The Giving Tree 
Each time I read The Giving Tree I well up with a kind of emotion that moves me to tears!

Really!

Its premise is so simple. The illustration ...

Fall of Freddie the Leaf 
My aunt died by suicide when I was 11. This book has always touched me deeply and I still recommend it 33 years later. It's a classic. Leo Buscaglia was ...

Phantom Tollbooth Inspires Future Writer 
How Norton Juster and The Phantom Tollbooth birthed my imagination

I was not a very inspired child.

I was limited in my curiosity and my interests....

The Girl Who Cried Flowers by Jane Yolen  Not rated yet
When I first stumbled onto this title in the early 1970s I was drawn to the illustrator's rendering (David Palladini, I believe) on the cover. It evoked ...

Over in the Meadow  Not rated yet
Not only does thinking of my favorite childhood book invoke wonderful memories of time shared with my mother, but the whole "circle of life" sings in my ...

Smith, by Leon Garfield  Not rated yet
When I was a child I had a tendency to get stuck in a rut when it came to choosing books. I read one Secret Seven book, so then I had to read all the ...

Fortunately  Not rated yet
My favorite book from when I was a little boy was Fortunately , by Remy Charlip. It was one of those books that I had to check out every time I went ...

Big Red  Not rated yet
I never had pets, was a girl and lived in town, but I was fascinated by all of the Kjelgaard dog books (Big Red is the first title that comes to mind)...

The Melendy Family Quartet  Not rated yet
The Melendy Family is actually a combination of four books by Elizabeth Enright about a family of four children in the 1940s. Although they mention influences ...

The Cat in the Hat books  Not rated yet
The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss

Beguiling books for young readers

Intriguing, beguiling, infuriating...

These are the words that describe ...

Anne of Green Gables series  Not rated yet
Anne of Green Gables

I loved this series and could relate to being a young awkward child trying to fit in. My 7 year old daughter is also reading ...

Peter Rabbit  Not rated yet
The Tale of Peter Rabbit

I was always an obedient child -- up to a certain age of course. I never liked getting punished. I always related with ...

The Little Red Hen  Not rated yet
The Little Red Hen was one of many books I loved as a child. I guess I was impressed with the red hen's determination.

She knew what needed to be ...

The Famous Five by Enid Blyton  Not rated yet
I grew up on the Famous Five by Enid Blyton, devouring each book as though the characters were close personal friends and identifying with the tomboy character,...

White Fang  Not rated yet
White Fang was the book of my childhood. I don't have a great memory for many things in my younger days, but this book is one of the few things that ...

Everyone Knows What A Dragon Looks Like  Not rated yet
This was by Jay Williams. Illustrated by Mercer Mayer.

I learned not to judge people by their appearance. I learned that even if you were small and ...

The Diary of Anne Frank  Not rated yet
Raised in a Baptist environment, I went to Bible school as a child and enjoyed the Kool-aid and cookies and pretty stories, but didn't question the veracity ...

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory  Not rated yet
In Charlie and the Chocolate factory five lucky kids would win a trip to Wonkas factory that had been closed forever. One or two parents can come with ...

Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood  Not rated yet
Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood book and record

I was given the Disney Robin Hood book and record when I was about four. I wore it out listening ...

Fall of the House of Usher  Not rated yet
The book that frightened me the most was Edgar Allan Poe's "Fall of the House of Usher." This was required reading by my high school literature class....

"Book of Mormon for Children" series  Not rated yet
The children's books that made a difference to me when growing up were the series of three "Book of Mormon for Children." Since I'm a member of the LDS ...

The Grouchy Ladybug  Not rated yet
If you don't like to read, this short story with a happy ending will surely put a smile on your face. The Grouchy Ladybug , by Eric Carle, author of ...

The Ugly Duckling - about more than looks  Not rated yet
I think everyone knows the book, The Ugly Duckling ...it sure has held the test of time! The book's message to me growing up meant so much that just ...

Yertle the Turtle
and
The Cat in the Hat  Not rated yet
The Two Books I Liked Best As a Child

Yertle the Turtle on Amazon.
The Cat in the Hat on Amazon

When Steve asked me to write this article,...

The "old" Nancy Drew series  Not rated yet
I grew up reading Nancy Drew mysteries whenever I could! I have vivid memories of my mother hiding my books, just so I would get my chores done or because ...

Where the Sidewalk Ends  Not rated yet
Two grown-ups vouch for Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein, as a children's book that made a lasting impact.

Sand Dune Pony  Not rated yet
Sand Dune Pony: A “Gentling” Experience

Sand Dune Pony by Troy Nesbit on Amazon

This assignment rolled around in my brain for several days ...

Seven with One Blow  Not rated yet
Seven with One Blow

I was five and recovering from a terrible bout of Chicken Pox. In those days, no one could come back to school until every trace ...

The Count of Monte Cristo  Not rated yet
The Count of Monte Cristo on Amazon.

My mother read this book to me, a chapter a night, when I was just seven years old. I looked forward to bedtime,...