What do you think are the best books for babies?
I don't know

Ones that have touchy bits and noisy bits, maybe? With bells and stuff on them.
The best books for children learning to read?
Tolstoy. I am gonna be a mean parent..I kid. Er, how about picture books of fairy tales? Maybe a story the child knows already to make it easier.
The best books for older children?
Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis, L.M. Mongomery, Laura Ingalls Wilder (last two for girls
), Philippa Pearce, and The Hobbit. A boy might well like Louis L'Amour. Having said that, I'm a girl and I loved them. Prior to those, The Famous Five etc were favourites.
Books that you read over and over and never seemed to tire of?
See above
I still have all of mine 
Books that actually taught something?
Hm. That I don't know about. Taught what, exactly? Life lessons kinda thing? My folks wouldn't have given me anything like that to read.
Most importantly, what books instilled a love for reading in you?
I honestly don't know. My mother swears she didn't actually teach me to read, I just absorbed words. I can't remember not being able to read in the first place. I've always loved books and reading.
(Johnny is four months old now but has a definite interest in all things visual.)
Mmkay, so you have a while to work on this
Elaine
Irish Honey
Irish Honey
What books would you consider essential to a children's library?
- 10/02/2010 08:25:07 PM
2035 Views
It's difficult because "children" are "children" from age 0 to roughly 12.
- 10/02/2010 09:10:16 PM
1518 Views
I loved "Cars, Trucks and Things"
- 11/02/2010 06:26:01 PM
1500 Views
A few random suggestions for younger kids...
- 10/02/2010 09:12:54 PM
1544 Views
Thank you for the suggestions and for adding your children's ages.
- 11/02/2010 06:29:33 PM
1501 Views
Now there's a good question.
- 10/02/2010 09:47:39 PM
1686 Views
- 10/02/2010 09:47:39 PM
1686 Views
I can see now that this is going to be one of those posts that I actually copy out the answers on
- 11/02/2010 06:44:19 PM
1496 Views
Since most of the names mentioned elsewhere are unfamiliar to me, that seems logical.
- 11/02/2010 09:33:12 PM
1620 Views
Like I would let my kids or grandkids touch that book?!
- 11/02/2010 10:29:13 PM
1601 Views
I pulled those books out a year or two ago to see if it was as beautiful as I remembered. It was.
- 12/02/2010 02:40:20 AM
1577 Views
Steven King!!!
- 10/02/2010 10:20:27 PM
1670 Views
When do you think I should introduce him to The Green Mile? I am not sure he will catch all
- 11/02/2010 06:50:28 PM
1528 Views
Madeleine L'Engle
- 10/02/2010 10:27:38 PM
1545 Views
I have not heard of it. I will be watching for it in the antique section. Hehe
- 11/02/2010 07:05:45 PM
1542 Views
- 11/02/2010 07:05:45 PM
1542 Views
A Wrinkle in Time is worth reading just for yourself. It's one of those books. *NM*
- 11/02/2010 10:17:10 PM
813 Views
Thirded, fourthed, or whatever number follows how many people have nominated this.
- 12/02/2010 10:57:58 PM
1445 Views
Peter Pan.
- 10/02/2010 10:34:42 PM
1566 Views
Sounds like children's books don't have national boundries.
- 11/02/2010 07:25:04 PM
1622 Views
Sounds like some of them do.
- 11/02/2010 08:11:36 PM
1661 Views
Yeah, I really wouldn't classify Asterix as children's books particularly...
- 11/02/2010 09:24:15 PM
1625 Views
Multi-level is the best way to describe them.
- 11/02/2010 09:38:38 PM
1626 Views
Asterix? OH! I do have one of those!! Now I recognize it by your description!
- 11/02/2010 10:32:18 PM
1493 Views
For "older" children definitely Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. *NM*
- 11/02/2010 01:11:09 AM
838 Views
Oz books! Oz books!
- 11/02/2010 05:04:42 AM
1601 Views
Mmmm. That reminds me. We have one of the first of those books upstairs in my mom's library.
- 11/02/2010 07:32:34 PM
1546 Views
Just buy lots and lots and you should be OK
- 11/02/2010 05:24:23 AM
1458 Views
- 11/02/2010 05:24:23 AM
1458 Views
I hope I kept my condensed classics. But the problems with those were that they were too memorable
- 11/02/2010 07:48:45 PM
1415 Views
Ohh, grandson.
- 11/02/2010 01:20:44 PM
1542 Views
Shel Silverstein!
- 11/02/2010 01:30:46 PM
1453 Views
Shel Silverstein is great (even if iirc I only ever read her in translation). *NM*
- 11/02/2010 01:33:14 PM
831 Views
He's a boy. You should listen to him read some of the poems.
- 11/02/2010 01:50:16 PM
1635 Views
I am going to have to check Siverstein out. Children's books <b>and</b> A Boy Named Sue?
- 11/02/2010 07:46:02 PM
1443 Views
~peruses shelves~
- 11/02/2010 02:19:11 PM
1491 Views
nuh uh.
- 11/02/2010 02:22:35 PM
1581 Views
Shoulda known, really
- 11/02/2010 02:24:25 PM
1507 Views
- 11/02/2010 02:24:25 PM
1507 Views
I read some of my dad's L'Amour books when we went on a cross country bus trip when I was eleven
- 11/02/2010 07:40:30 PM
1398 Views
Re: What books would you consider essential to a children's library?
- 11/02/2010 03:28:01 PM
1537 Views
Those were good. I think I have all except for the Paddington so I will keep my eye out for it.
- 11/02/2010 07:43:27 PM
1488 Views
Re: Those were good. I think I have all except for the Paddington so I will keep my eye out for it.
- 11/02/2010 08:09:59 PM
1442 Views
So I am familiar with some of his work if not his name. BFG definitly qualifies as an essential.
- 11/02/2010 08:30:50 PM
1544 Views
A few for different ages
- 11/02/2010 04:23:22 PM
1625 Views
I don't remember the first three. I will watch for those. Or the last ones either. Feel free to add
- 11/02/2010 07:55:09 PM
1590 Views
Oh god, I could go on and on. You see...my mom teaches 1st grade...
- 11/02/2010 08:04:04 PM
1528 Views
Another vote for Babar!
- 11/02/2010 09:36:19 PM
1420 Views
Babar is very universal. Hasn't everyone read Babar? I can still see the pictures. *NM*
- 11/02/2010 10:33:58 PM
739 Views
An answer of a different sort
- 11/02/2010 09:52:51 PM
1544 Views
- 11/02/2010 09:52:51 PM
1544 Views
Give a child the gift of reading and you give them a gift for life
- 12/02/2010 11:21:25 AM
1463 Views
Well, my favourite "Young Adult" books have always been the Redwall series *NM*
- 18/02/2010 06:07:18 AM
874 Views
Re: What books would you consider essential to a children's library?
- 26/08/2010 10:00:03 AM
1370 Views

*NM*