Julie R. Neidlinger: Lone Prairie Art and Writing

Books for kids that adults should get and enjoy and not apologize.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 0 comments link this post

I don't know why it is, but kids get all the best books. Why let the kids have all the fun?

Maybe books for adults bore me because they are restrained by "adult" themes and try very hard to be grown-up. Maybe its because kids' books get the cool covers and all the dragons. I don't know. But I do know that I love books written for kids and I'm going to share a list of some of the best kids' books around (that I've read). You'll notice that I often talk about the covers and the illustrations and how the books feels in my hand. Perhaps you think that silly, to even consider that, but I do not. I appreciate a finely made book, a book that is telling a story in its words and in its appearance. Why not enjoy the reading experience with all senses, including touch and sight?

The following listing will not contain some of the more obvious favorites that I've enjoyed (Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket) but instead some other selections that people who aren't familiar with children's literature might not have heard of.

The Sisters Grimm: This is a new series with books that are a delight to hold as well as read. The look of the books imitates the old cloth-bound books I had passed on to me while growing up, the books with the Wyeth illustrations on the cover on a soft-colored sticker, rough-edged pages. They are, I suppose, a relative of the successful Lemony Snicket and The Spiderwich Chronicles series', but who cares if it's just jumping on the bandwagon. The Sisters Grimm (so far) is a fun read and a clever concept.

Tales of the Otori: The books in the series are small treasures with paperback covers and a smooth paper dust jacket; the feel of them in your hand is pleasing. The pages inside, with the sparse font and feel of the paper, remind me of the small books I had as a child. Their unique size and feel, combined with the dramatic Asian cover illustrations that look like ink paintings with bright red graphic elements were what got me to take them off the bookshelf. The stories inside, however, were worth it. These books are like small, thick magazines that beg to be hidden under pillows and read when parents think kids are asleep. Beautiful books, wonderful stories.

The Inkheart Trilogy: This dragon-based series by German author Cornelia Funke is in keeping with her other very good books (The Theif Lord). The books are very good, and Funke has a way of taking you out of this world. Who wouldn't love a story about having the power to bring characters from books to life by simply reading the books out loud? The books are so good, in fact, that you'll find tons of fan sites and fan fiction on the web. People love these books. You should read the first book of the series, Inkheart, quickly, though. It's going to be made into a movie.

Eragon: Nevermind the amazingly young age of this series' author, Christopher Paolini. The stories are tremendous. Think of them as a kind of dragon Lord of the Rings. Except without all the pages of poems and songs in LOTR. Again, this is another trilogy. Two books are out. Get them. Your kids have probably already read them.

The Spiderwick Chronicles: This series has been out for a while now, and upon first glance it seems to be a Lemony Snicket groupie. But wait - it isn't. Like nearly all of the books I've listed, this series creates its own mythology for kids to really get hooked on the series. The books themselves are beautiful to hold and look at, with illustrations and an aged feel to them that lends well to an overall complete experience. The creators of this series did their fans a tremendous service by offering two companion books on the side: a Notebook for Fantastical Observations, which allows readers to write, draw, and imagine their way deep into the the Spiderwick story by keeping their own "field guide" of sorts; and Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You, a simply GLORIOUSLY illustrated book of the creatures found in the series with pull out pages, an aged and hand-written appearance...you know what? It's a beautiful book. There are no words.

Dragonology: This book is not so much a story as it is a world waiting for you to enter. It's full of wonderful illustrations that a "dragonologist" would need, including interactive elements such as pull-out letters, postcards, and "dragon skin" to touch. There is also a companion book, Dragonology: A Practical Course in Dragons, that lets kids do a bit of their own work to become a dragonologist.

Fairyopolis: This books is similar to Dragonology except, of course, that it deals with fairies. The beauty of the book is stunning, with lots of interactive notes, faux letters and postcards, "fairy dust" and even viewing glasses at the end that let you see fairies in 3D. Everything about it, even down to the publishing notes that you might not even bother reading, creates a world that says the book is from an earlier time, a different place.

I'll stop at this for now. You have some reading to do. If you have suggestions for the list, leave them in the comments.