Fairy Tales and Childhood Stories

[Melanthios]

My spouse and I have been thinking about having kids, and what books we want to have for that. It got me thinking--everyone has stories that speak to them, that they keep battered copies of even though they're just old fairy tales or picture books. Here's a list of mine, what are your top 10?

 

1. A Little Princess

2. Peter Pan

3. Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking-Glass

4. The Secret Garden

5. The Phantom Tollbooth

6. James and the Giant Peach

7. Matilda

8. Animorphs (this will be hard, as they're out of print)

9. Grimm's Fairy Tales (including Twelve Dancing Princesses)

10. Dr Seuss (The Lorax, Oh The Places You'll Go, Sleep Book etc)

[Melanthios]

well I know this is hardly for little little kits but I read Harry Potter when I was six or seven

Yes but what else is in your list. Come on, don't be shy!

 

They weren't around when I was six or seven, unfortunately. I was eleven when I discovered them.

[darkangel787]

hmmm...

how about...

Some of the Roald Dahl books are good, like Matilda...

[dustpuppy]

Anything by Astrid Lindgren, you can't go wrong there! Is a childhood even a childhood without Ronja, Pippi, the Noisy Village children, Lotta, Karl Lionheart and Master Detective Bill Bergson?

I was never much of a fan of Grimm's fairy tales, they edited out even slight allusions to pregnancy but kept all the torture, blood and gore... just what a child needs to hear.

But I loved fairy tales, most of all those by Wilhelm Hauff and pretty much any Russian fairy tale. Then there's "Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter, "The Wind in the Willows", "Winnie the Pooh" (the books, not the horrible, horrible perversion by Disney), "The Little Prince" by Saint-Exupéry, "Where the Wild Things Are"...

 

When the children are a bit older, there's "Sophie's World", "Mister God, this is Anna", "Treasure Island", "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", the "Time Quartet" books by Madeleine L'Engle...

 

Oh my there are soooo many more but I think I better stop...

Edited August 2, 2010 by dustpuppy

[kadoatie]

Let's see, ten favorites from my childhood that would be shelved in the children's section in the local library (since I'm not sure what other definition to use):

 

The Westing Game, The Phantom Tollbooth, The Butter Battle Book, The Ropemaker, The Witches, Harry Potter, The Secret Garden, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Peter Rabbit, Black Beauty

 

</no particular order>

[darkangel787]

oh yes yes yes YES! Beatrix Potter ALL THE WAY

[shelle58704]

Bruce Coville was my fave author as a child. My Teacher's an Alien, My Teacher Fried My Brains, My Teacher Flunked the Planet, Goblins in the Castle, Jeremy Thatcher Dragon Hatcher!

 

The first 'chapter' book I ever read was Charlotte's Web in first grade! Then it was all the Little House books. Until I discovered the Goosebumps books by R. L. Stine when I was like 10. Harry Potter didn't come out til I was late teens, so I don't really count that, but I'll encourage my kids to read it as soon as they learn to read.

Edited August 2, 2010 by shelle58704

[Melanthios]

Anything by Astrid Lindgren, you can't go wrong there! Is a childhood even a childhood without Ronja, Pippi, the Noisy Village children, Lotta, Karl Lionheart and Master Detective Bill Bergson?

I was never much of a fan of Grimm's fairy tales, they edited out even slight allusions to pregnancy but kept all the torture, blood and gore... just what a child needs to hear.

But I loved fairy tales, most of all those by Wilhelm Hauff and pretty much any Russian fairy tale. Then there's "Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter, "The Wind in the Willows", "Winnie the Pooh" (the books, not the horrible, horrible perversion by Disney), "The Little Prince" by Saint-Exupéry, "Where the Wild Things Are"...

 

When the children are a bit older, there's "Sophie's World", "Mister God, this is Anna", "Treasure Island", "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", the "Time Quartet" books by Madeleine L'Engle...

 

Oh my there are soooo many more but I think I better stop... 

I take it you are against Roald Dahl as well as all other folklore and mythology, considering those are all pretty full of gore.

 

Anyway, I definitely must disagree with you on excluding Grimm. I'm intrigued by your young child choices, though, considering I've not heard of any of them, save for Wind in the Willows, which I don't recall actually reading; and Little Prince, which is not something I'd read to a child--it's too depressing, even if you do understand the symbolism. I read Madeline L'Engle as an older teen and found it far too Christian for my liking. Incidentally, I feel the same about Narnia--the films are fine, but the books... they're full of racism and so forth, and even though I didn't catch it when I read them, sheltered eight-year-old I was, I wouldn't want my child reading them until he understood the flaws and how wrong they are.

 

I was never fond of Beatrix Potter. It seemed too... well, angry, for me. I read more than Peter Rabbit, but none of them really impressed me enough to remember.

 

I do like Winnie the Pooh--I have the Tao of Pooh at home, which is one of the books I reread constantly--but being that I like Disney, and got into the books because of growing up on the show and films, I must respectfully disagree. Disney may have broken my trust with Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland (though they made up for AiW with this year's film), but I do not think they 'perverted' Winnie the Pooh at all.

 

I find it interesting that you exclude Grimm for gore and violence, but laud Russian fairy tales, which are pretty dark in and of themselves. I included Grimm as a primer, but all fairy tales are pretty much on my list, though I'm the kind of parent that would read everything before reading it to my very young child, just to be sure it wasn't too negative or depressing.

