YAHOOOO Get that POPCORN A POPPING and warm that butter baby because we are all in for a treat..I've been so looking forward to this type of video from you..CHEERS FOREVER DUDELY DUDE
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls: a grown man reflects back on his 20-yr-old self growing up in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in Oklahoma and his love as a boy of his two dogs. You learn about poverty, yearning, sacrifice, loyalty, heartbreak,, and unconditional love. My 4th grade teacher read a little bit of this book each day to our class after lunch if we had done all of our morning lessons,and I fell in love with reading because of this one book. I saved up my pennies that year to be allowed to buy a hard bound copy, which still sits on my bookshelf. Have the box of tissues ready for the very satisfying yet sad ending.
Secret Garden is there, and it is a better book than The Little Princess, which is a bit laboured. The same author wrote Little Lord Fauntleroy and an Amazing book called The Lost Prince.
First read Lord of the Rings when I was 15, just after reading the Hobbit. And it changed my life. I think 15 is a good age to first read LOTR but it's a book that needs to be re read over the years - it's a book that truly grows with you.
My father read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to me when I was 7; what a enormous theological foundation it gave me, as well as developing a love for imaginative play. For my 7th birthday, I received Charlotte’s Web, my first chapter book of my own. It also sparked creativity, imaginative play, and an understanding of life and death. I still own both copies of both books and my own four children have read them. They are all adults now and are all readers. I credit these and other books you mentioned as keys to their curiosity, love for learning and reading for pleasure.
I was thrilled that you included The Indian in the Cupboard. I would always read it to my third grade class and they loved it! They also loved James and the Giant Peach and Charlotte’s Web. I still read children’s literature even though I’m now retired after teaching for 40 yrs. Thanks for this video! 😊
Thank you! I've never read anything by Laura Ingrid Wilder before. She's the author of the Little House on the Prairie books isn't she? I will look some of her books out though. Which one would you recommend?
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 I would start suggest starting with her Little House series. They go quickly. Her name was Laura Ingalls and she married Almanzo Wilder. She starts with her life as a child in Wisconsin, and then the family starts moving west as the books progress. The first book is Little House in the Big Woods, then Little House on the Prairie, Farmer Boy, On the Banks of Plum Creek, By the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, and These Happy Golden Years. My teacher read them to us in 2nd grade (my dear second grade teacher was my major inspiration to read!) and then I read them on my own many times. I’m also from South Dakota, so I felt that bond with Laura, because her family settled in South Dakota. Laura Ingalls Wilder will give you a great taste of classic American pioneer writing. Good reading!
@@tristanandtheclassics6538you may want to read Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser. It gives the context that LIW wrote the Little House books. As a Brit I was only aware of the TV series and then since living in the US I found out it’s a book series. I think like Enid Bylton books the context is needed.
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 Some (most?) of the books are somewhat racist, but I still read The Long Winter every couple of years. She and her family - the whole town, really - nearly starved that year. It's set in the winter of 1880-81.
@@nicolabenson1155 Whenever my life gets chaotic, or I’m just sad, I reread all of the Anne books, all of them from Anne of Greene Gables through Rilla of Ingleside. I know that, especially after WWI, LM Montgomery dealt with serious depression but she sure has affected my life. I first read Anne when I was 11. I’m 72 now and I still love those books.
Okay, I read this as an older adult, just a few years ago. I was NOT expecting that bad thing that happens to a certain character. Two characters, really! (I don't want to spoil.) It shocked me and left me so sad. It didn't help that I was reading it at the nursing home where my mother was recovering from surgery after a fall. I picked a children's book because I was so stressed out and wanted a "pick me up." This wasn't it. Now that my mother is dead, it has even sadder memories associated with it. Obviously, I can't blame the book/author. I can see why it's a beloved favorite. But for me, it was the wrong book at the wrong time.
Can't believe Pooh wasn't on the list. "We'll have to take provisions," said Pooh. "Take what?" said Piglet. " Food, " said Pooh. "Oh," said Piglet. " I thought you said provisions. "
Yes, Tom Sawyer is a precursor to Huckleberry Finn. And it makes sense to start with this book as it fits for younger audience, while HF is for older ones, and can be read the next year after Tom Sawyer.
I read The Coral Island as a young child and was enthralled. Breadfruit trees, the clear pool, hiding out in the secret cave, etc. It wonderfully captured my imagination at that age. And you're correct, no one ever talks about it these days. I enjoyed the first half more than the second.
Enthralling is the right word. As for the second half, I think that many authors get fatigued as they see the end they want to get to, but it takes more writing than they expect to get there.
Anything of the Laura ingles wilderbooks about the Ingals family. - If you want something outside of English literature - tove jansson: comet in moominland (good place to start even though it's the second book in the series) - Astrid Lindgren : Ronja the robbers daughter, brothers lion heart, or Rasmus and the vagabond. Just to mention a few. - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: The little prince
Patty-As a cousin across the pond, I had to add my own favorites. The All of a Kind Family, Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, Mary Poppins, Wizard of Oz, LIttle Women, The Little Princess, and Frances the Badger. Of course, some of these titles have other stories by these authors that just as exciting. Children's books convey messages for adults as well. Great list as usual.
Some excellent works there, Patty. Never heard of 5 little peppers. Little Women is outstanding. There's also Pippy Longstocking. What about Emily of the New Moon by L M Montgomery. I think another list will come in the future.😀❤️
Pippy Longstockings was excellent. I think I've read Emily of the New Moon. Quite a while ago. I've read a lot of her books. Excellent writing.! I truly enjoy your videos.
My favorites from your list are The Secret Garden, Indian in the Cupboard, (all of Roahl Dahl), and The Hobbit. Ultimately though, my all time favorite is Pippi Longstocking. I still remember hysterically laughing reading in the back of the car on the way to school in the morning and afternoon. Wonderful stuff. I have the Wind in the Willows on my TBR shelf in the bedroom. I am thinking now I should read that one next.
I can't believe any of the Little House books weren't on the list, especially Little House in the Big Woods. Family love and resilience in the face of a lot of hardship. I read them to my children and I still read them as an adult.
A suggestion. If you are going to continue this series, I recommend doing it based upon age group : under 6, 6-8, 8-10, 10-12... or (picture books - such as Where The Wild Things Are, early chapter books, middle grade chapter books, etc).
I read Mark Twain to my kids when they were little. They loved it so much that they had me read every word the man ever wrote, even his half-finished last book. We took a pilgrimage to Hannibal, which was wonderful. I may never make it to London to visit the Sherlock Holmes and Charles Dickens museums, but at least I saw Hannibal.
Two books that captivated me as a child were The Borrowers (a story about little tiny people!) and My Side of the Mountain. I saw the film "My Side of the Mountain" as a young teen and was completely taken in. It's a story about a runaway who survives in the woods by living in the cavity of a large tree. I highly recommend, even though there is a LOT of study of algae (only in the book). Once you get passed that, and see how he gets and trains a baby falcon, has some unexpected visitors (the fear was real) and lives through a snowy winter, you can't help but be drawn into his world. Good thing there are sequels!
Not classic literature but my brother and l enjoyed the Just Williams books. And I read every book Enid Blyton wrote. In my early twenties l travelled around England with a couple of friends. In one B&B we spent the evening talking to the farmer and his wife and somehow I ended up talking about E. Blyton and a story of children going to a farm and feeding lambs with bottles. The next morning l was told to go out the backdoor. There was the farmer with the teeniest lamb and a bottle of milk. What a lovely thing to do and it's among my cherishist memories.
Two that I would like to add from my childhood are The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin and the Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner. Both stories that combine the real world with a magical world.
What a fabulous list. I recommend The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, which is absolutely brilliantly humorous. Please do more of these reviews. I would also love a list of adult classics that would transition young teens into adult literature without age inappropriate content. Thank you so much!
What a wonderful list! Many of my favourites here. I too particularly love The Horse and his Boy. Do you know The Borrowers? I loved that as a child and reread it recently, and it stands up well.
Wonderful video. I read so many of these books to my children and now look forward to reading them to my grandchildren. I hope you decide to do a part two. Thank you.
Carry On, Mr Bowdich is a good one. I read it first and gave it to my husband who loved it and my 12 yr old daughter has read it at least 3 times. Inspiring! Fantastic!
What a great video! Fantastic list. Children of the New Forest is one of my all-time favourites. I'm a school library assistant and am always so chuffed when a child falls in love with a classic.
Awesome list! Mostly British Classics though...dont forget one of the most beloved childrens writers ever, Astrid Lindgren ❤❤ Pippi Longstocking is loved all over the world. Personally I prefer Ronja the Robbers Daughter best of her books, but its written 1981, does that make it too young? I just reread the Hobbit and its soo good! I was so scared of Gollum when i was s kid, had him under my bed for several years after my Dad read it for me...and its Trolls that wants to eat the dwarfes, not goblins. Tolkien really put the Nordic trolls on the map ❤❤ Anne of Greengables is a must classic for me, and Goodnight Mr Tom ❤ maybe also to young? One of my best childhood memories is when my class went to the library and the librarian read from Arabian Nights. We all sat on cushions and it was just magical. Susan Coopers The Dark is Rising series is also among the very best that I've probably reread most in my life.There is a Facebook group dedicated to her books! The very best of being brought up in a British Swedish family is that I got double the great literature ❤❤
Wow! Thank you for this list! I feel illiterate....have only read 6 of the 20. My wife and I just finished reading The Hobbit together and have now started The Swiss Family Robinson by JD Wyss. The goal is to prepare for using these with our grandchildren. This list helps a lot!
