# Do you have a favorite kids book? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 7, 2002, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125 "2002-10-07T01:11:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fizgig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f04885/32.png) [@fizgig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fizgig)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125/1 "2002-10-07T01:11:14Z")
Whoah, what happened to the OP? I really liked Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Another favorite was The Rainbow Goblins by Ul de Rico. ---
**Author:** ![Lab2490](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Lab2490](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lab2490)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125/2 "2002-10-07T01:23:29Z")
Damn those friggin hamsters! The Op was that I babysit alot of kids so I read them alot of books ans what books do you guys like. I enjoy the Ramona and Henry Huggins books ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125/3 "2002-10-07T04:42:09Z")
Goodnight Moon. Happy ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125/4 "2002-10-07T05:40:08Z")
My favorites were Where The Sidewalk Ends and A Light In The Attic by Shel Silverstein. I also loved Roald Dahl: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, James and the Giant Peach, and Danny–Champion of the World. ---
**Author:** ![Calliope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Calliope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calliope)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125/5 "2002-10-07T05:47:02Z")
If you want a GREAT chapter book to read, I highly recommend Understood Betsy. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125/6 "2002-10-07T06:36:26Z")
\*\* “The Little Princess” \*\* is my favorite children’s book of any kind, ever. Absolutely enchanting and enthralling, a deep and satisfying delight. (Note that I refer to book, and ONLY to the book. Neither film adaptation did the book anything like justice.) ---
**Author:** ![King\_Friday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@King\_Friday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Friday)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125/7 "2002-10-07T06:51:53Z")
**Tales of a Forth Grade Nothing** ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125/8 "2002-10-07T07:24:48Z")
The Magic Tunnel, Caroline D. Emerson’s novel about a couple of kids who board the subway in 1960’s New York and end up in Peter Stuyvesant’s New Netherland of 1664. I’d guess it’s out of print, but your local library or used-book store may have a copy. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125/9 "2002-10-07T11:53:59Z")
**Sternvogel** I didn’t think there was anyone left who remembered The Magic Tunnel! It probably is indeed out of print, but I still have my copy, which was purchased almost 40 years ago. The other thread concentrated on young children’s picture books. My favorite books for grade school readers: E.Nesbit’s excellent fantasy series: Five Children and It, many others Edward Eager’s fantasy series (heavily influenced, in a good way, by E. Nesbit) The Borrowers series (pre-movie) Dr. Doolittle series (pre-movie, loved the author’s illustrations) The Black Stallion series (again, pre-movie, but I thought the film adaptation was pretty good) ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125/10 "2002-10-07T12:58:56Z")
It’s terrible that I can’t remember the name of the book, but it’s one that’s had the most impact on me. It’s a Christmas story about thsi boy that’s visited by a train. During the story, Santa Clause gives him a magical bell that is attuned to the magic of Christmas. As he gets older, the bell becomes more and more faint, symbolizing the way that as we all get older, we lose the magical joy of life and get too worried about other things. It’s the same theme that runs through **Boy’s Life** , another of my all time favorite books. I hope I never lose my magic. Other than that, **Curious George Goes to the Hospital** is always a favorite. Especially after that whole Ether thing 🙂 **Alexander and the NoTerrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day.** Any of Shell Silverstein’s peotry books. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125/11 "2002-10-07T13:18:19Z")
[The Ordinary Princess](http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=0C0U2CQUMQ&isbn=0670035440) by M.M. Kaye. Just a fantastic story - I bought a copy about six months ago. Mine had been loaned around so many times that it was falling apart, and I have to keep a copy around. It’s just delightful reading and makes me happy to pick it up on a rainy day and read about Her Serene Royal Highness, Amethyst Alexandra Augusta Araminta Adelaide Aurelia Anne. ---
**Author:** ![keithnmick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90db22/32.png) [@keithnmick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keithnmick)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125/12 "2002-10-07T13:26:37Z")
I have to secon Roald Dahl - everything he’s written. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125/13 "2002-10-07T14:38:40Z")
**El Elvis Rojo** , that’s [The Polar Express](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0395389496/qid=1034000832/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/103-2612148-0412653). Great one! It’s really hard to pick a favorite, but I think the one I come back to the most is [A Time of Wonder](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0670715123/qid=1034000875/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/103-2612148-0412653), by Robert McCloskey. For chapter books, man. Hard to say. I think the ones that consistently delighted me, even as I grew up, were the [Ramona Quimby](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0380814684/qid=1034000941/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/103-2612148-0412653) books, by Beverly Cleary. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125/14 "2002-10-07T16:21:22Z")
My two absolute favorites have already been listed, **Where The Wild Things Are** and **The polar Express**. I will also add all of the **Junie B. Jones** books, **Curious George** and anything by **Mercer Mayer**. ---
**Author:** ![Lab2490](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Lab2490](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lab2490)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125/15 "2002-10-07T16:26:24Z")
I loved Understood betsy too! At one time The BFG by Raold dahl was my favorite book as well as all the others . I had a special place in my hear for E.L Konigsburg (sp?) as well ,did you ever read “A proud taste for scarlet and Miniver”? or “from the mixed up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler” ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125/16 "2002-10-07T16:28:34Z")
**The Phantom Tollbooth** by Norton Juster. That’s the book that got me starting on my lifelong kick of reading. My parents knew that they created a monster by giving me that book when they would routinely find me sleeping in bed with the book opened… Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Lab2490](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Lab2490](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lab2490)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125/17 "2002-10-07T16:41:08Z")
zev,I saw the movie and liked it but i never could find a copy of the book ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125/18 "2002-10-07T17:02:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lab2490 \* > \*\*zev,I saw the movie and liked it but i never could find a copy of the book \*\* I never saw the movie. Anyway, you can get the book from [Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0394820371/qid=1034009666/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-8972810-2129552?v=glance) for $5.99 plus shipping. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![DeepPurple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@DeepPurple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeepPurple)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125/19 "2002-10-07T19:05:25Z")
The Big Joke Game by Scott Corbett ---
**Author:** ![Lab2490](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Lab2490](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lab2490)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125/20 "2002-10-07T21:53:47Z")
I cant remember the author but I once found a very good,short book called “the very hungry caterpillar” When i read it to the little ones,they seemed to like it [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-favorite-kids-book/131125.md?page=2)