Edited August 2, 2010 by Melanthios

[Feathers]

I loved quite a few books when I was little; I was a big reader. X3

• The Indian in the Cupboard
• Peter Pan
• the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary
• the Encyclopedia Brown mysteries
• Charlotte's Web
• The Winnie the Pooh books

...and I'm sure there are a million more I'm not remembering. *drifts off in nostalgic remembrance*

 

~Feathers

[Thorn]

I've always loved "Puss in Boots". So far as I'm concerned, it's the best Fairytale EVER!!!

[bloodred-dragonfly]

I've always liked and still like those stories!

 

Like... all that Brothers Grimm stuff!

 

I guess, my favourite was Rikki Tikki Tavi... the story about a little mungo.

And I was kind of addictet to greek mythology back and other legends then as well. My father always had to tell me stories about the ancient gods or about the Nibelung.

 

 

[rubyshoes]

My favorite is "Where the Wild Things Are".

[kauzlina]

Oh boy, have I got a good list for you.

 

Mother Goose-A fantastic start for any child. Who doesn't remember humpty dumty or hickory dickory dock.

 

Great American Folklore-I've seen a great many mentions of mythology books posted and just thought to include this one. I have this book on my own shelf, and have read so many of the interesting stories in it that i've split the binding( and that makes me sad to have done so to a book. It happened to my shakespere book too.) It has great old west tales, and a whole chapter of just Paul Bunyon.

 

World Mythology-This book has a collection of myths from all over the world, not just the classics from Greece that are mostly found in mythology tomes.

 

Hans Christian Anderson-Yes many of these stories are a bit heavy on the religious slant, but they do have good morals and lessons tucked within anyway. I would still reccomend them. But like all tales from this time period, they are a bit dark. You can always self sensor them as you read them. Thats what I do for my niece.

 

James Herriot-Though the books he has written are all from his life, the chapters can be read as individual stories. If you are unaware of who he is, he was a country vet in Yorkshire England in the very early 1900's. All of his books are child friendly even if there are some technical terms throughout.

 

Bambi-This is a wonderful story to be read to children. That is all I have to say on that one.

 

Rudyard Kiplings Just So Stories-These are lovely tales about animals and how they came to be what they are. I would also suggest his other work for an older child though. The stories about Mowgli can get a bit rough-and-tumble and slightly violent.

 

Any of the stories about Doctor Dolittle-These are good for any age. I found they have a good lesson about working together.

 

Robin Hood-Also better for an older child. Simply because they would understand it a bit better.

 

Dinotopia-Any child (or person) who loves dinosaurs would love this book. This was given to me when I was a kid. I loved it when my mom would read me a few pages of it every night.

 

A Little Childrens Book of Stories---By Ada M. & Eleanor L. Skinner-I'm not sure if this is still in print anymore, but it has many wonderfull stories in it.

Edited July 25, 2011 by kauzlina

[ozys]

I like Alice In Wonderland

[Dream_Thief]

Black Beauty and the Black Stallion series; though I'd save the later for at least eight or nine year-olds. The Secret Garden is an all time favorite, I'll have that book forever. I absolutly adore my fairy tales, and I'm always looking for them in both classic and retellings. But my all time favorite is Beauty and the Beast; I must have at least four different versions. Beast by Napoli has the Beast as a Persian prince enchanted by an evil faery, though I'd recomend it for no younger than thirteen.

[lumiere]

Black Beauty and the Black Stallion series; though I'd save the later for at least eight or nine year-olds. The Secret Garden is an all time favorite, I'll have that book forever. I absolutly adore my fairy tales, and I'm always looking for them in both classic and retellings. But my all time favorite is Beauty and the Beast; I must have at least four different versions. Beast by Napoli has the Beast as a Persian prince enchanted by an evil faery, though I'd recomend it for no younger than thirteen.

I certainly agree with you. Beauty by Robin McKinley is wonderful as well

 

If you find a book of rewritten fairy tales like the one I have, they should be perfect. Roald Dahl rules as well Also, The Secret of Platform 13 and all books by that author are perfect for about 7 to 11 year olds.

 

These aren't books, but some of the newer Disney movies are pretty good. Particularly Tangled (funny, kind, ends in happiness) and Beauty and the Beast (good songs, although you should probably wait until he/she's about 8), though the latter isn't recent.

 

Good luck!

[coralkiki]

The only books I actually remember from when I was young and innocent would be the one's from Dr. Seuss and Roald Dahl. And we had a copy of "Askeladden som kapp åt med trollet" (A Norwegian fairy tale, and probably the only Norwegian book in this house for quite some time...)

And Astrid Lindgren had some good books to, though I only remember reading/ having someone read for me a Pippi book.

 

Personally I like fairy tales a lot, and if I get pregnant one of the first things I'll do is buy a copy of Asbjørnsen & Moe.

[amyrokz]

well i love dr. seuss lots and lots (and i know tons of his quotes)

i like grimms fairy tales, up until i read a book about them

i like princess stories by walt disney

and i like all those weird stories no one knew (like who knows about the 12 dancing princesses? obviously less than repunzel)

[georgexu94]

I don't know if I'm on the right topic but may I ask what short story was that about many different weird things about different cities and all turned out to be just one city, namely Venice?

I remember there was a description of The City of thread where everything is tied to ropes. The city is practically inter- looping ropes with hanging things.