Charlotte’s Web was the first book I read that I actually enjoyed and got me wanting to read more. Also Black Beauty and The Secret garden were favorites. I didn’t read The Hobbit or Narnia until I was an adult and loved them both. I might check out some of the others I have never read from your list.
you are the reason i love the youtube algorithm! so glad i stumbled upon you! i'm happy to see i've read half of these classics, and dismayed to see that i've only read half of these classics! the remainders are now on my TBR shelf!!! and i'm with you; these are not just for children. in fact, i bet i've read half of my half as an adult.......... and i 100 agree with you - treasure island is one of the best books i've ever read (yes, i read it as an adult 🙃🙃)!!!! cheers, and can't wait to see what you've got in store for us in 2024!
I love this list, I read most of them as a child, and have reread many of them with great pleasure. It just reminded me of the first book I can remember: at a small preschool in the sixties we were read Bunyon’s ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’. Not exactly children’s reading, but I can still remember be taken on a strange and magical adventure. I can even picture the book, it was a huge tome, with copper plate illustrations. I was probably about three or four.
Thus should have been a list of at least 30 as so many gems were left out! Anne of Green Gables, Mary Poppins, Emil and the detectives, Swiss Family Robinson, Wizard of Oz, Black Stallion, Prisoner of Zenda, actually it should have been a list of 50!!! 😂
Love this as Children’s books are among my favorites. I would add Anne of Green Gables. I also add Dr. Doolittle. I read this with my son when he was in 5th grade. I was shocked at how good the book was compared to the movie!
I would introduce a child to Tom Sawyer before Huckleberry Finn--Tom Sawyer is shorter and really is a children's book, while Huck Finn is longer and more adult. I would add as well Beautiful Joe by (Margaret) Marshall Saunders--it is like Black Beauty but a dog story. And another addition: Rumer Godden's The Dolls House. It gets at powerful themes--strong and weak characters, goodness and evil--within the imagined lives of dolls in a doll's house.
I’ve just caught up with this. What a brilliant video 😊. I love children’s literature. I read the Chronicles of Narnia and Charlotte’s Web in 2023. This year I am adding all your other recommendations to my tbr. In fact I’m going to start right now.
Great list. Yes, please make another of great children's books. I love 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. Another book I love to reread is The Jungle Book. I love Treasure Island. I need to reread that. Thank you.
Your channel appeared unexpectedly on my screen today. What a wonderful thing! Your enthusiasm and humane approach are a relief from too many similar sites that are snarky or didactic or smarmy. I was reminded by this list of some books I read beginning around age ten--by Howard Pease. I have no idea how I came upon his books about a merchant marine named Tod Moran, who was a crew member on a tramp steamer called the Araby, The characters and situations were riveting to me. I decided to reread most of them a few years ago, soon after my 70th birthday. They were as engaging as I recalled. Pease wrote what used to be called "boys' adventure" stories. He had expectations that his young readers would pay attention to the technical terms about ships. Once introduced and explained, the words were on their own. with the readers. I wish those books were still in print because I would like to share them with readers of all ages.
Beatrix Potter's The Complete Tales. Ohh, I love "Two Bad Mice!" The Velveteen Rabbit is unforgettable too, but maybe considered a 'picture book' for the younger readers to be.
I love the Robert Heinlein juveniles: Space Cadet, Tunnel in the Sky, Citizen of the Galaxy, The Rolling Stones, Farmer in the Sky, Red Planet, Between Planets, Starman Jones, Rocket Ship Galileo, Have Space Suit-Will Travel, The Star Beast, and Time for the Stars. Don't let the silliness of some of those titles put you off - they're excellent.
Thanks for the push! I loved reading with my kids when I was homeschooling, but I find it so hard to read by myself. I ordered Huckleberry Finn, a Scribner Classics version of Robin Hood (have not read either), and a first edition of Bambi which I read out loud to them in elementary school and remember fondly. I will start here, and hopefully get to some of the more “grown up books” after.
That's amazing. In truth, as much as these are sometimes called children's classics, they are enjoyed even more as adults. They are so remarkably written that it is impossible to say that they are children's books. I love reading to my boy, it takes me back to when my mum read to me.
