Product Description

From classics to new favorites, 100 Best Books for Children points parents in the right direction [to] 100 titles no child should miss (Booklist). With thirty-five years of experience at the heart of childrens publishing, Anita Silvey is better equipped than anyone to help parents make the right reading choices, given the enormous range of childrens books available today. From board books to titles for older readers, Silvey narrows the field to 100 best books, organizing them by age and providing essays on plot summary, along with fascinating insights into the story behind the story that only an insider would know. Essential and inspiring, 100 Best Books for Children is a perfect handbook for parents who want to help their child develop a passion for reading that will last a lifetime.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #139398 in Books
• Published on: 2005-07-11
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .58" h x 5.52" w x 8.26" l, .46 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

From Publishers Weekly
"Divided into age groups, Silvey lists classics old and new, from Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd's Goodnight Moon to Virginia Hamilton's The People Could Fly to Louis Sachar's novel Holes," wrote PW. All ages. (Aug.)Note: We have additional Children's Books Reviews at www.publishersweekly.com. Click "Web Exclusives" to get to "Review Annex."
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
What makes a book a classic? Silvey, a longtime children's book specialist and literature lover, addresses that question in order to identify books that represent a "basic literary heritage." The result is a highly select list of 100 titles published from 1902 to 2002. These are titles that have been or likely will be enjoyed by children for generations: "The canon of children's books remains the best gift we could ever give our children." And the short essays that introduce this canon are likely to engage adults in surprising ways. There is, of course, a brief synopsis of each book's content plus information about the creation or creator of the book. Written in a conversational tone, these stories "behind the story" provide insight, humor, and passion for the books presented. Additional titles are presented in "Beyond the 100 Best," organized by age (birth through age 12) and also by genre. An extensive bibliography of adult references provides not only documentation but also allows for follow-up by those interested. Silvey notes that a reader's response to a book is part of its story, hence the inclusion of a section entitled "Reading Journal." Altogether, this is a highly useful book for anyone who is interested in the best of children's literature and the fascinating tales behind these books. - Maria B. Salvadore, formerly at Washington DC Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Silvey sets a difficult task for herself: out of the whole world of children's literature, she picks 100 titles no child should miss. Her long experience as a book reviewer and editor makes her list pretty much spot-on. The book runs the gamut from classics (Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel and Mary Poppins) to new favorites (Lily's Purple Plastic Purse and Out of the Dust). Still, the preponderance of titles seems to be from the middle of the last century, books that have stood the test of time. The selections are divided by type and age, beginning with board books and ending with books for older readers ("Ages 11 to 12"). Each title gets a short essay that not only discusses the book and what it has meant to its audience but that also supplies wonderful behind-the-scenes information, such as how the venerable I Can Read series came to be. A helpful list, "Beyond the 100 Best," points parents in the right direction for more good reads. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved