Children's books
With J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince making its sensational debut last weekend I started thinking about children's books. There have been a lot of wonderful ones over the years, The Cat in the Hat, Where the Wild Things Are, Bambi, the Mother Westwind stories, the Chronicles of Narnia, the Chronicles of Prydain, Nancy Drew, and on and on.
As an adult, do you own children's books?
Most definitely yes! I am a secondary reading specialist so it's kind of my job to read young adult lit. And many of the stories that are out there now are great. I would say that at least one third of my book collection are children's books(maybe more).
If you do, do you still read them even when there are no children around?
Of course--I read them even before I had my own kids.
What were your favorites as a child? Now?
As a child I loved books about horses, non fiction and fiction(The Black Stallion especially). Then in my early teens I started getting into Vampire books--there was a series(I can't remember the name offhand; Vampire Chronicles maybe)of four books about a teenage girl and two vampires(brothers); I read those over and over. As a young child I remember loving nursery rhymes. Really when I was growing up the selection of young adult fiction was slim at best.
Now I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan. JKR is a genius; anyone who can write a story that gets SO many people reading should be celebrated. I could tell you stories about all the adults and children I know who wouldn't read anything; then they read one of those books and were hooked. I also really like Christopher Paolini--he writes the Inheritance series. The first book was Eragon(which he wrote as a teenager--I can't tell you how stunning that is for an English teacher to read--many of my students where hard pressed to write more than a page) and the second, Eldest, comes out next month.
Lois Lowry(sp?) is another good writer--I loved The Giver.
Spend some time in the young adult section of your bookstore(if you don't already) you may be surprised by what you find.
Happy knitting and reading,
Aloha:)
4 comments:
I do buy beautiful children's books. Some of the illustrations are just amazing. JKR is a genius. I haven't even bought book 6 (I know, I know) but can't wait to read it!
I love children's books and our book club has read a few young adult books and loved them. You're right, there is a treasure trove of books beyond the big kid books at the bookstore/library.
You're so right about young adult books today, and especially about JK Rowling. It makes me mad when people slag her off or say her books are evil - how can books that get so many kids (and adults!) reading be anything but amazing?!
Found you through Mim's. I love young adult lit too - Neil Gaiman has some wonderful stuff, Stardust, Coraline, The Wolves in the Walls (picture book). He's my current fave along with Rowling.
Post a Comment