Read Treasure Island to my child and it was also the first time I had ever read it- there were descriptions of scenes that stuck with me, like when they’re moving through the docks to board the Hispaniola and sailors on other ships were swinging from one rigging to another, I felt like I was there & wanted nothing more than to board a ship for a sea adventure
Great list!! Some are new to me. I've enjoyed reading many classics to my girls. The first I read to them was The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (illustrated brilliantly by Ingpen). They also have loved Heidi, The Phantom Tollbooth, Anne of Green Gables, Betsy-Tacy, the Nutcracker, The Boxcar Children to name a few not on your list. I admit Peter Pan was a little violent for my taste, but maybe when they are older they can read it on their own. Good stuff!
Great books, Dina. Anne of Green Gables is extraordinary. My wife says Emily of the New Moon is brilliant too. I've not read Boxcar Children or Phantom Tollbooth, though I know of them.
@tristanandtheclassics6538 my girls and I were rolling with laughter with The Phantom Tollbooth. I will be sure to put Emily of the New Moon in their minds!
The very top book for me is The Hobbit. We read it together in primary school as a kid that started my lifelong love of books and reading. ❤📚 Also loved The Wind in the Willows and Narnia. I love classics, its the biggest collection of books i have on all my bookshelves. ❤📚
It's hard to argue with the Hobbit being number 1. I think a certain emotional impact will always contribute to books from childhood. Had I read the Hobbit before Treasure Island my ranking might have been different. 😀❤️
Yes, there are scores of children's books out there but one classic missing from this list must be "Lorna Doone" by R.D. Blackmoor. Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe" and "Rob Roy" are also notable absentees along with Swift's "Gulliver's Travels", Jack London's "Call of the Wild" and "Tarka the Otter" by Henry Williamson. Biggles was a must read for any boy in the 50's and 60's, as was "Just William" by Richmal Crompton.
Yes, Please make another one! I've read Bambi which I loved but I wouldn't read to children lol and am reading Peter Pan and Pinocchio which are fantastic. There are so many great childrens classics.
ANY Roald Dahl !... Adventure, humour, mischief. No wonder his books are loved by all. But Charlottes Web is just a beautiful read. I still remember the emotion and grief I felt reading it as a 9 year old.
The Silver Sword (Escape from Warsaw I think in America) was a childhood book that stayed with me. Not sure how well it holds up. I avoided Watership Down as a kid but I think I will give it a go and see if it would work for my 12 year olds. I’m so glad that there is less gatekeeping around The Hobbit and LotR. Back in the 80s/90s in London it felt very much like a boys club and you had to commit to reading the entire series multiple times before you could have access to the books. Probably not the case but that’s how it felt!
I have GOT to finally read this book. In fact, I need to check my parents' attic to see if the copy I remember from childhood is still around. (Although I am in 50s, so it's likely disintegrated into dust by now.) I know I started it as a child but didn't get that far into it. I have vague memory flashes of being outside with it, but nearly nothing about the story, itself.
Just finished Peter Pan,Treasure Island, and The Indian in the Cupboard. The Lion,the Witch and the Wardrrobe is on my table ,by my teading glasse.s . I bought very inexpensive used copies and annotated and summarized in a notebook ,too. It was easy I wanted to think more about these stories. 🌟 Since I started reading these "kids" books a few weeks ago I have better conversations, better dreams,and more empathy. Hope you try it ! Start with ANY one here. And consider waiting a day or two to digest one before diving into the next..
I've just found your channel today, and love this list.Several on your list were books I read as a child and have read to my own children. Looking forward to trying some of the others. I would love to hear more suggestions from you.
This isn't a classic but it made such an impact on my I never forgot it. Although, I forgot the title, just knew a brief outline of the story. Years of searching and asking librarians and teachers. Finally with the advent of google I found it. On EBAY but at the time $180 was not in my wheelhouse. Fortunately a friend found another copy for $10 Crazy eh!? The book is about 2 school children flying home for holidays and the plane crashes in the Pyrenees mountains. They and an infant are the only survivors. It's called The Village That Slept. When I read it again as an adult I loved it just as much as the first time. The book is a prized possession on my bookshelf.
Thank you for this video it was fantastic and classic children’s books stay in your memory forever when read as a child and rereading them as an adult is even more rewarding! Greetings from Canada.
I loved this video, it was amazing. You shared a wonderful book list, actually I didn' know anything about Robert Ingpen's illustration. I am going to buy some of his book!
The children of Green Knowe- Lucy M. Boston. Ghost story, and fantasy. Other books in the series as well.And you can still visit the house in Hemmingford Grey. Fantastic!
My gosh, what a great list. Surprised that The Little Prince wasn't on it, but other than that, I'm excited for the several books that I've never heard of! I do fall in the camp of liking The Hobbit more than Treasure Island, and honestly I'd probably put Peter Pan ahead of it as well, but Treasure Planet is probably my favorite Disney movie, or was until Moana came out.
