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Review by Anna StewartBook Review - Great Books About Things Kids Love
Great Books
About Things Kids Love If you've ever wandered the library looking for good kids' books, come home with a stack, have your kids look at it and cry, "There's nothing good here," don't cut up your card yet. The distinguished children's librarian, Kathleen Odean, has come to the rescue. Her third guide, Great Books About Things Kids Love: More than 750 Recommended Books for Children 3 to 14 has just arrived for a year of good reading. Odean, best selling author of Great Books for Girls and Great Books for Boys, divides this guide into 55 categories organized by reading level (preschoolers to early teens). Between Animals and Sports, she has listings that include Cowboys, Cowgirls, and the Wild West, Brain Teasers and Riddles, Ghosts, Aliens, and UFO's, Pirates and Buried Treasure, Disasters, and Cooking. Just like adults who have paperback novels, reference tomes and compelling autobiographies on their nightstands, kids need a variety of books. Books are meant to inspire, not tire. If your kid's eyes glaze over when you pull out the classics (Charlotte's Web isn't listed) but they can hardly wait to dig into Loads of Codes and Secret Ciphers by Paul B. Janeczko, Odean says let them have it. She encourages parents to direct their kids to books that support their interests, even if the parent doesn't share those interests. "Most children choose a book because it is about something they love," she writes. Like most parents, Odean wants to instill a love of reading in our kids and to make sure that books mean more to them than just a school assignment to get through. She includes several short chapters on encouraging your child to read with suggestions that include field trips, audio books, book clubs and creating their own stories. While Odean believes kids should choose their own topics, they still need guidance--not only to age-appropriate material but also to new topics. While the Harry Potter series has spurred many kids into reading, other good fantasy books such as Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea Trilogy or Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles offer more magic. From there, guide kids to non-fiction titles such as Douglas Hill's Witches and Magic-Makers. Great Books About Things Kids Love has over 750 titles but that only skims the surface of what's in print. Use Odeans' guides to explore new topics or revisit old favorites, then head to the library or the bookstore and try again to bring home a stack the kids will love. [Editor's note. Be sure to check out My Book Review in Tools & Gifts. It's the perfect companion to Great Books About Things Kids Love .] Copyright © 2001 Anna Stewart. All rights reserved worldwide. About The Reviewer ...Anna Stewart, B.A., C.M.T., C.H.T., mothers three young children, one with special needs. In her classes, workshops and services, she weaves her expertise as a professional writer, creative artist and student of rhythm dance. Her intention is to provide a safe environment for women to explore their personal experiences and feelings as mothers. Her skills as well as her passion to bear witness to others provides a solid base for compassionate understanding of the individual and the larger community. Anna offers a number of classes in the Boulder, Colorado area. She can be reached at 303-499-7681 or via e-mail at anna@motherhands.com. Her website is www.motherhands.com.
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