There's one thing many people don't know about me as a bookworm: I am a sucker for children's literature. Because why not? Just because we get older doesn't mean the life lessons we learn from children's books are any less important. Also, many books written for adults are sometimes redundant, dull, impossibly dark, and depressing (in addition to not being wholesome!) Aside from the fact that children's lit is light and packed with life lessons, it's short enough to keep our attention and the pacing runs smooth. The books are branded as popular or underrated in the international scale and is purely arbitrary. I did it just in case you see it somewhere, not recognize it, and wonder if it's worth a read! ALL these reads are gems. Whether you're an ESL learner, a beginner in reading, someone who's looking for books to give to a young person, or simply an adult who's young at heart, this is for you!
Here are my top picks:
1. Verdict: Popular
Author: Antoine De Saint-Exupery
No. of pages: 112
Famous quote: "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
The story so far: The Little Prince is a classic tale of equal appeal to children and adults. On one level it is the story of an airman's discovery, in the desert, of a small boy from another planet - the Little Prince of the title - and his stories of intergalactic travel, while on the other hand it is a thought-provoking allegory of the human condition.
2. Verdict: Popular
Author: Lucy Maud Montgomery
No. of pages: 464
Famous quote: "People laugh at me because I use big words to express them. But if you have big ideas, you have to use big words to express them, haven't you?"
The story so far: Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert are in for a big surprise. They are waiting for an orphan boy to help with the work at Green Gables - but a skinny, red-haired girl turns up instead. Feisty and full of spirit, Anne Shirley charms her way into the Cuthberts' affection with her vivid imagination and constant chatter. It's not long before Anne finds herself in trouble, but soon it becomes impossible for the Cuthberts to imagine life without 'their' Anne - and for the people of Avonlea to recall what it was like before this wildly creative little girl whirled into town.
3. Verdict: Popular
Author: E.B. White
No. pages: 192
Famous quote: “I don’t understand it, and I don’t like what I don’t understand.”
The story so far: Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte's Web, high up in Zuckerman's barn. Charlotte's spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, who simply wants a friend. They also express the love of a girl named Fern, who saved Wilbur's life when he was born the runt of his litter.
E. B. White's Newbery Honor Book is a tender novel of friendship, love, life, and death that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come.
E. B. White's Newbery Honor Book is a tender novel of friendship, love, life, and death that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come.
4. Verdict: Popular
Author: George Orwell
No. of pages: 112
Famous quote: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
The story so far: Mr Jones of Manor Farm is so lazy and drunken that one day he forgets to feed his livestock. The ensuing rebellion under the leadership of the pigs Napoleon and Snowball leads to the animals taking over the farm. Vowing to eliminate the terrible inequities of the farmyard, the renamed Animal Farm is organised to benefit all who walk on four legs. But as time passes, the ideals of the rebellion are corrupted, then forgotten. And something new and unexpected emerges.
Animal Farm - the history of a revolution that went wrong - is George Orwell's brilliant satire on the corrupting influence of power.
Animal Farm - the history of a revolution that went wrong - is George Orwell's brilliant satire on the corrupting influence of power.
5. Verdict: Popular
Author: Joanne Kathleen Rowling
No. of pages: 256
Famous quote: “I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even put a stopper on death.”
The story so far: When a letter arrives for unhappy but ordinary Harry Potter, a decade-old secret is revealed to him that apparently he's the last to know. His parents were wizards, killed by a Dark Lord's curse when Harry was just a baby, and which he somehow survived. Leaving his unsympathetic aunt and uncle for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry stumbles upon a sinister mystery when he finds a three-headed dog guarding a room on the third floor. Then he hears of a missing stone with astonishing powers, which could be valuable, dangerous - or both. An incredible adventure is about to begin!
6. Verdict: Underrated
Author: Lois Lowry
No. of pages: 240
Famous quote: “The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.”
The story so far: It is the future. There is no war, no hunger, no pain. No one in the community wants for anything. Everything needed is provided. And at twelve years old, each member of the community has their profession carefully chosen for them by the Committee of Elders. Twelve-year old Jonas has never thought there was anything wrong with his world. But from the moment he is selected as the Receiver of Memory, Jonas discovers that their community is not as perfect as it seems. It is only with the help of the Giver, that Jonas can find what has been lost. And it is only through his personal courage that Jonas finds the strength to do what is right.
7. Verdict: Underrated
Author: Lemony Snicket
No. of Pages: 192
Famous quote: “Books about law are notorious for being very long, very dull, and very difficult to read. This is one reason many lawyers make heaps of money. The money is an incentive - the word 'incentive' here means 'an offered reward to persuade you to do something you don't want to do' - to read long, dull, and difficult books.”
The story so far: In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky.
In The Bad Beginning, the siblings encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune and cold porridge for breakfast. (Notice: This book has the best explanations of vocabulary in context. A true gem for ESL learning!)
In The Bad Beginning, the siblings encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune and cold porridge for breakfast. (Notice: This book has the best explanations of vocabulary in context. A true gem for ESL learning!)
8. Verdict: Underrated
Author: Loise Fitzhugh
No. of pages: 300
Famous quote: “Don't mess with anybody on a Monday. It's a bad, bad day.”
The story so far: Harriet M. Welsch is a spy. In her notebook, she writes down everything she knows about everyone, even her classmates and her best friends. Then Harriet loses track of her notebook, and it ends up in the wrong hands. Before she can stop them, her friends have read the always truthful, sometimes awful things she's written about each of them. Will Harriet find a way to put her life and her friendships back together?
"What the novel showed me as a child is that words have the power to hurt, but they can also heal, and that it's much better in the long run to use this power for good than for evil."--New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot.
9. Verdict: Underrated
Author: Allie Brosh
No. of pages: 369
Famous quote: “I am incensed that reality has the audacity to do some of the things it does when I CLEARLY don't want those things to happen.”
The story so far: Hyperbole and A Half is a blog written by a 20-something American girl called Allie Brosh. She tells fantastically funny, wise stories about the mishaps of her everyday life, with titles like 'Why Dogs Don't Understand Basic Concepts Like Moving' and 'The God of Cake'. She accompanies these with naive drawings using Paint on her PC.
Brosh’s website receives millions of visitors a month and hundreds of thousands of per day.
Now her full-colour debut book chronicles the many “learning experiences” Brosh has endured as a result of her own character flaws. It includes stories about her rambunctious childhood; the highs and mostly lows of owning a mentally challenged dog; and a moving and darkly comic account of her struggles with depression. (Notice: Bill Gates, yes, The Bill Gates of Microsoft Inc., recommends this book. I'm a Gates note taker, by the way.)
Brosh’s website receives millions of visitors a month and hundreds of thousands of per day.
Now her full-colour debut book chronicles the many “learning experiences” Brosh has endured as a result of her own character flaws. It includes stories about her rambunctious childhood; the highs and mostly lows of owning a mentally challenged dog; and a moving and darkly comic account of her struggles with depression. (Notice: Bill Gates, yes, The Bill Gates of Microsoft Inc., recommends this book. I'm a Gates note taker, by the way.)
10. Verdict: Popular
Author: Clive Staples Lewis
No. of pages: 224
Famous quote: “All shall be done, but it may be harder than you think.”
The story so far: Four adventurous siblings - Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie - step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change . . . and a great sacrifice.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the second book in C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy series, which has been drawing readers of all ages into a magical land with unforgettable characters for over sixty years. (Notice: this is a stand alone read, but if you want more of C.S Lewis, check out the other books in the Chronicles of Narnia series.)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the second book in C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy series, which has been drawing readers of all ages into a magical land with unforgettable characters for over sixty years. (Notice: this is a stand alone read, but if you want more of C.S Lewis, check out the other books in the Chronicles of Narnia series.)
11. Verdict: Popular
Author: Dr. Seuss
No. of pages: 48 pages
Famous quote: “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”
The story so far: This book is perfect for all of us who wants to explore the world but so scared of the unknown. Dr. Seuss' advice: Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away!
12. Verdict: Underrated
Author: Jeff Kinney
No. of pages: 224
Famous quote: “The best person I know is Myself.”
The story so far: Things aren't going well for Greg Heffley. He's been thrust into a new school where undersize weaklings share the corridors with kids who are taller, meaner and already shaving. With his friend Rowley, Greg's desperate to prove his new maturity, which only going up a grade can bring. But when Rowley's star starts to rise, will Greg be able to reach the same heights of popularity as Rowley?
13. Verdict: Popular
Author: Judy Blume
No. of pages: 144
Famous quote: “What’s next on your reading list? Discover.”
