a radio station. Worst of all: the kindergarten teacher has entered Dennis Acres in a contest to be America's Most Charming Small Town, and now the whole town is mad at Calvin because their trash heap of a house might ruin everything.

I really liked this book. It's fun as the modern-day reader to chuckle at the people who think Calvin is insane for imagining a worldwide computer network. All the characters are very real, and I just wanted to smack Calvin in the back of the head for neglecting Benny and ruining his marriage. The small town setting was vivid, and the denouement (while rather unbelievable) was a lot of fun, and made for a relatively perfect happy ending. I think if it was an adult book the tidy ending might've annoyed me, but I kind of like my kids' books to have happy endings - especially since Benny had to put up with so much during the story. 

Do you know anyone with an embarrassing name?

Rating: 4 out of 5
Recommended age: 8 and up

This post is Day 20 of my 31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books.  
Don't forget that the giveaway from Day 14 is still open!
This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books: Katie John

Katie John (named for her grandfather) is upset that her family has left California for Missouri. Her Great-Aunt Emily left them a huge old house in Missouri, and now Katie John doesn't get to go to camp.

But, the house soon starts winning her over. For one thing, a little girl named Sue lives just down the street, and she and Katie John are soon best friends. For another thing, the house is almost 100 years old, and full of mysteries and treasures: like a dumbwaiter and secret tunnels. Katie John and Sue undertake all sorts of adventures: selling lemonade, biking down the old covered bridge, finding out why Great Aunt Emily never married, and discovering strange bones in the garden out back.

This book is a lot of fun; and it's the first in a series of books starring Katie John. I remember loving these as a kid, and when I reread this one I got all excited about getting to read it to Eleanor in a few more years. I think it would make a perfect bedtime read-aloud book for younger elementary kids, because the chapters aren't too long, and each chapter is one separate adventure. And, Katie John is enough of a tomboy that even boys should enjoy her adventures. It's refreshing to read a book where the main character is a smart, spunky, accident-prone girl. The books are unfortunately out of print, but used copies are pretty cheap on Amazon.

Have you ever read any Katie John books?

Rating: 4 out of 5

Recommended age: 5-10

This post is day 19 of my 31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books.This post contains Amazon affiliate links. 

31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books: Recommendations From You and For You!

 Your Recommendations for Me

Last month I asked on Facebook and Twitter what your favorite board book and picture books were. You all gave me tons of ideas, and Eleanor and I had a blast checking them out from the library.

 Anne Bogel recommended Byron Barton. We checked out Boats, but Eleanor wasn't too interested in it, I couldn't get her to read it more than once. It had adorable illustrations though, and I think for the younger-than-2 crowd it could be a hit.


Amanda Junkel recommended Sleepy, Oh So Sleepy by Denise Fleming. We've read this one about a million times at bedtime now. I'd call it a hit! Such a sweet little story. And perfect for lulling a wiggly kid into a quiet state at bedtime!

Julie Haller recommended Todd Parr. We checked out We Belong Together: A Book About Adoption and Families. Eleanor immediately made me read it four times in a row, turning back to the beginning as soon as I got to the end. And then all week she kept requesting "that very bright book". A definite winner of a recommendation - and we'll be looking for more Todd Parr books! 

My Recommendations for You

I've been enjoying several other book-related 31 Days series, and I thought you might like them too.

• Shelley from The Book Diaries is doing 31 Days of Children's Book Crushes. So much fun!
• Amy in Wanderland is doing 31 Young Adult Books You'll Love Too! She's been talking about a bunch of books I remember and love.
• Kristin from Bits and Pieces From My Life is doing a series that occasionally uses books to help keep you and your kids happy with 31 Days, 31 Smiles.
• Cindy from Crayon Wishes and Popsicle Dreams has given me a bunch of great ideas to keep reading fun in her 31 Days: Enjoying Children's Books series.
• Sheila from The Deliberate Reader is doing 31 Days of Great Nonfiction Reads. Lots of good biographies!

What other picture books would you recommend? 

Following any other great 31 Days series?  

This post is day eighteen of my 31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books. Don't forget that the giveaway from Day 14 is still open!
This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books: Gregor the Overlander

At this point Suzanne Collins is way more famous for her young adult series - The Hunger Games. But she also wrote a series of middle grade books for kids about a shadowy world that exists beneath New York City. Collins got her inspiration for the first book, Gregor the Overlander, when:

Thinking one day about Alice in Wonderland, she was struck by how pastoral the setting must seem to kids who, like her own, lived in urban surroundings. In New York City, you're much more likely to fall down a manhole than a rabbit hole and, if you do, you're not going to find a tea party. What you might find...?

