This is an outstanding list. The reformatting that you've done is very helpful; I was excited to look closely at the "Adult Books for Adolescents" and see soooo many excellent suggestions for this transitional age. Thanks for noting my post and particularly the comments discussion!
The illustrators you note are exceptional, indeed! Your list prompts me to mention Scott Gustafson as an example of an excellent currently-active illustrator. His fairy tales book and bedtime stories book have some of the richest illustrations I have seen, and they are so beautiful. My children and I get completely lost in them.
Thank you for the recommendations! I love reading to my 7-year old and then seeing her want to read the same books by herself - books that I would never have picked up at her age.
What a wonderful list! So many titles I have loved and more to look forward to reading and recommending. I really enjoyed reading Howard Pyle in high school. Do you have any thoughts on T.H. White? I didn’t notice him on there (unless I missed it?)
I have mixed thoughts about T.H. White's Arthurian series. Ultimately, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth because the later books focus keenly on Lancelot and Guinevere's romance (a staple of Arthurian lore, yes), but it delves so deep into a pseudo-religious piety within Lancelot. The Sword and the Stone could definitely be an addition to this list, but I will discuss with Dr. Bilow what she thinks because we can both be rather stingy about adding books in a series that we are unwilling to commit to the later books of. Ultimately, it's such a delightful series. It would be important to keep the flow of conversation active if my own children or students were reading it though.
What has your experience with it been--both reading yourself and observing youngsters read it?
I haven’t read the whole series, which is why I was curious as to your experience. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I did enjoy the Sword and the Stone and I’ve just started the Witch in the Wood- it seems a bit odd so far.
Do you have a recommendation for Arthurian legend for adolescents? Would you stick with Mallory?
Mallory might be difficult to get past the Old English, and there is rather explicit content (such as Uther shape-shifting to be with Arthur's mother while she was still married to another man) that would need parental judgement. Roger Lancelyn Green is what we use for our 5th graders although a man does use the word 'bitch' to describe a woman at some point. Everything else is rather tame, and it comprehensively covers the Arthurian legend in one volume. Howard Pyle tends to be the best to handle some of the more delicate topics, but he wrote multiple volumes, and his language is rather archaic.
Thanks! This is really valuable. I think maybe I have read Green but I can’t remember. I’ll have a read and then pass on these recs. I’d like to introduce this to my godson.
Yes I was in high school before I was introduced and I think it’s a shame for younger kids to miss out- maybe especially boys, who don’t have a lot of heroes in this culture.
This is an outstanding list. The reformatting that you've done is very helpful; I was excited to look closely at the "Adult Books for Adolescents" and see soooo many excellent suggestions for this transitional age. Thanks for noting my post and particularly the comments discussion!
The illustrators you note are exceptional, indeed! Your list prompts me to mention Scott Gustafson as an example of an excellent currently-active illustrator. His fairy tales book and bedtime stories book have some of the richest illustrations I have seen, and they are so beautiful. My children and I get completely lost in them.
Thank you so much, Dixie! I will definitely be taking a look at Scott's work. What a delight to know more contemporary materials.
I hope you'll enjoy them!
Thank you for the recommendations! I love reading to my 7-year old and then seeing her want to read the same books by herself - books that I would never have picked up at her age.
Reading to children is the best part of my job, and seeing them voluntarily pick up books that I mentioned in passing is also incredible.
What a wonderful list! So many titles I have loved and more to look forward to reading and recommending. I really enjoyed reading Howard Pyle in high school. Do you have any thoughts on T.H. White? I didn’t notice him on there (unless I missed it?)
I have mixed thoughts about T.H. White's Arthurian series. Ultimately, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth because the later books focus keenly on Lancelot and Guinevere's romance (a staple of Arthurian lore, yes), but it delves so deep into a pseudo-religious piety within Lancelot. The Sword and the Stone could definitely be an addition to this list, but I will discuss with Dr. Bilow what she thinks because we can both be rather stingy about adding books in a series that we are unwilling to commit to the later books of. Ultimately, it's such a delightful series. It would be important to keep the flow of conversation active if my own children or students were reading it though.
What has your experience with it been--both reading yourself and observing youngsters read it?
I haven’t read the whole series, which is why I was curious as to your experience. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I did enjoy the Sword and the Stone and I’ve just started the Witch in the Wood- it seems a bit odd so far.
Do you have a recommendation for Arthurian legend for adolescents? Would you stick with Mallory?
Mallory might be difficult to get past the Old English, and there is rather explicit content (such as Uther shape-shifting to be with Arthur's mother while she was still married to another man) that would need parental judgement. Roger Lancelyn Green is what we use for our 5th graders although a man does use the word 'bitch' to describe a woman at some point. Everything else is rather tame, and it comprehensively covers the Arthurian legend in one volume. Howard Pyle tends to be the best to handle some of the more delicate topics, but he wrote multiple volumes, and his language is rather archaic.
Thanks! This is really valuable. I think maybe I have read Green but I can’t remember. I’ll have a read and then pass on these recs. I’d like to introduce this to my godson.
Fantastic! The Arthurian legends are definitely something I regret not having discovered earlier. Thank goodness for godmothers and good literature.
Yes I was in high school before I was introduced and I think it’s a shame for younger kids to miss out- maybe especially boys, who don’t have a lot of heroes in this culture.