Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Loved those books as a kid. As an adult, I realize just how hard life was for the pioneers, and how tough the parents had to be in response to keep the children not just safe but feeling secure.
MIRACLES, by C.S. Lewis...a brief treatise on the possibilty of miracles. Reinforced my ineffable, and serious, doubts regarding the overarching claims of strict materialism on knowledge and human thought. Family friendly for searchers.
I keep a list of these to send and give to kids when a gift giving occasion arises.
Second any Laura ingalls wilder books.
Others include randomly the Great Brain books, very funny. Encyclopedia Brown. Any of the Blaze books, beautifully illustrated books about a pony named Blaze. Any of the Misty of Chincoteague series. Anne of Green Gables and its many follow ups. Anything by Beatrix Potter. Little Women and Little Men. The Little Britches series. Katie John. Anything by Neverly Cleary. Just off the top of my head.
Beverly Cleary wrote a bunch of kids books that I loved when I was a boy.
Ben Hur is a beautiful book and a wonderful movie. The book is more “philosophical” than the movies but otherwise the movie is pretty true yo the book.
Little Women was the first “adult” book I read as a child. I wept when Beth died and learned that human emotions were powerful and soul changing. The book prepared me for the realities of life.
Little Women
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First book I recall reading. Was in the lower elementary grades. A librarian pulled me aside from 2 other little girls. She handed me the book and said she thought I would really like reading this book.
Why just me? I’ve no clue. Why me, indeed? I’ve no clue. There was a room full of youngsters.
Don’t even recall her name, though I do recall her face.
Grateful to her. For all the books I’ve read, I owe her for presenting me with the book that got me hooked on reading.
The Railway Children and the Five Children and It ( the first book of a lovely trilogy )and the UK movie of Five Children and It is available in the USA on DVD.
Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales.
The Grimm's Brother's fairy tales.
Aesop's Fables
The poems of Edward Lear
The Tarzan of The Apes series.
Most of Twain's books.
Treasure Island
Alice in Wonder,land and Through the Looking Glass
The Narnia books
A Wrinkle in Time
Ivanhoe
Knights of the Round Table
Green Mansions
The Blue Lagoon ( and the original movie; NOT the horrid, soft porn remake !
Robin Hood
Jules Vern's books.
Anne of Green Gables `
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.
It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies.
The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”
By C.S. Lewis
Patrick McManus, once again the books are a essentially a collection of short stories.
The Velvet Room by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. I have about a dozen books that have traveled around the world with me. This is one. A story of a family during the Great Depression as told through the eyes of the twelve year old daughter.
Fire Hunter by Jim Kjelgaard. This is another. Prehistoric novel of a pair of teens abandon by their tribe and how they survive. Hard to find but you can find "The Hunter Returns" more easily. This is the same store but with the rest of the story written by David Drake. Fire Hunter is fine for the pre-teen crowd but "The Hunter Returns" might be a bit much for them although suitable for teens. Lots of blood and gore.
Anything by Jim Kjelgaard. Mostly stories about boys and their dogs.
The Endless Steppe by Esther Hautzig. A family of Polish Jews is arrest by the Russians for being "enemies of the people" and sent to Siberia.
Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry, A boy who is afraid of the sea decides to face his fear.
The Bounty Trilogy by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall. It relates events prior to, during and subsequent to the Mutiny on the Bounty.
They are:—
Mutiny on the Bounty,
Men Against the Sea,
Pitcairn’s Island
“Little Women” — my favorite book ever.
Every time I read it over, I think that maybe Beth won’t die, and Jo will love Laurie. :(
Teens:
Mutiny on the Bounty / Men Against the Sea / Pitcairn’s Island [Charles Nordhoff, James Norman Hall, N. C. Wyeth]
Born Free - Joy Adamson
A Lifetime with Lions - George Adamson
All Creatures Great and Small - James Herriot
Hornblower and the Hotspur - CS Forester