<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: An updated review.
Review: Now is 2005, so this book is four years old. I wanted to write an updated review here to let anyone who is considering a copy of this volume that I think it would be worth it to pick up a used copy for five bucks or so. Obviously, it doesn't include anything that's been published in the last four years, so in that sense, it's utility can be limiting, but most of the books that are reviewed are still in print. One of the book's features that I appreciated the most was that it includes a bibliography of wordless books, and unlike other such lists I have found, most of the books are actually in print and I don't have to try to order a copy from some small press overseas.
Another thing I've used this book for is for suggestions for birthday presents for my nieces. Since they're not the same age as my kids, I'm not as familar with what they might be ready to read.
Rating: 
Summary: New entries, expanded descriptions
Review: Parents' Guide to the Best Books for Children appears in its third revised, updated edition to provide the hundreds of new entries, expanded descriptions, and notes on related recommended children's books. Parents will find the organization by reading level lends to quick and easy consultation, while the indexes make it easy to match child to book subject.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful resource for involved parents!
Review: This book is very straight-forward and easy to use, chock full of useful information. The organization is simple, and listings are complete (containing year published and prizes received, as well as author, illustrator and edition info) and informative. Not only do they give information about the content and it's value to a child, but also its source and its context and an opinion about the best edition in which to invest and the availability of different editions (where useful)!Wide margins are included, for note-taking. There are multiple indexes at the end which are invaluable in themselves - about 80 pages worth! The titles are indexed by title, author, illustrator, age-appropriate, and special subject. A bibliography is also included. This resource is a valuable and delightful resource for any family
Rating:
Summary: updated, sure, but revised?
Review: This book may have been updated, but I don't know about the "revised" part. I was disappointed to find that this edition contained the same and similar inaccuracies as the prior editions. For example, _Weetzie Bat_ is a wonderful book. But its sequels are, in order, _Witch Baby_, _Cherokee Bat and the Goat *Guys*_ (not Boys!), _Missing Angel Juan_, and _Baby Be-bop_. I expect better things from the New York Times children's book editor--not sloppy errors. I'm glad this book exists, and it does contain much valuable information, and it is well-organized. But perfect it is not.
Rating:
Summary: Great! Exactly whatI was looking for!
Review: This book was exactly what I was looking for to find new books to read aloud to my children. It reminded me of books that I had read as a child, and suggested new ones that we have loved. In addition, I have a lot of new ideas for presents for my neices and nephews.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Books for Children
Review: This is a great book with tons of books listed. But, it could be better... The book descriptions are very terse (usually only one or two sentences). .... A couple other things missing that I would have liked to see is the number of pages in each book and approximate reading level (ex. low-4th grade). That would make this guide more useful when picking a book for a book report. Overall the quantity and quality of the books listed and the index in the back that cross-references the books based on subject interests makes this book an invaluable resource.
Rating:
Summary: very helpful, but not perfect
Review: This is a wonderful tool for parents trying to guide their children's early reading intelligently. The organization of the book and the descriptions of each book are generally helpful, though information about age level and number of pages should have been included. Organizing categories in the main listing are vaguely defined (wordless books, picture books, story books, early reading books, middle reading books and young adult books), making the indexes the better access point. These indexes are sufficient to help you find a relevant book. There is: a title list; an author list; an illustrator list; an age appropriate list (which might have based a better organization for the main listing); a read-aloud list; and a subject list of 53 headings, including Adoption, Adventure, Alphabet, Bedtime, Divorce, Horses and Nature. The author renders a valuable service in examining multiple editions of popular books, for example you might find that one particular treatment of the Mother Goose tales is rather musical and illustrated with pen and ink drawings, while another is more colorfully animated and textually simplified for very young readers. Unless you really know children's literature, a book like this is an invaluable tool. Similar but more directed resources are Great Books for Boys and Great Books for Girls by Kathleen Odean, which is organized into reading levels and then genre, and includes age level but not page count. Jim Trelease's The Read-Aloud Handbook is a very good, somewhat evangelical, resource organized by genre with age level and page count included in the description.
Rating:
Summary: very helpful, but not perfect
Review: This is a wonderful tool for parents trying to guide their children's early reading intelligently. The organization of the book and the descriptions of each book are generally helpful, though information about age level and number of pages should have been included. Organizing categories in the main listing are vaguely defined (wordless books, picture books, story books, early reading books, middle reading books and young adult books), making the indexes the better access point. These indexes are sufficient to help you find a relevant book. There is: a title list; an author list; an illustrator list; an age appropriate list (which might have based a better organization for the main listing); a read-aloud list; and a subject list of 53 headings, including Adoption, Adventure, Alphabet, Bedtime, Divorce, Horses and Nature. The author renders a valuable service in examining multiple editions of popular books, for example you might find that one particular treatment of the Mother Goose tales is rather musical and illustrated with pen and ink drawings, while another is more colorfully animated and textually simplified for very young readers. Unless you really know children's literature, a book like this is an invaluable tool. Similar but more directed resources are Great Books for Boys and Great Books for Girls by Kathleen Odean, which is organized into reading levels and then genre, and includes age level but not page count. Jim Trelease's The Read-Aloud Handbook is a very good, somewhat evangelical, resource organized by genre with age level and page count included in the description.
<< 1 >>
|