Hey, this is exactly what I was looking for!! I just joined booktube and found younimmediately. Then went scrolling for this vid cause I'm homeschooling next year!!
THANK YOUUUUUUU TRISTAN! I haven't even watched the episode yet, but I did ask you for this topic when I wrote my first comment when I subscribed about a month ago! As soon as I saw the topic today, I jumped right into the comments section, to thank you for the subject, whether my request was involved in your choice of dealing with it now, or not. A very heartfelt thank you for having listened and for having taken the time to put this episode together. I was really looking forward to it! And now, off to your episode! I'm impatient to discover it!!!! I'll post another comment after I've watched it! I'm so happy!
I haven't read all of them, having been an adult for decades but some great choices. I agree with your top choice, Treasure Island was the first classic I read at 8 or 9 years old and I have re-read it many times, it's still fresh and brilliant as ever. 2 of your list I only read as an adult over 30 but really loved, namely Watership Down and Swallows and Amazons and the whole of that series (the latter unfortunately barely known in Germany).
I'm reading Treasure Island to my boy at the moment, and I think I'm enjoying it more than he is. So many of god "children's book" ate just great stories which are equally good for adults.
Love this list. As I see others are adding to it, I would suggest "Over Sea, Under Stone" by Susan Cooper (and the others in the "Dark Is Rising" series).
The Walker family are Commander Ted Walker of the Royal Navy, his Australian-born wife Mary Walker and their children, often called the Swallows: John, Susan, Titty, Roger and Bridget.
A very nice list indeed, and I see many of my favorites mentioned in the comments as well. One book I would highlight because of its personal significance to me is A Wrinkle In Time. My Mother gave it to me since it is important to her and now we have a shared love of Madeline L’Engles classic tale of love conquering all.
Some great recommendations here, some I loved as a child, some I discovered and loved as an adult 😊 I have to say that I’m surprised that the Tales of Redwall series (at least Redwall, the first one) didn’t make the list, but I suppose youtube won’t let you upload videos that are 83 years long 😂
So many lovely memories reading some of these. Just reread Black Beauty same copy that we had as children. Narnia was my sons favorite and he read them over and over. I read them all one summer when I found a volume with the whole series and Illustrations. Watership down I read as adult a year or two ago. The Hobbit! Didnt know about this until adult and have read it many times now. Thank you for a wonderful overview of these books. Some I look forward to reading in my golden year upon me now.
A great list and a wonderful topic. However I was slightly surprised not to see a single book of Astrid Lindgren on here. Also I was wondering if you are familiar with the works of Michael Ende, especially Momo?
This list is fantastic Tristan. I wish I’d thought about them years ago. My son was born in 1997 and I read him all of the Harry Potter books as they were published. He was spellbound (sorry) but I wish now that I had read him all the ones on your list. Although he is in his 20s now, I’m going to buy him Treasure Island for Christmas. Keep up the good work. Peter
YAHOOOO Get that POPCORN A POPPING and warm that butter baby because we are all in for a treat..I've been so looking forward to this type of video from you..CHEERS FOREVER DUDELY DUDE
🤣 i love your enthusiasm, Todd. You put a spring in my step.
Ha ha! I felt the same way when I read the title! Saving this one for when I can give it the attention it deserves. Thank you, Tristan!
The Borrowers by Mary Norton was one of my favorite childhood reads.
Watership Down was an amazing read!
Oh yes, the Borrowers! One of my favourites too.
@@marymarymillidweeb2661 🤗😁
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls: a grown man reflects back on his 20-yr-old self growing up in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in Oklahoma and his love as a boy of his two dogs. You learn about poverty, yearning, sacrifice, loyalty, heartbreak,, and unconditional love. My 4th grade teacher read a little bit of this book each day to our class after lunch if we had done all of our morning lessons,and I fell in love with reading because of this one book. I saved up my pennies that year to be allowed to buy a hard bound copy, which still sits on my bookshelf. Have the box of tissues ready for the very satisfying yet sad ending.
One of my childhood favorites
The little princess, captivated me as a child. Black Beauty was just too much too much, made me cry. Loved this video.
Secret Garden is there, and it is a better book than The Little Princess, which is a bit laboured. The same author wrote Little Lord Fauntleroy and an Amazing book called The Lost Prince.
First read Lord of the Rings when I was 15, just after reading the Hobbit. And it changed my life. I think 15 is a good age to first read LOTR but it's a book that needs to be re read over the years - it's a book that truly grows with you.
