Shorter days, more reading time. What to read? There’s plenty of kid lit; some of it is classic, the sort of thing that gets read again and again; that has something important to say. My ideas are those of an old man, so I thought I’d also consult a children’s librarian and an almost nine year old reader. Older readers should consult their own memories.

Annika Black, from the Norway Memorial Library, thinking about significant messages, named two prizewinning bestsellers: The War That Saved My Life and the sequel, The War That I Finally Won, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. In World War II England, children are sent out of London to avoid the Blitz. This makes for new experiences, and all kinds of questions about new and different people. As Annika says, the ten year old heroine is on a “journey of family, faith, and identity, showing us that real freedom is not just the ability to choose, but the courage to make the right choice.”

Ruth Snogren, Bethelite, Crescent Park student, reader, says: “I like to read and reread the Frog and Toad series. Frog and Toad make good friends and have fun adventures. I love the Madeline books. Madeline is brave and funny and I like the rhymes in them and the illustrations.”

Ruth especially likes to read with her mother: Anne of Green Gables, The Wizard of Oz, The Hobbit, Black Beauty, and fables. She sums up: “I like books that are illustrated, have adventure, and are about friends”

I agree with Ruth about Dr Seuss, perhaps because The Cat in the Hat is the first book I remember; I wore out my copy. I buy Dr Seuss books whenever they’re for sale cheap; there’s always a kid or a library that needs them.

A few years later I first heard, then read, The Wind in the Willows. I know they’re anthropomorphised animals, very English, and a century old. I didn’t mind, and continued sales suggest that many modern kids don’t, either. Rattie and Mole are characters to treasure.

Working in an Australian bookshop, I loved selling The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Kids and their grandparents were enthralled by the hole apparently eaten through the pages.

David R Jones continues to read The Wind in the Willows every few years.

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