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Category Archives: Children’s Classic
Quintessential Diana Wynne Jones: Archer’s Goon is about a boy, a family, a town and a threatening goon who takes up residence in the kitchen
Archer’s Goon is classic Diana Wynne Jones with various mysteries and characters gradually converging. The arrival of the Goon in Howard and Awful’s kitchen, demanding mysterious payment in the form of written words from their author-father, leads them to the … Continue reading
Posted in 10 years and up, 11 years and up, 13 years and up, 20th Century Children's, Adventure, British, Children's Classic, Comedy, Fantasy, Fiction, Novel, Speculative Fiction, YA Classic, Young Adult
Tagged a little dated, adversity, Diana Wynne Jones, engaging characters, humour, siblings, the town is a character, well paced, well written
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A children’s series that ages with its audience: Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill captures 10 year old life well
Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill is the third in Maud Hart Lovelace’s Betsy-Tacy series. The girls are now 10 years old and the largely standalone chapters of the first two books smoothly transition into larger story arcs … Continue reading
Posted in 10 years and up, 20th Century Children's, 7 years and up, American, Children's, Children's Classic, Children's Classics, Coming of Age/Rites of Passage, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Novel, Uncategorized
Tagged Betsy-Tacy books, childhood, children's classic, early 20th century, fiction, friendship, good out loud, growing up in America, historical, humour, illustrated, imagination, Maud Hart Lovelace, mid-western United States, play, school, semi-autobiographical, siblings, society, starting school
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The Dragon of Mith by Kate Walker
The Dragon of Mith is an Australian kids book by Kate Walker. It’s the story of a vegetarian dragon, a ridiculous number of dragon-slayers, a community of hermits and a blood-thirsty butcher (amongst others). I have vague memories of the … Continue reading
Five Children and It by E. Nesbit
Five Children and It, written by E. Nesbit and first published in 1902, is about a strange-looking Psammead (also known as a sand fairy) who grumpily grants one wish a day. But somehow the wishes always seem to go wrong … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Century Children's, 7 years and up, British, Children's Classic, Children's Classics, Fantasy, Fiction, Novel
Tagged 20th Century, 7 and up, British, children's classic, fairies, fantasy, fiction, humour
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The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis
The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis is the first (chronologically) in the Narnia series. If you’ve never read Narnia then start with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe but make sure you come back to the prequel. It’s a … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Century Children's, 7 years and up, Allegory, British, Children's Classic, Christian, Fantasy, Fiction, Novel, Speculative Fiction
Tagged 20th Century, 7 and up, animals, British, C.S. Lewis, children's classic, Christianity, classic, good out loud, Narnia, The Inklings, whimsical
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The Magic Pudding by Norman Lindsay
The Magic Pudding is a delightful Australian Children’s Classic by Norman Lindsay about puddin’-owners, puddin’-thieves and, of course, a cantankerous puddin’ that answers to the name of Albert. It’s basically an excuse for food, fighting and nonsense poetry. Thanks to … Continue reading
Peter Pan and Wendy by J. M. Barrie
My sister gave me Peter Pan and Wendy by J.M. Barrie, illustrated by Robert Ingpen, for my 20th birthday and warned me that although I might not be excited to receive it, she had got it for me anyway. K’s … Continue reading