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Original poster

American children's books

58 replies

Twims · 12/07/2009 18:12

My sister is soon going to be moving over to America and thought it would be a good chance to get some new books for my collection - I am a nanny and have bookcases overflowing with books to read to the children I care for.

Obviously books are books, wherever you are but I wondered if there were any American classics or even just some books that American moms are enjoying reading to their children at the moment, that I could note down and make her buy when she goes over.

Thank you

OP posts:
scienceteacher · 20/07/2009 21:39

For young readers (eg 5/6/7), there is the very lovely (and endless) series of Magic Treehouse books. These are standard reading for US children.

Older books are the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books (they have the same stories, but with a female or male focus, respectively).

Takver · 20/07/2009 21:36

Definitely Shel Silverstein (pretty sure is Silverstein) - particularly Where the Sidewalk Ends, funny poems & equally funny pictures.

Lifeinagoldfishbowl · 20/07/2009 21:11

I'd forgotten all about Richard Scarry - he is fab.

Think my sister might have to stay longer than a year to keep sending me these lovely books

Belle2 · 20/07/2009 20:52

I lived in Boston when my kids were between 1 and 5, and I found some fab books for that age:
Kevin Henkes's picture books are very funny esp Lily and her purple plastic purse and Owen.

Goodnight Gorilla (not sure if that's American)

I prefered PD Eastman to Dr Seuss (especially Flap your Wings and Are you My Mother)

All the Busy world of Richard Scarry books

Arthur

The Mitten by Jan Brett is lovely

I agree with if you give a pig a pancake / moose a muffin etc - they were great.

I also loved a Bad case of Stripes (alhough slightly weird!)

As they get older and able to read, there's a great series called the Magic Trehouse stories (in fact, my children's school were so impressed, they now keep them all in their library and use them as text books!)

For poetry, try Shel Silverman

For older kids (we just returned - my kids are now 11 and 13) my daughter loves Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass (she's read it 3 times)

mummypig · 20/07/2009 01:27

I loved The Phantom Tollbooth when I was younger, although it's for a bit of an older audience than the others people are mentioning here.

FiteFuaite · 20/07/2009 00:57

Lucy Mangan reviewed a children's book by Sydney Taylor recently and this thread just reminded me that I wanted to get it for myself dd. You can see the books
here

They look really good

Lifeinagoldfishbowl · 20/07/2009 00:20
Smile
Lifeinagoldfishbowl · 19/07/2009 17:50

The American girl books I'm sure I've read before - when I was younger but theres lot more now - so def on my list and how could I forget Ramona Quimby and Harriet the spy the 2 girls I wanted as best friends

Name changed from Twims

Rolf · 19/07/2009 02:42

My DH's family lives in the US and Canada and these are some of the gifts that have gone down well:

The Berenstein Bears
Shel Silverstein poetry
Curious George
Goodnight Moon
Robert Munsch (fabulous!)
Encyclopaedia Brown
Not books, but magazines - Zoobooks - my MiL bought the DSs a subscription. There's a different animal each month, great photos and diagrams www.zoobooks.com/default.aspx?n=246583

LadyGlencoraSnape · 19/07/2009 01:55

Ramona, of course, and her more modern counterpart Junie B Jones.
The Little House series - you can get the original ones here obviously but they have spawned a whole industry over there - the Caroline years (Laura's mother) etc intrigue me, though I haven't got them yet.
Harriet the Spy.
Nancy Drew (the original ones).
The Bobbsey Twins.

StillOverHere · 19/07/2009 01:27

Anything by Sandra Boynton, the best are Moo, Baa, La, La, La and Barnyard Dance. For older children try Penny From Heaven by Jennifer Holm. You could also ask for any of the American Girl historical collection series - a classic in every girl age 7 pluses mind and surprisingly well written and informative! They have their detractors though!

Original poster
Twims · 13/07/2009 22:29
Smile
OP posts:
Original poster
Twims · 13/07/2009 20:20

this looks fab

OP posts:
hana · 13/07/2009 20:06

check out the best sellers on amazon.com as well - might get a few ideas

RenagadeMum · 13/07/2009 20:00

With Alarak
Maurice Sendak is great as is Goodnight Moon.
Also, Charlottes Web, Stuart Little Etc.

There is also a lovely haunting book called 'When the sky is like lace' which I adored as a child. Not sure of author.

There are also books with 'Lola' in it who is a hamster/guinae pig type thing, which are really nice. my dd age 4 loves those.

brimfull · 13/07/2009 19:58

choo choo charlie another fav-have read this about a billion times

CMOTdibbler · 13/07/2009 19:54

When DS was born, my US colleague sent us Grandfather Twilight and The Napping House as books her grandchildren love, and they are really nice.

Click Clack Moo, Dooby Dooby Moo, and Duck for President are books I have bought in the US and are popular

hana · 13/07/2009 19:51

robert munsch is fab

we have all the if you give a mouse a cookie etdc etc books would LOVE to see the grown up one!!

Original poster
Twims · 13/07/2009 19:48

Oooh Robert Munsch looks great

OP posts:
brimfull · 13/07/2009 19:45

robert munsch books are great,my mum sends them

Original poster
Twims · 13/07/2009 19:44

Oops that was me

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ABigIndagatio · 13/07/2009 19:43

The if you give a mouse a cookie looks fab

Have read Goodnight moon to my american family and again thats gone on my list.

Earlybird · 13/07/2009 01:49

alark (glad to find another 'bird' here! ) - I haven't read it, or in fact seen it. Just heard about it, and the title alone made me laugh.

jabberwocky · 13/07/2009 01:49

Oh, yes great suggestions by earlybird and alarkspree! All of those are favorites at our house.

Are the Eric Carle books popular in the UK? It seems as if we read at least one a week atm.

Must look for If You give a Mom a Martini

alarkaspree · 13/07/2009 01:48

Oh, also the Curious George books by H A Rey. You need the original books, not the TV-spinoff ones.

And the Lyle, Lyle Crocodile series by Bernard Waber.

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