Kids Picks
Even when I was younger, I loved reading. Books were always a wonderful gift to me and that hasn’t changed at all. If you are looking for a book to buy the younger person in your life this season, or if you are the younger person and looking for something to read, here are some classic novels that are now available in collectible editions. They are the perfect gifts that can be passed down from generation to generation.
“Where the Sidewalk Ends” & “Every Thing On It” by Shel Silverstein
Shel Silverstein wrote some of the most memorable poems of my childhood. In “Where the Sidewalk Ends,” readers are invited into Silverstein’s imaginary world where children turn into TV sets when they watch too much TV and garbage when they refuse to take it out, shadows need baths and crocodiles need to go to the dentist. “Every Thing On It” is a collection of never-before-published poems and drawings that includes everything from toilet trolls to being forever tongue-tied. Readers of all ages will laugh out loud enjoying these masterpieces over and over again.
“A Wrinkle in Time Trilogy” by Madeleine L’Engle
When “A Wrinkle in Time” was published more than 50 years ago, readers were first introduced to Meg and Charles Wallace Murry and their friend, Calvin O’Keefe. When the children find the entrance to a mysterious world in the back of an armoire, they are thrown into a dangerous yet exciting adventure that includes time travel. In “A Wind in the Door,” the children are forced to travel again, but this time it isn’t to enjoy an adventure; it’s to save Charles’ life and restore the balance of the universe. In “A Swiftly Tilting Planet,” Charles has just 24 hours to stop a nuclear war. Together for the first time, all three of these novels will entertain anyone with a vivid imagination.
“The Complete Peter Rabbit” by Beatrix Potter
Who could forget Peter Rabbit and his mother’s warnings not to go into Mr. McGregor’s garden? This collection contains all 23 of Beatrix Potter’s tales along with a special section at the end with four additional works that were not published during her lifetime. “Peter Rabbit” should be part of every child’s library.
“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass” by Lewis Carroll
“I’m late! I’m late!” the white rabbit said, and set off this tale that has been entertaining families for more than 100 years. In “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” Alice is a young girl who sees things differently than everyone else and doesn’t want to follow the “rules” of society. When she follows the white rabbit, she falls down a hole and finds herself in a magical, backwards world where everything isn’t as it should be. “Through the Looking Glass” takes you to another magical world on the other side of the mirror where your memory works backwards and you have to run really fast just so you don’t go anywhere. Both stories will take you where you’ve never been and make you question what “normal” really means.
“The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh” by A.A. Milne
If only life was as simple as the way this sweet and lovable bear sees it, the world would be a much happier place. Pooh, Christopher Robin, Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, Owl, Kanga and Roo make up a charming bunch of characters that children fall in love with immediately, and their adventures will capture the hearts of readers young and old. From a forgotten birthday to a lost kite, Pooh’s simple way of seeing things makes the world seem a little less stressful and his words of wisdom are ones that every one of us should take the time to read.
“The Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum
First published more than a century ago, “The Wizard of Oz” will remain a classic story for every generation. From the Wicked Witch of the West to the beautiful, good witch Glinda and the scarecrow who just wanted a brain to the scary, nightmare-inducing flying monkeys, readers will be hooked from the start. Children will want to sing with the munchkins and cheer when the lion finally gets some courage. But most of all, readers will learn the important lesson that everything we are looking for is usually already inside of us.
