Active Users:365 Time:17/06/2025 07:53:17 AM
Give a child the gift of reading and you give them a gift for life Mark Send a noteboard - 12/02/2010 11:21:25 AM
As Gay Byrne used to say.

What do you think are the best books for babies?


I'm afraid I have no idea. I imagine big books with plenty of pictures, fairy tales and stuff like the hungry caterpillar.

The best books for children learning to read?


Beatrix Potter and Roald Dahl were stuff I loved to read at that age (Dahl wrote different books for different age groups, including adults) I remember reading Ladybird books when I was very young, which I seem to remember being about fairy tales (Puss in Boots, The Gingerbread Man, etc.) Avoid Chicken Licken (Chicken Little in the US). Scared the hell out of me as a child. My parents had to get the book out of the house as I couldn't sleep with it still in the house

The best books for older children?


Dahl wrote plenty of excellent stuff for older children also. Generally I suppose you move onto the kind of stories were children go off and have adventures on their own, without any adult supervision. So stuff like the The Famous Five, The Hardy Boys, etc

Books that you read over and over and never seemed to tire of?


As a younger child Roald Dahl.

Books that actually taught something?


Apart from the fact that you should never trust a Fox as it will inevitably eat you, the main thing you learn is a love of reading and that is important for your overall ability to learn.

Most importantly, what books instilled a love for reading in you?


As probably already came across I did love Dahl. I also really loved Folk Lore and legends and would read those with delight as a child.
Once known as Hochopepa

You cannot kill a vampire with an MDF stake; werewolves can't fly; zombies do not run. - Simon Pegg
Reply to message
What books would you consider essential to a children's library? - 10/02/2010 08:25:07 PM 1869 Views
It's difficult because "children" are "children" from age 0 to roughly 12. - 10/02/2010 09:10:16 PM 1369 Views
I loved "Cars, Trucks and Things" - 11/02/2010 06:26:01 PM 1321 Views
She's coming up on 14 months... - 11/02/2010 07:24:30 PM 1298 Views
No I hadn't looked. She is adorable. Great picture! - 11/02/2010 07:27:34 PM 1416 Views
A few random suggestions for younger kids... - 10/02/2010 09:12:54 PM 1369 Views
Thank you for the suggestions and for adding your children's ages. - 11/02/2010 06:29:33 PM 1333 Views
Now there's a good question. - 10/02/2010 09:47:39 PM 1504 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 1306 Views
Since most of the names mentioned elsewhere are unfamiliar to me, that seems logical. - 11/02/2010 09:33:12 PM 1447 Views
Like I would let my kids or grandkids touch that book?! - 11/02/2010 10:29:13 PM 1429 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 1424 Views
Are you into art, Ghavrel? *NM* - 12/02/2010 04:04:54 AM 594 Views
Eh. I like pretty things. - 12/02/2010 06:27:22 AM 1260 Views
One of the characters in the book says as much at one point. - 12/02/2010 12:08:16 PM 1370 Views
Doesn't stop those of us who're forgetful - 12/02/2010 03:02:21 PM 1319 Views
Steven King!!! - 10/02/2010 10:20:27 PM 1509 Views
Madeleine L'Engle - 10/02/2010 10:27:38 PM 1361 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 1366 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 715 Views
absolutely! It's a wonderful book *NM* - 12/02/2010 04:44:20 AM 715 Views
Yes. Agree. *NM* - 12/02/2010 10:07:34 AM 738 Views
Thirded, fourthed, or whatever number follows how many people have nominated this. - 12/02/2010 10:57:58 PM 1298 Views
Yes yes yes, fourthed - 13/02/2010 09:29:51 PM 1388 Views
I'm not sure what it was about the reread... - 18/02/2010 05:50:55 AM 1497 Views
+∞ - 01/03/2010 09:50:36 AM 1495 Views
A Swiftly Tilting Planet is my favorite.... - 26/08/2010 06:48:29 AM 1702 Views
Peter Pan. - 10/02/2010 10:34:42 PM 1401 Views
Sounds like children's books don't have national boundries. - 11/02/2010 07:25:04 PM 1438 Views
Sounds like some of them do. - 11/02/2010 08:11:36 PM 1490 Views
Yeah, I really wouldn't classify Asterix as children's books particularly... - 11/02/2010 09:24:15 PM 1476 Views
Multi-level is the best way to describe them. - 11/02/2010 09:38:38 PM 1471 Views
True. We have an entire book about all the references and puns. - 11/02/2010 09:56:13 PM 1339 Views
I read it about twenty years ago - 12/02/2010 01:20:16 PM 1443 Views
For "older" children definitely Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. *NM* - 11/02/2010 01:11:09 AM 761 Views
Another vote for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory noted. *NM* - 11/02/2010 07:28:21 PM 661 Views
Oz books! Oz books! - 11/02/2010 05:04:42 AM 1433 Views
My daughter would agree with you - 11/02/2010 05:29:32 AM 1363 Views
Just buy lots and lots and you should be OK - 11/02/2010 05:24:23 AM 1282 Views
Re: Just buy lots and lots and you should be OK - 11/02/2010 05:26:29 AM 1310 Views
or if you really like to read you can just read my post twice - 11/02/2010 05:30:10 AM 1360 Views
Ohh, grandson. - 11/02/2010 01:20:44 PM 1365 Views
Shel Silverstein! - 11/02/2010 01:30:46 PM 1286 Views
Shel Silverstein is great (even if iirc I only ever read her in translation). *NM* - 11/02/2010 01:33:14 PM 743 Views
He's a boy. You should listen to him read some of the poems. - 11/02/2010 01:50:16 PM 1452 Views
Wait, Shel Silverstein is a man? How shocking. - 11/02/2010 02:25:37 PM 1395 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 1294 Views
Yes. Children LOVE him. - 12/02/2010 10:09:38 AM 1496 Views
~peruses shelves~ - 11/02/2010 02:19:11 PM 1331 Views
nuh uh. - 11/02/2010 02:22:35 PM 1435 Views
Shoulda known, really - 11/02/2010 02:24:25 PM 1322 Views
A few for different ages - 11/02/2010 04:23:22 PM 1451 Views
Oh god, I could go on and on. You see...my mom teaches 1st grade... - 11/02/2010 08:04:04 PM 1361 Views
Please do! - 11/02/2010 08:27:40 PM 1416 Views
books are the best heirlooms. - 11/02/2010 08:58:58 PM 1307 Views
Another vote for Babar! - 11/02/2010 09:36:19 PM 1240 Views
is it a european book? - 11/02/2010 10:33:29 PM 1241 Views
French, afaik, as are the animated movies. - 11/02/2010 10:34:17 PM 1306 Views
An answer of a different sort - 11/02/2010 09:52:51 PM 1385 Views
If I have to splurge I will splurge. - 11/02/2010 10:41:39 PM 1421 Views
Re: If I have to splurge I will splurge. - 12/02/2010 11:50:37 AM 1440 Views
Interesting question - 11/02/2010 10:14:24 PM 1436 Views
You had the best answer for one of the questions. - 11/02/2010 10:49:10 PM 1257 Views
Judy Blume, for the early double digit years *NM* - 12/02/2010 07:57:23 AM 678 Views
Give a child the gift of reading and you give them a gift for life - 12/02/2010 11:21:25 AM 1292 Views
I like many of the ones recommended so far. - 12/02/2010 11:06:27 PM 1551 Views
I'm so glad you asked. ^_^ - 26/08/2010 07:21:05 AM 1715 Views
Re: What books would you consider essential to a children's library? - 26/08/2010 10:00:03 AM 1199 Views

Reply to Message