Reading with your children from an early age can put them years ahead in their education before they even begin attending primary school. Reading is a powerful tool that entertains your family’s drive for adventure, and helps your children to nourish their imaginations as they grow. Some stories survive the scrutiny of many generations and have become solid staples of our reading repertoire. Here is a short synopsis of the books I think are the top five children’s books.
Where The Wild Things Are
Maurice Sendak’s children’s book, Where The Wild Things Are is a modern classic. Most adults of the generation grew up reading this story, and have passed on the tradition to their children. The story of Max and the Wild Things narrates the psychological journey of a boy in the midst of a raging temper tantrum. Sendak turns imagination into harmless coping, and tops it all off with a warm dinner from mom.
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, published in 1964 is still a family favorite for all. Poor Charlie and his family receive the chance of a lifetime when Charlie discovers the last golden ticket to a journey of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Children and adults alike are consistently enamoured at the idea and depiction of a world made of candy and flowing chocolate rivers. A chapter or so of this book each night will leave your children to dance with visions of sugar plums in their dreams, and teach a valuable lesson in humility along the way.
Charlotte’s Web
A story of the best-loved pig in literary history and the gentle spider that befriended him. The story of Wilbur and Charlotte’s friendship is an epic tale. Charlotte works herself to the bone trying to spare Wilbur the fate of all the other pigs on the farm, and the farmer’s daughter advocates for his safety as well. Along the way, we learn a lesson on the boundaries of friendship and the lengths love will go to protect its subjects.
The Chronicles Of Narnia
This epic series of books will keep you and your family engaged for hours upon hours. The story-line follows four children and their journey to another land through the doors of a magical wardrobe. Peter, Lucy, Susan, and Edmund are all royalty in this magical world. One of the most popular stories in this series echoes the Christian theme of betrayal in the Bible when Aslan, the great lion, sacrifices his life to the evil queen to save Edmund after he betrayed his siblings and revealed their location to the White Queen.
Where The Red Fern Grows
Where The Red Fern Grows tells the story of a boy and his coon hunting dogs. The text teaches kids how life is impermanent, but beauty will still remain in the world. It’s okay to move on and mature. The story is told as a flashback in the main character’s mind. It tells about his relationship with his first set of hounds, Old Dan and Little Ann. They quickly become the best hunting dogs in the county. Sadly, one day they come into a confrontation with a mountain lion, and tragedy strikes. This coming of age story is a must share with the family, and a lesson for the ages.
So, these books form my top 5 all-time greats list? What would be on your top five list?
Oh, God, Where the Red Fern Grows. That’s such a sad one. That’s one of the top five saddest children’s books of all time, for sure.
I don’t even know how I’d come up with a list of just five children’s classics. There are so many that I love so much. I would controversially substitute The Trumpet of the Swan for Charlotte’s Web. I don’t necessarily know that it’s better, but it’s definitely AS GOOD, and I would like it to have its time in the sun. (Stuart Little, by contrast, is garbage. Good try tho EB White.)