My father read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to me when I was 7; what a enormous theological foundation it gave me, as well as developing a love for imaginative play. For my 7th birthday, I received Charlotte’s Web, my first chapter book of my own. It also sparked creativity, imaginative play, and an understanding of life and death. I still own both copies of both books and my own four children have read them. They are all adults now and are all readers. I credit these and other books you mentioned as keys to their curiosity, love for learning and reading for pleasure.
Can’t go wrong with Narnia.
" The wind in the willows"!👍👍👍🥰
Oh, I just want to go on an adventure!
I was thrilled that you included The Indian in the Cupboard. I would always read it to my third grade class and they loved it! They also loved James and the Giant Peach and Charlotte’s Web. I still read children’s literature even though I’m now retired after teaching for 40 yrs. Thanks for this video! 😊
No-one should ever stop reading children's literature. It is what forster lit the fires for us. And they are simply great stories.😀❤️
Great list!
The Laura Ingalls Wilder series really sparked my love of reading. I highly recommend it.
Thank you! I've never read anything by Laura Ingrid Wilder before. She's the author of the Little House on the Prairie books isn't she? I will look some of her books out though. Which one would you recommend?
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 I would start suggest starting with her Little House series. They go quickly. Her name was Laura Ingalls and she married Almanzo Wilder.
She starts with her life as a child in Wisconsin, and then the family starts moving west as the books progress. The first book is Little House in the Big Woods, then Little House on the Prairie, Farmer Boy, On the Banks of Plum Creek, By the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, and These Happy Golden Years.
My teacher read them to us in 2nd grade (my dear second grade teacher was my major inspiration to read!) and then I read them on my own many times. I’m also from South Dakota, so I felt that bond with Laura, because her family settled in South Dakota.
Laura Ingalls Wilder will give you a great taste of classic American pioneer writing. Good reading!
Such comfort reads!@@carlabrown6849
@@tristanandtheclassics6538you may want to read Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser. It gives the context that LIW wrote the Little House books. As a Brit I was only aware of the TV series and then since living in the US I found out it’s a book series. I think like Enid Bylton books the context is needed.
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 Some (most?) of the books are somewhat racist, but I still read The Long Winter every couple of years. She and her family - the whole town, really - nearly starved that year. It's set in the winter of 1880-81.
Anne of Green Gables
Whenever I get really down, I go to Avonlea.
@@nbenefieli hit a bit of a low during Covid, and re-reading Anne of Green Gables definitely helped
@@nicolabenson1155 Whenever my life gets chaotic, or I’m just sad, I reread all of the Anne books, all of them from Anne of Greene Gables through Rilla of Ingleside. I know that, especially after WWI, LM Montgomery dealt with serious depression but she sure has affected my life. I first read Anne when I was 11. I’m 72 now and I still love those books.
Okay, I read this as an older adult, just a few years ago. I was NOT expecting that bad thing that happens to a certain character. Two characters, really! (I don't want to spoil.) It shocked me and left me so sad. It didn't help that I was reading it at the nursing home where my mother was recovering from surgery after a fall. I picked a children's book because I was so stressed out and wanted a "pick me up." This wasn't it. Now that my mother is dead, it has even sadder memories associated with it. Obviously, I can't blame the book/author. I can see why it's a beloved favorite. But for me, it was the wrong book at the wrong time.
My book club selection for coming month.
Can't believe Pooh wasn't on the list.
"We'll have to take provisions," said Pooh.
"Take what?" said Piglet.
" Food, " said Pooh.
"Oh," said Piglet. " I thought you said provisions. "
There are SO many to choose from- it was amazing to boil it down to 20. I will be going back to my shelves, after this.
Don’t forget Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain and The Princess and the Goblin! I read The Princess and the Goblin to my kids last summer, it was fabulous!
Yes, Tom Sawyer is a precursor to Huckleberry Finn. And it makes sense to start with this book as it fits for younger audience, while HF is for older ones, and can be read the next year after Tom Sawyer.
The Princess and the Goblin and The Princess and Curdie were my absolute favourites
Fantastic list…would love another! As others have said, this list has to include beloved Canadian classic Anne of Green Gables :)
I loved The Finn Family Moomin Troll and Pippi Longstocking as a child. Some great choices on here.
I always want to read every book you talk about because your enthusiasm is contagious
Finding your UA-cam channel is a marvelous gift! Thank you!
I read The Coral Island as a young child and was enthralled. Breadfruit trees, the clear pool, hiding out in the secret cave, etc. It wonderfully captured my imagination at that age. And you're correct, no one ever talks about it these days. I enjoyed the first half more than the second.
Enthralling is the right word. As for the second half, I think that many authors get fatigued as they see the end they want to get to, but it takes more writing than they expect to get there.
