Sunday's New York Times had an opinion piece wherein Nicholas Kristof gives his opinion of what books are indispensable reading for the elementary school set. Find the column here. The writer also opines that children shed I.Q. points over summer vacation but cites no research to bolster this claim.
Anyhoo... I find his book choices interesting. A little heavy on British kid lit, but they all sound like worthy reads. He also seems to favor series of books. It might be fun to read some of his suggestions which I missed as a child. And it's always a good idea to re-read Anne of Green Gables.
One book I never understood was The Little Prince. I attempted to read it to my children, but I found it unpleasantly weird. I also never enjoyed the Tales of Narnia. I would however,recommend Babar, despite the mother getting rubbed out in opening scene. I think it's the snappy green suit Babar wears. The best books for very small children, in my not-so-humble opinion is anything by Beatrix Potter.
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