The story so far: Two is a crowd when Peter and his little brother, Fudge, are in the same room. Grown-ups think Fudge is absolutely adorable, but Peter and his pet turtle, Dribble, know the truth. From throwing temper tantrums to smearing mashed potatoes on the wall, Fudge causes mischief wherever he goes!
"As a kid, Judy Blume was my favorite author, and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing was my favorite book."--Jeff Kinney, author of the bestselling Wimpy Kid series. (Of course there's a reason why I put these two books in sequence.)
14. Verdict: Underrated
Author: Maurice Sendak
No. of pages: 48
Famous quote: “I have nothing now but praise for my life. I'm not unhappy. I cry a lot because I miss people. They die and I can't stop them. They leave me and I love them more...What I dread is the isolation. ... There are so many beautiful things in the world which I will have to leave when I die, but I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready.”
The story so far: One night Max puts on his wolf suit and makes mischief of one kind and another, so his mother calls him 'Wild Thing' and sends him to bed without his supper. That night a forest begins to grow in Max's room and an ocean rushes by with a boat to take Max to the place where the wild things are. Max tames the wild things and crowns himself as their king, and then the wild rumpus begins! But when Max has sent the monsters to bed, and everything is quiet, he starts to feel lonely and realises it is time to sail home to the place where someone loves him best of all.
15. Verdict: Underrated
Author: Beverly Cleary
No. of pages: 208
Famous quote: “She was not a slowpoke grownup. She was a girl who could not wait. Life was so interesting she had to find out what happened next.”
The story so far: Ramona likes that she's old enough to be counted on, but must everything depend on her? Mrs. Quimby has gone back to work so that Mr. Quimby can return to school, and Ramona is expected to be good for Mrs. Kemp while her parents are away, to be brave enough to ride the school bus by herself, and to put up with being teased by Danny the Yard Ape. In Ramona's world, being eight isn't easy, but it's never dull!
16. Verdict: Underrated
Author: Sebastian de Castell
No. of pages: 416
Famous quote: “I’m a woman, kid. You probably haven’t met one before, coming as you do from this backward place, but it’s like a man only smarter and with bigger balls.”
The story so far: MAGIC IS A CON GAME.
Kellen is moments away from facing his first mage's duel and the start of four trials that will make him a spellcaster. There's just one problem: his magic is gone. As his sixteenth birthday approaches, Kellen falls back on his cunning in a bid to avoid total disgrace. But when a daring stranger arrives in town, she challenges Kellen to take a different path. Ferius Parfax is one of the mysterious Argosi - a traveller who lives by her wits and the three decks of cards she carries. She's difficult and unpredictable, but she may be Kellen's only hope. (Notice: I'm selling this book hard to you, because the pacing is really smooth.)
Kellen is moments away from facing his first mage's duel and the start of four trials that will make him a spellcaster. There's just one problem: his magic is gone. As his sixteenth birthday approaches, Kellen falls back on his cunning in a bid to avoid total disgrace. But when a daring stranger arrives in town, she challenges Kellen to take a different path. Ferius Parfax is one of the mysterious Argosi - a traveller who lives by her wits and the three decks of cards she carries. She's difficult and unpredictable, but she may be Kellen's only hope. (Notice: I'm selling this book hard to you, because the pacing is really smooth.)
17. Verdict: Underrated
Author: Raquel Jaramillo Palacio
No. of pages: 416
Famous quote: “We carry with us, as human beings, not just the capacity to be kind, but the very choice of kindness.”
The story so far: 'My name is August. I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.' Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things - eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary - inside. But ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren't stared at wherever they go. Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he's being sent to a real school - and he's dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted - but can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all? Wonder is a funny, frank, astonishingly moving debut to read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page.
18. Verdict: Popular
Author: Roald Dahl
No. of pages: 240
Famous quote: “I'm right and you're wrong, I'm big and you're small, and there's nothing you can do about it.”
The story so far: Matilda Wormwood is an extraordinary genius with really stupid parents. Miss Trunchbull is her terrifying headmistress who thinks all her pupils are rotten little stinkers. But Matilda will show these horrible grown-ups that even though she's only small, she's got some very powerful tricks up her sleeve. (Notice: Roald Dahl is hailed as the world's no. 1 story teller. He wrote numerous books that are worth reading.)
Disclaimer: All synopses are from the books' original back covers and from Book Depository, your ultimate online bookstore and home of over 20 million books (with free shipping worldwide!)
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