One day Gregor, a fairly average 11 year old New York kid was doing laundry in his building's basement and simultaneously trying to keep an eye on his 2 year old sister Boots. He has to babysit because his mom is at work and his dad disappeared two years earlier. Boots opened a grate behind a dryer, and fell through - taking Gregor with her as he tried to catch her. They fall all the way to the Underland - and are escorted by crawlers (four foot high cockroaches) to the city of the Underlanders (a race of pale-skinned, silver-haired humans). The Underland is a shadowy world divided between crawlers, bats, rats, spiders, and humans.

Gregor discovers that the Underlanders believe he is The Warrior - the answer to a prophecy made 400 years ago by the man who first discovered the Underland and created the kingdom beneath the earth. At first Gregor refuses the quest - but then he discovers that the rats (the mortal enemies of the Underlanders) may be holding his father prisoner; and the only way to rescue his father is to follow the quest. So Gregor, Boots, and their companions set off - facing many dangers along the way.

I really liked Gregor - he's a thoughtful kid, and a great big brother. Boots too is a funny character, she reminded me a lot of things Eleanor does. I did not like all the creepy-crawliness - four foot roaches! Six feet tall rats! Enormous spiders! Shudder. But I think that that might be exactly what makes this series appeal to middle grade boys - I'm sure they'd love it.

It had some nice messages about inclusion and loyalty, without being in-your-face moralistic; and made me chuckle sometimes, as Gregor's believably 11-year-old thought processes tried to adapt to the strange new world he and Boots had entered.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Recommended age: 8 and up

Have you/ your kids read the Underland Chronicles?

This post is day seventeen of my 31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books.
Don't forget that the giveaway from Day 14 is still open!
This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books: Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: Partners

In the second book of the Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa series, Kate and her horse Cocoa are partners through thick and thin.

First Cocoa needs new horseshoes, but he wants red cowboy boots like Cowgirl Kate. He runs away from the man with the new horse shoes. Cowgirl Kate finally convinces Cocoa that horseshoes are special, and people think that they're good luck. So Cocoa gets his new shoes, and says,

"I have lucky horseshoes!"

He bumped Cowgirl Kate with his head.

"And you are lucky, too," he said.

"You are lucky because you have me."

There are three other chapters in this book, and they're all equally cute. Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa work together to find a missing calf and improve Kate's roping skills. The illustrations are bright and happy, and the relationship between Cowgirl Kate and her horse Cocoa is really sweet. This is a perfect book for a new reader to tackle alone - or for a parent to read to a preschooler before bed, since each chapter is just 9-10 pages, and has a lot of pictures.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Recommended age: 4 - 7

Are you familiar with these books? 

What other easy readers do your kids like?

This post is day sixteen of my 31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books. Don't forget that the giveaway from Day 14 is still open!
This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books: First 100 Words (Bright Baby)

First 100 Words from Bright Baby was one of Eleanor's favorite books as young as 4 or 5 months old, and she still pulls it out and looks at all the pictures occasionally. It's so bright and happy colored, and she likes pointing at and naming each item. It's been fun to read it with her again and again over the months, because at first I was all proud when she could name one or two items on every page; but for a while now she's been "reading" it to me, since she knows them all.

I like how it's grouped by theme, with a page dedicated to colors, a page of home items, a page of toys, a page of animals, a page of vehicles, etc. 

We also have another book from the same series that's smaller and easier to hold - it's called First 100 Animals.* At a bookstore recently I spied First 100 Words in that smaller edition, which might be nice because it'd be easier for a baby to hold alone. But, I think I prefer our big version (it's about 12 x 12 inches) because there's more to see at once. I used it to prop it up in front of Eleanor during 'tummy time' and it would occupy her for a solid 90 seconds... which is a loooong time in baby terms.

There are also a related series of Bright Baby Touch and Feel books that I like too. We own Colors, and we've checked out Hugs and Kisses and Playtime and others from the library. They're all cute, sturdy books with fun interactive elements - that I think would make a great baby shower gift or 1st birthday present!

What books do your babies like?

Rating: 5 out of 5

Recommended age: 0-3

This post is day fifteen of my 31 Days of Awesome Kids' Books. Don't forget that the giveaway from Day 14 is still open!
This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

*Because of this book, I was inspired to challenge my friend Meghan to see who could list the most different animals in a minute. She got about 20. I got about 40. Having a toddler keeps one surprisingly conversant in such things.