Wednesday, October 20, 2010

My favorite classics for children

I know everyone has different ideas on what makes a book a classic, but I'm talking about books that are part of everyone's growing up. They are part of our cultural heritage, and are part of what is called 'Cultural Literacy.' This means everyone knows about it, or has heard of it. When I say, Mary had a little Lamb, you can finish that sentence. Everyone knows the nursery rhyme Mary had a Little Lamb. Or Pat-A-Cake. You get it, right? If I say Winnie the Pooh, you should know who I'm talking about!
Ok, books that have contributed to our collective cultural literacy, this is my top ten. I would recommend buying these for your bookshelf to hand down to your children and grandchildren!


1. Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes

2. Bible Stories for Children

3. Aesop's Fables - by Aesop

4. Anderson's Fairy Tales - by Hans Christian Anderson

5. Grimm's Fairy Tales - by The Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm.

6.Winnie the Pooh - by A.A. Milne

7. The Tale of Peter Rabbit - by Beatrix Potter

8. Wind in the Willows - by Kenneth Grahame

9. A Child's Garden of Verses - by Robert Louis Stevenson  

10. Tales of the Arabian Nights - by Anonymous, pick one with nice illustrations.
  Tales from the Arabian Nights (Collector's Library Editions)


There you go. Find nicely illustrated editions and read them to your children or grandchildren. So they wont grow up disadvantaged! Or only know the Disney versions!


Mrrow for Now,

Kiki 'Toothless' Candi

^..^

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