This is my favorite channel I’ve come across in ages. Thank you so much for your heartfelt enthusiasm.
Anything of the Laura ingles wilderbooks about the Ingals family.
- If you want something outside of English literature
- tove jansson: comet in moominland (good place to start even though it's the second book in the series)
- Astrid Lindgren : Ronja the robbers daughter, brothers lion heart, or Rasmus and the vagabond. Just to mention a few.
- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: The little prince
Patty-As a cousin across the pond, I had to add my own favorites. The All of a Kind Family, Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, Mary Poppins, Wizard of Oz, LIttle Women, The Little Princess, and Frances the Badger. Of course, some of these titles have other stories by these authors that just as exciting. Children's books convey messages for adults as well. Great list as usual.
Some excellent works there, Patty. Never heard of 5 little peppers. Little Women is outstanding. There's also Pippy Longstocking. What about Emily of the New Moon by L M Montgomery. I think another list will come in the future.😀❤️
Pippy Longstockings was excellent. I think I've read Emily of the New Moon. Quite a while ago. I've read a lot of her books. Excellent writing.! I truly enjoy your videos.
My favorites from your list are The Secret Garden, Indian in the Cupboard, (all of Roahl Dahl), and The Hobbit. Ultimately though, my all time favorite is Pippi Longstocking. I still remember hysterically laughing reading in the back of the car on the way to school in the morning and afternoon. Wonderful stuff. I have the Wind in the Willows on my TBR shelf in the bedroom. I am thinking now I should read that one next.
Oh the Wind in the Willows! So lovely. My son read this so many times when he was young ♥️
The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander. Like 5 book series very well done with life lessons.
I can't believe any of the Little House books weren't on the list, especially Little House in the Big Woods. Family love and resilience in the face of a lot of hardship. I read them to my children and I still read them as an adult.
A suggestion. If you are going to continue this series, I recommend doing it based upon age group : under 6, 6-8, 8-10, 10-12... or (picture books - such as Where The Wild Things Are, early chapter books, middle grade chapter books, etc).
I read Mark Twain to my kids when they were little. They loved it so much that they had me read every word the man ever wrote, even his half-finished last book. We took a pilgrimage to Hannibal, which was wonderful. I may never make it to London to visit the Sherlock Holmes and Charles Dickens museums, but at least I saw Hannibal.
That's wonderful. The memories we make through books are priceless. I'm reading Treasure Island with my boy at the moment.
Two books that captivated me as a child were The Borrowers (a story about little tiny people!) and My Side of the Mountain. I saw the film "My Side of the Mountain" as a young teen and was completely taken in. It's a story about a runaway who survives in the woods by living in the cavity of a large tree. I highly recommend, even though there is a LOT of study of algae (only in the book). Once you get passed that, and see how he gets and trains a baby falcon, has some unexpected visitors (the fear was real) and lives through a snowy winter, you can't help but be drawn into his world. Good thing there are sequels!
Not classic literature but my brother and l enjoyed the Just Williams books. And I read every book Enid Blyton wrote. In my early twenties l travelled around England with a couple of friends. In one B&B we spent the evening talking to the farmer and his wife and somehow I ended up talking about E. Blyton and a story of children going to a farm and feeding lambs with bottles. The next morning l was told to go out the backdoor. There was the farmer with the teeniest lamb and a bottle of milk. What a lovely thing to do and it's among my cherishist memories.
Two that I would like to add from my childhood are The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin and the Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner. Both stories that combine the real world with a magical world.
Yes, the entire tetralogy of Earthsea was captivating, but the first book was something special.
I love both of these too
What a fabulous list. I recommend The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, which is absolutely brilliantly humorous. Please do more of these reviews. I would also love a list of adult classics that would transition young teens into adult literature without age inappropriate content. Thank you so much!
I like being called a bookish friend! Hello to you, my bookish friend!
Pleased to meet you, bookish friend 😀❤️👍
Island of the Blue Dolphins
What a wonderful list! Many of my favourites here. I too particularly love The Horse and his Boy. Do you know The Borrowers? I loved that as a child and reread it recently, and it stands up well.
Bree and Shasta
I’m reading The Secret Garden to my kids right now, 3 chapters a night. It’s my favorite book ever!!
Tristan, what a warm and friendly face you have and such enthusiasm! Love these videos. They cheer me up!
AND you laugh like Tucker Carlson😂
This is terrific. I was wondering when you would make a video on Children's Classics. This is brilliant!!!
Thank you Lucy.😀❤️
This was a charming journey down memory lane, thank you. Several I haven’t thought about in forever. It was nice to remember discovering reading. 😊
I adore "Huckelberry Finn". A brilliant book!
