In honor of National Library Week, Come Together @Your Library, April 15-21, we'd like to exhort you to read a children's book. Why read children's literature? It's surprisingly nuanced and often addresses philosophical or ethical questions. It is often funny. If you'd like a vacation from gore, murder and "language," children's books are your mental vacation spot. The natural way for an adult to enjoy children's literature is to read the best:
* The Newberry Awards. Since 1922, the best novels for children have been chosen by very fortunate members of the American Library Association—the Newberry Committee, the most plum of plum assignments for a librarian.
* The Caldecott Awards are just like the Newberry Awards, but given for picture books (which are usually 32 pages, illustrated on every page.) Almost everything that happens in the fine arts world happens in children's books, and the Caldecott winners provide a visual feast.
* The Coretta Scott King Awards. A group of African American librarians in Atlanta saw Black authors going unrecognized by the Newberry and Caldecott committees. They worked tirelessly with other librarians around the United States to start the award program in the 1960s. It honors picture books and novels by African American authors. * You may find complete awards lists at www.ala.org.
Here are few very good children's books:
Holes by Louis Sachar. Sachar was a journeyman author of funny books with boy appeal. Suddenly he had an artistic breakthrough with Holes, an elaborately plotted, poignant, suspenseful tale of fate, of good rewarded with good and (spoiler alert!) gypsy curses broken when debts are paid. Dr. DeSoto by William Steig. How utterly satisfying it is when mouse dentist Dr. Desoto defeats the fox, who loves mice "raw, with just a little salt and pepper and a dry white wine."
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park. You will learn a lot about Twelfth Century Korean pottery, but you'll learn even more about tenacity and courage as orphan Tree-Ear stays loyal to his teacher and his dream despite overwhelming odds.
The Goat Lady by Jane Bregoli. The author came to know her elderly neighbor, who raised goats for milk and was a topic of gossip in their town for her untidy yard and many goats. Bregoli painted portraits of the Goat Lady, Noelie Houle, and after the paintings were shown at the local library, townspeople saw Houles' "kindness and courage," and she became reconnected with her neighbors. Her art evokes Wyeth.
At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald. MacDonald was a Victorian Scotsman and visionary who influenced C.S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. His work is strange and poetic, yet he addresses alcoholism and financial problems realistically.
The Wonderful Adventures of Nils by Selma Lagerlof. Nils was so wrong to capture that elf. Who can blame the elf for turning him into a thumbkin and making him go on life threatening adventures all over Sweden? Who would guess that his adventures would change him from a rotten brat into someone his parents could be truly proud of? Nils is such a hero in Sweden that he is on money.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis. Kenny, AKA Poindexter, does his best to carry the embarrassing gift of being a miraculously good reader in a Michigan elementary school. His older brother Byron is a "delinquent… the king of the school." Curtis paints a funny, warmhearted portrait of three siblings and their hardworking, kind, authoritative parents. When Byron defies his father and gets his hair processed, things have to change. The Watsons go to Birmingham so Byron can be straightened out by his grandmother. It's the summer of 1963. They are black. The story grows deep as the Watsons protect each other from death and hate. Curtis pays homage to the strength of a loving family with grace and originality.
Books clubs might try reading a good children's book. Speaking of book clubs, ALA and Nextbook are sponsoring "Let's Talk About it: Jewish Literature," a national series of scholar-led book discussions. A "Let's Talk About It" series will be held at Peachtree Library in Atlanta, starting June 11. Please see www.afplweb.com or www.ala.org for details. The theme is Demons, Golems and Dybbuks, Monsters of the Jewish Imagination. Everyone is invited.
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