My Favorite Books for Kids and Adults

This post may seem a bit different than most but I was inspired by a book I just finished. The book is “The Reading Promise” by Alice Ozma. It is the story of Alice herself, and how her father read to her every night from the time she was nine, until the day she left for college at 18. The book focuses on the importance of reading; specifically reading to your children.

We love to read in our home. Every room has a selection of books. My husband and I are consistantly reading several books at a time and we read to our children several times a day. Reading is important for so many reasons, but I won’t get into that. Rather, I thought I’d just post a list of my favorite books for kids and adults.

I don’t profess to have even come close to reading every children’s book out there, but we have read quite a bit. To be a great children’s book, the story and the pictures have to be good. Here are our favorite picture books in no specific order:

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day – by Judith Viorst
The Very Hungry Caterpilla – by Eric Carle
Professor Wormbog in Search for the Zipperump-A-Zoo – by Mercer Mayer (really anything by Mercer Mayer is wonderful).
Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem – by Mac Barnett
Where the Wild Things Are – by Maurice Sendak

Now for the adult books. Being a mom, there is very little time to do anything non-kid-related. Reading is one of my favorite pass times so when I take time to read, it has to be something really good. Here are my top favorites. This list is pretty hard to make because I could give a list of a hundered books. I’ll spare you though, and keep it short.

The Harry Potter Series – by JK Rowling (I don’t care what anyone says and I don’t care if these books were written for children. They are WONDERFUL and the encompass some of the best writing I’ve ever seen).
The Help – by Kathryn Stockett
Wuthering Heights – by Emily Bronte
The Book Thief – by Markus Zusak
Jane Eyre – by Charlotte Bronte
The Secret Life of Bees – by Sue Monk Kidd
Little Women – by Louisa May Alcott

This is a small portion of the list, but I wanted to post the best, most uplifting books. Since we are a family of book worms, tell me what your favorite children’s and adult books are.

Posted in Gifts, Kids and tagged adult, books, classic, hobby, kids, novel, picture book, read

6 Comments

Rachel Ricks on March 23, 2012 at 3:09 pm

I’ll have to try those out. I’m curious to know if Alice Ozma is her real name or a pen name. Do people have pen names anymore? I decided a long time ago that if I had a pen name it would be Carol Baum after my two favorite children’s book authors Lewis Carrol and Frank Baum. Which makes me think that Alice Ozma’s two favorite authors are the same as mine. Alice for Alice in Wonderland and Ozma for Ozma in Oz. You know if we’re having a girl we’re probably going to name her Alice because of the book Through the Looking Glass. Anyway, long story, I’ll get to the point now. Two of my favorite children’s books are The Wizard of Oz and Through the Looking Glass. And I like Howl’s Moving Castle and most books by Diana Wynne-Jones, The Princess Bride, and Peter Pan. I also love the pictures in King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub, The Napping House and Quick as a Cricket by Audrey and Don Wood.

Susan Heyborne on March 24, 2012 at 8:37 am

I just bought another copy of “Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem” for my friend, Vicki Vincent. I’ve got to say, it is hilarious!

You should read “East of Eden” by John Steinbeck. It’s not easy to get through, but it is a classic. It reminds you of what good writing is all about.

Nurse Karen on April 7, 2012 at 12:53 am

“My Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett; “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott–Classics. My toddler son and I wore out two copies of the lovely watercolor art in “Puppy Peek-A-Boo” by Lisa McCue .

Patina and Company on April 19, 2012 at 7:10 pm

We are readers also, and the children are crazy bookworms. Here’s one for this time of year that we read over and over when they were little: http://books.google.ca/books/about/Planting_a_Rainbow.html?id=SjU2L73j6t0C
As you might expect, they grow up to be wonderful writers. While they grew, they shared their reads with me and got me back to a place where I was reading for pleasure once again. Favourite book the teens got me to read: To Kill a Mockingbird because if its beautiful way of explaining the need to lead by example and do good.

Patina and Company on April 19, 2012 at 7:15 pm

Have to add one more thing, for adult readers. My kids love this list from the BBC of the 100 top books they feel every adult SHOULD read, but apparently they say most have read only 6. It is a great list of top classic and modern books for anyone looking for a reading guide and you can just find it by googling.

Rachel Ricks on March 23, 2012 at 3:09 pm

I’ll have to try those out. I’m curious to know if Alice Ozma is her real name or a pen name. Do people have pen names anymore? I decided a long time ago that if I had a pen name it would be Carol Baum after my two favorite children’s book authors Lewis Carrol and Frank Baum. Which makes me think that Alice Ozma’s two favorite authors are the same as mine. Alice for Alice in Wonderland and Ozma for Ozma in Oz. You know if we’re having a girl we’re probably going to name her Alice because of the book Through the Looking Glass. Anyway, long story, I’ll get to the point now. Two of my favorite children’s books are The Wizard of Oz and Through the Looking Glass. And I like Howl’s Moving Castle and most books by Diana Wynne-Jones, The Princess Bride, and Peter Pan. I also love the pictures in King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub, The Napping House and Quick as a Cricket by Audrey and Don Wood.
Susan Heyborne on March 24, 2012 at 8:37 am

I just bought another copy of “Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem” for my friend, Vicki Vincent. I’ve got to say, it is hilarious!

You should read “East of Eden” by John Steinbeck. It’s not easy to get through, but it is a classic. It reminds you of what good writing is all about.
Nurse Karen on April 7, 2012 at 12:53 am

“My Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett; “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott–Classics. My toddler son and I wore out two copies of the lovely watercolor art in “Puppy Peek-A-Boo” by Lisa McCue .
Patina and Company on April 19, 2012 at 7:10 pm

We are readers also, and the children are crazy bookworms. Here’s one for this time of year that we read over and over when they were little: http://books.google.ca/books/about/Planting_a_Rainbow.html?id=SjU2L73j6t0C
As you might expect, they grow up to be wonderful writers. While they grew, they shared their reads with me and got me back to a place where I was reading for pleasure once again. Favourite book the teens got me to read: To Kill a Mockingbird because if its beautiful way of explaining the need to lead by example and do good.
Patina and Company on April 19, 2012 at 7:15 pm

Have to add one more thing, for adult readers. My kids love this list from the BBC of the 100 top books they feel every adult SHOULD read, but apparently they say most have read only 6. It is a great list of top classic and modern books for anyone looking for a reading guide and you can just find it by googling.