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Children's and Young Adult Literature

I think the title says it all! I teach English Literature at university level, but my actual passion personally has been for children's and Young Adult's literature. Anything relating to these age groups- from nursery rhymes tocritical analysis is welcome here. Anyone who would like to go back to ttheir child hood, do join up! Sindhu
  • Category: Genres | Started February 2007

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  • Diane P

    A Top Ten List of Children's and Young Adult Literature

    I think it's good sometimes to share with others our favorite books. It could be the books from our childhood, books we've read over and over with our own children, or in a professional capacity as a teacher, librarian, or student. Below I've listed my ten from
    children's literature and a separate ten from young adult literature. These are a select few from my childhood, my children's childhood, and the countless childhoods of children I have taught for thirty-four years. . . and counting.
    My Top Ten in Children's Literature
    1. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
    2. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
    3. The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
    4.The Watson's Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
    5.The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
    6. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
    7. The Giver by Lois Lowry
    8. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
    9. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
    10.The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

    Diane P started this discussion 5 months ago (edited). ( reply )

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  • Diane P

    Diane P 

    My Top Ten in Young Adult Literature

    1. Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J. R. Tolkein
    2. The Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowlings
    3. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
    4.The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
    5. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
    6. To Kill a Mockingbiird by Harper Lee
    7. Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
    8. Night by Elie Wiesel
    9. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
    10.Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )
  • janain

    janain 

    I absolutely love The Watsons Go to Birmingham--I'm so glad it made your top ten. I would replace The Great Gatsby with My Brother Sam is Dead. I didn't really appreciate G.G. until I was older and reading it for a 2nd time.

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )
  • Mrs. Mc

    Mrs. Mc 

    My Top Ten YA List (today...it could change!)

    1. Looking for Alaska by John Green
    2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
    3. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
    4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
    5. Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
    6. Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
    7. Harry Potter series - Rowling
    8. Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
    9. Year of Wonder by Geraldine Brooks
    10. A Nothern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )
  • Diane P

    Diane P 

    The Watsons Go to Birmingham is one of my all time favorites. I read it aloud to my sixth grade classes evey year. And every year they love it too.

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )
    show 2 replies
    • Hil B

      Hil B 

      Yikes! I've never read The Watsons Go to Birmingham. I'm adding that to my list of things to read now.

      posted 4 months ago. ( reply )
    • Emily T

      Emily T 

      Christopher Paul Curtis is visiting our library this month. I am excited to hear him speak. Loved the Watsons.

      posted 4 months ago. ( reply )
  • Diane P

    Diane P 

    I love the way To Kill a Mockingbird is listed so frequently on favorites and top ten, top whatever lists. I didn't think to list A Yearof Wonder. It would make a great YA book.

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )
  • Emily T

    Emily T 

    I recently read The Watsons Go to Birmingham, it was great. Christopher Paul Curtis is visiting our library next month.

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )
  • Hil B

    Hil B 

    Oooo, I love lists!

    Top 10 in Children's Literature:

    1. Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
    2. Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling
    3. The Light Princess - George MacDonald
    4. The Tale of Despereaux - Kate DiCamillo
    5. Call it Courage - Armstrong Sperry
    6. The Westing Game - Ellen Raskin
    7. Bella at Midnight - Diane Stanley
    8. Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine
    9. The Giver - Lois Lowry
    10. Dear Mr. Henshaw - Beverly Cleary


    Top 10 in Young Adult Literature:

    1. Daddy Long-Legs - Jean Webster
    2. Lord of the Rings trilogy - J.R.R. Tolkien
    3. Beastly - Alex Flinn
    4. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
    5. Goose Girl series - Shannon Hale
    6. Stardust - Neil Gaiman
    7. Company of Swans - Eva Ibbotson
    8. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
    9. Mediator series - Meg Cabot
    10. Fahrenheit 451

    posted 4 months ago. ( reply )
  • Diane P

    Diane P 

    I'm not familiar with Beastly or Goose Girl. What are they about?

    posted 4 months ago. ( reply )
    show 1 reply
    • Hil B

      Hil B 

      Beastly is a modern day Beauty and the Beast. I have always loved the story of Beauty and the Beast and this is my favorite retelling of it that I have read so far.

      Goose Girl was taken from one of Grimm's fairy tales - about a princess who is sent to another country to marry that prince but there is trouble on the way and she ends up having to go into hiding once she gets there. Shannon Hale is a wonderful storyteller.

      posted 4 months ago. ( reply )
  • Suzanne M

    Suzanne M 

    My list in no particular order (hard to choose from all my favoritesi)

    1. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
    2. Eight Cousins - Louisa May Alcott
    3. The Little House books - Laura Ingalls Wilder
    4. Flambards - K. M. Peyton
    5. The Earthsea Trilogy - Ursula LeGuin
    6. The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
    7. A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle
    8. The Witch of Blackbird Pond - Elizabeth George Speare
    9. Island of the Blue Dolphins - Scott O'dell
    10. Beautiful Joe's Paradise - Marshall Saunders

    posted 3 months ago. ( reply )
    show 1 reply
  • atleast

    atleast (edited)

    My Top 10 in Children's Literature
    1. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham
    2. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
    3. The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt
    4. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
    5. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maude Montgomery
    6. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wider
    7. The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
    8. Heidi by Joanna Spyri
    9. National Velvet by Enid Bagnold
    10. An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
    11. Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter (sorry, had to have an 11th)


    My Top 10 in Young Adult Literature
    1. A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter
    2. Flambards by K. M. Peyton
    3. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
    4. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
    5. Carrie's War by Nina Bawden
    6. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
    7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
    8. My Antonia by Willa Cather
    9. Shane by Jack Schaefer
    10. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

    posted 3 months ago. ( reply )
  • Cecile

    Cecile (edited)

    What is ''The Waston's go to Birmingham" about? (to anyone how knows it)

    posted 2 months ago. ( reply )
    show 1 reply
    • Emily T

      Emily T 

      It is about a family (Mom, Dad, Three kids) who live in Flint, Michigan 1963. They have a series of funny, and sad misadventures as they road trip to Birmingham, AL to visit their grandmother. When they reach Birmingham, they are caught up in the racial tension and unrest that clutched the American South in the early 1960s. Great read.

      posted 2 months ago. ( reply )
  • Cecile

    Cecile 

    thanks, I'll search for in the middle school library

    posted 2 months ago. ( reply )
  • M. Van L

    M. Van L 

    I cant believe nobody even mentioned Dr Seuss!
    My top 10 list is as follows:
    1. Cat in the Hat - Dr Seuss
    2. Mr. Strong - Roger Hargreaves
    3. Harry Potter - JK Rowlings
    4. BFG -Rhoald Dahl
    5. Witches - Rohald Dahl
    6. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
    7. Lord of the Rings - JR Tolkien
    8. Charlotte's Web - EB White
    9. The grinch who stole christmas -Dr Seuss
    10. A christmas carol -Charles Dickens

    posted 2 weeks ago. ( reply )
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