Family Literacy Day was January 27th. We are a group of avid readers at Our Kids and we decided to highlight some of our favourite books for all ages. Here are some back and forth thoughts from our Editor David Field and Travis Allison, Social Media Manager.
Preschool
Scaredy Squirrel – Scaredy Squirrel never leaves his nut tree. It’s way too dangerous out there. He could encounter tarantulas, green Martians or killer bees. But in his tree, every day is the same and if danger comes along, he’s well-prepared.
At the beginning for children it is all about the senses. So books have to appeal to that curiousity. They should have different materials to touch, bright colours and interesting characters to see and words that make sounds and rhyme. (David)
Elementary
Where The Wild Things Are – The story of a young boy whose misbehaviour gets him sent to bed early by his mother. Once there, he imagines escaping to the world of the Wild Things, a place that, once visited, becomes a destination visited many times over.
Maurice Sendak’s beloved story was one of my favourites growing up. I have yet to see the movie (I hope it’s good) but this book was a incredibly important to me. I had a whole childhood full of King Max dreams. (Travis)
Middle School
The Crazy Man – It is 1965, and twelve-year-old Emaline lives on a wheat farm in southern Saskatchewan. Her family has fallen apart. Despite the neighbors’ disapproval, Emaline’s mother hires Angus, a patient from the local mental hospital, to work their fields.
This is where many children, especially boys, will start to lose their interest in reading. Children should play a part in selecting books that interest them: for boys it tends to be plot driven stories and for girls the stories are often about feelings. But every child is different, and it is important mostly to develop a love for learning at this stage, so if a child wants to read comics and manga, it should be encouraged because it will still develop a love of reading. Parents will want to review manga before purchasing because some might be deemed inappropriate for preteens. (David)
High School: Little Brother
Net ‘Gen teens take on their own government when a crisis causes a suspension of civil rights.
I was so thrilled to read this young adult novel by my favourite author, Cory Doctorow (one of the four editors of BoingBoing.net), that when I finished it I immediately started it again. Cory’s signature techno-hacker style comes through perfectly. I am also proud to say that Cory is a Canadian with strong Toronto roots.
Little Brother is available for free download on Cory’s website. (Travis)
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About Travis Allison
