Old Children's Book Poll

[rachelmanija]

Here are some old children's books I have acquired. Please vote for which I should read next (or which I should avoid.) If you've read any of them, what did you think?

Poll #26528 Old Children's Book Poll

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 129

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Which books should I read next?

View Answers

Understood Betsy, by Dorothy Canfield Fisher. A girl is sent to rural Vermont and experiences country life.
32 (24.8%)

Building Blocks, by Cynthia Voigt. A boy time-travels and meets his father as a boy.
22 (17.1%)

Juniper, by Monica Furlong. A princess studies with her wise-woman aunt.
50 (38.8%)

Mossflower, by Brian Jacques. Martin the Warrior vs en evil cat queen.
24 (18.6%)

Castaways in Lilliput, by Henry Winterfield. Three shipwrecked kids land in Lilliput.
17 (13.2%)

Midsummer, by Katherine Adams. Two New York kids are sent to Sweden & experience Swedish life.
20 (15.5%)

Orphan Island, by Laurel Snyder. Kids live alone on an island.
23 (17.8%)

Mariel of Redwall, by Brian Jacques. Finally a heroine.
25 (19.4%)

The Fairy Caravan, by Beatrix Potter. A miniature animal traveling circus.
19 (14.7%)

A Room Made of Windows, by Eleanor Cameron. Teenage Julia wants to be a writer.
18 (14.0%)

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, by Judith Kerr. Anna and her family are refugees in multiple countries.
30 (23.3%)

Hyddenworld, by William Horwood. Two kids find a civilization of tiny people and magic.
23 (17.8%)

Assignment in Alaska (Kathy Martin), by Josephine James. A stewardess has an Alaska adventure.
9 (7.0%)

Talargain, by Joyce Gard. Northumberland selkie fantasy.
45 (34.9%)

Comments

[lilacsigil]

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, by Judith Kerr

I read this over and over as a kid, I loved it. Their journeys are so engaging and the original excitement of leaving Germany is quickly replaced by "what, we have to learn ANOTHER language???"

The sequels where the kids are older and understand more of what's going on are more grim but also very good.

[cyphomandra]

I like When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit but agree that the sequels are harder work (although if you want emotionally traumatising her picture book Goodbye Mog, in which the cat protagonist of her long-running series dies, is up there).

I went through an extensive William Horwood phase but the relentlessly increasing grimness of the Duncton series meant I bought Hyddenworld and never read it. I do still really like his Skallagrigg, though.

[eglantiere]

oh! that reminds me: have you ever read nestlinger's Cucumber King? if you can get a copy online, i think it'll tickle your fancy: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/252879.The_Cucumber_King

and in a slightly different vein, lindgren's seacrow island https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2904340-seacrow-island (a family visits a house on an island in the fjords every summer, and everybody has adventures).

[naath]

Pink Rabbit is great, but sad. The sequels have TW for suicide, and are much more grown up in general.

Redwall has amazing FOOD, be prepared to be hungry.

[mrissa]

My thing about Cynthia Voigt is that it felt like she had a couple of things to say and kept sidling up on different angles to say them, and that this was not one of the better angles. But I could be wrong or not giving it enough credit, since I haven't read it with adult perspective (I have not, in fact, read it since I was 11).

[derien]

I read "Understood Betsy" when I was a kid, and I'd love to hear your take on it.

[derien]

I feel like "Understood Betsy" is not really a kid's book, even though it's about a kid. It's like a book for adults about how to let a kid be a kid, and get socialized hanging out with other kids.