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[slightlymadmom]

I've been double-tagged:

Guilt What is yours? Explain yourself Culinary: chocolate chips
I have lots of food guilts, but these are unusual. It's because they are non-dairy...
Literary: children's books I read lots of kid lit, even re-reading some. Most is at least well-written or entertaining.Audiovisual: Highlander, the Series Love it for no

Comments

[slightlymadmom]

Well, I have probably 100-150 children's books. A lot of them I love and would recommend to people. In fact, if I buy any that I find I wouldn't re-read and so on, I donate them, so only a few are not loved. But I spend a lot of time reading children's books (mine and library copies) when I should probably be reading "the classics" or other books that I already own that are on my "to read" list.

I have determined, though, that when I am sitting in the near-dark, waiting for a child to fall asleep, I can't really read anything that takes concentration. My best bets are books I have already read, or easy-to-comprehend works. So I guess I shouldn't feel too guilty, I get to read something and do something for my kids.

And right now, I am reading the Oz books. btw, I don't recommend them. The inconsistencies are annoying (to me); the characters are pretty much 2 dimensional; some of the items are particular jabs at things I don't understand, having happened 100 years ago; ...I am going to finish the original 14 (if I can find the last one), but I don't really see what the fuss is about. I didn't re-read the first one this time around, though, and I suspect that if you can keep yourself from thinking about the movie, it is the best.

What children's books do you read? I mean, any, or certain authors or sub-genres?

[littlesnork]

I enjoy the Oz books in the same sort of way that one can enjoy romance novels, ie I read them with most of my brain turned off. I have never wanted to own them but sometimes I get them out of the library. There are occasional segments that are good. I like the Queen with all the heads. :-)

A great many of the "classics" really suck to read. Read classic children's books instead! Like The Magic City, by Nesbit.

[slightlymadmom]

Hm, I've read several Nesbit (can't get in to the Bastables, but love the magic ones), but don't recall the Magic City. I'll see if I can find it.

I'm on a Noel Streatfeild kick at the moment. I re-read all the ones I had, now I'm slowly getting everything I can find by inter (intra?) library loan throughout Maryland. Somewhat predictable, but so far, still worth reading. Her autobiographical one is different, and it tells a lot about where she gets her characters and ideas.

[littlesnork]

I'm not a Bastables fan, either. The Magic City is my favourite Nesbit, just like Knight's Castle (inspired by the Magic City) is my favourite Edward Eager.

Have you read Penelope Lively? I don't know Noel Streatfield, but what you just said up there reminded me that I only recently read an autobiographical adult book by Lively and enjoyed it as much as her children's ones (The Voyage of QV66, The Wild Hunt of Hagworthy, The Ghost of Thomas Kempe, etc.)

[slightlymadmom]

Eager! I haven't re-read those in a while. I read Half Magic first, so it comes to mind first. I like the idea of "time" in Time Garden, but I would have to re-read all 7 to see which was my favorite. I think I did start reading Nesbit due to Eager. I can't find Magic City at my library system, I'll check interlibrary loan once I get my "see everything" browser back up. My favorite Nesbit (so far) is the Enchanted Castle.

Noel Streatfeild wrote "Ballet Shoes" -- that is her most popular book. Her other books (20 or so?) are reasonably popular in the UK, but only a few are still in print here. They are about children growing up, usually with talents in the arts, (dancing or acting), usually poor so they need to perform to get money.

I've got 3 or so books on hold by Penelope Lively now. Never heard of her at all, but willing to try.

Hm, maybe we should take this all to e-mail, 'cause it's going to indent more and more...anyone else still with us?

So I'm still trying to slog through the rest of Oz (on #7 right now); I really like Diana Wynne Jones; Joan Aiken (well, the Dido series; I haven't read any of the others); Lloyd Alexander -- hm, now I'm thinking alphabetically. Oh, if you like fairy tales, have you read Levine, forgot her first name? Ella Enchanted and others...

[littlesnork]

Will answer your email in another baby break.

Diana Wynne Jones - fantastic. Some are a little too weird and they seem to cover a fairly wide age range. What stuns me is that Dogsbody was my absolute favourite book when I was 8-10 and yet I only discovered she had written others in the last 5 years.
Joan Aitken - I find the Dido series a bit grim. Well, I did, but again, I was 8-10. I should try again. Arabel's Raven is great. The short stories in All But a Few are also wonderful.
I don't know Lloyd Alexander or Levine. I am going to have to start writing these down somewhere.

I assume Susan Cooper is right up there on your list? And Arthur Ransome?