Wonderful video. I read so many of these books to my children and now look forward to reading them to my grandchildren. I hope you decide to do a part two. Thank you.
It's such a rewarding activity. Do you have any favourites?
Carry On, Mr Bowdich is a good one. I read it first and gave it to my husband who loved it and my 12 yr old daughter has read it at least 3 times. Inspiring! Fantastic!
What a great video! Fantastic list. Children of the New Forest is one of my all-time favourites. I'm a school library assistant and am always so chuffed when a child falls in love with a classic.
Awesome list! Mostly British Classics though...dont forget one of the most beloved childrens writers ever, Astrid Lindgren ❤❤ Pippi Longstocking is loved all over the world. Personally I prefer Ronja the Robbers Daughter best of her books, but its written 1981, does that make it too young? I just reread the Hobbit and its soo good! I was so scared of Gollum when i was s kid, had him under my bed for several years after my Dad read it for me...and its Trolls that wants to eat the dwarfes, not goblins. Tolkien really put the Nordic trolls on the map ❤❤
Anne of Greengables is a must classic for me, and Goodnight Mr Tom ❤ maybe also to young? One of my best childhood memories is when my class went to the library and the librarian read from Arabian Nights. We all sat on cushions and it was just magical. Susan Coopers The Dark is Rising series is also among the very best that I've probably reread most in my life.There is a Facebook group dedicated to her books! The very best of being brought up in a British Swedish family is that I got double the great literature ❤❤
Wow! Thank you for this list! I feel illiterate....have only read 6 of the 20. My wife and I just finished reading The Hobbit together and have now started The Swiss Family Robinson by JD Wyss. The goal is to prepare for using these with our grandchildren. This list helps a lot!
Hiedi by Johanna Spyri. I read an abridged version to my 5 year old. She loved it and so did I
I was WAITING for Treasure Island! I'm so glad it made the top of the list. It was my absolute favorite in elementary school!
Charlotte’s Web was the first book I read that I actually enjoyed and got me wanting to read more. Also Black Beauty and The Secret garden were favorites. I didn’t read The Hobbit or Narnia until I was an adult and loved them both. I might check out some of the others I have never read from your list.
you are the reason i love the youtube algorithm! so glad i stumbled upon you! i'm happy to see i've read half of these classics, and dismayed to see that i've only read half of these classics! the remainders are now on my TBR shelf!!! and i'm with you; these are not just for children. in fact, i bet i've read half of my half as an adult..........
and i 100 agree with you - treasure island is one of the best books i've ever read (yes, i read it as an adult 🙃🙃)!!!!
cheers, and can't wait to see what you've got in store for us in 2024!
I love this list, I read most of them as a child, and have reread many of them with great pleasure. It just reminded me of the first book I can remember: at a small preschool in the sixties we were read Bunyon’s ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’. Not exactly children’s reading, but I can still remember be taken on a strange and magical adventure. I can even picture the book, it was a huge tome, with copper plate illustrations. I was probably about three or four.
Thus should have been a list of at least 30 as so many gems were left out!
Anne of Green Gables, Mary Poppins, Emil and the detectives, Swiss Family Robinson, Wizard of Oz, Black Stallion, Prisoner of Zenda, actually it should have been a list of 50!!! 😂
Totally!!!😂 I will make another one.😀👍❤️
Thrilled by this video! Thsnk you so much Tristan..
Love this as Children’s books are among my favorites. I would add Anne of Green Gables. I also add Dr. Doolittle. I read this with my son when he was in 5th grade. I was shocked at how good the book was compared to the movie!
Loved Dr Doolittle as a child
I can't believe you included Children of the New Forest!! I love this book.
Also Captains Courageous by Kipling
I would introduce a child to Tom Sawyer before Huckleberry Finn--Tom Sawyer is shorter and really is a children's book, while Huck Finn is longer and more adult. I would add as well Beautiful Joe by (Margaret) Marshall Saunders--it is like Black Beauty but a dog story. And another addition: Rumer Godden's The Dolls House. It gets at powerful themes--strong and weak characters, goodness and evil--within the imagined lives of dolls in a doll's house.
Yes I agree Huck Finn us basically adult
Rumer Godden's The Greengage Summer. Loved it!
I’ve just caught up with this. What a brilliant video 😊. I love children’s literature. I read the Chronicles of Narnia and Charlotte’s Web in 2023. This year I am adding all your other recommendations to my tbr. In fact I’m going to start right now.
Great list. Yes, please make another of great children's books. I love 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. Another book I love to reread is The Jungle Book. I love Treasure Island. I need to reread that. Thank you.
Jungle Book was almost on the list. Pretty sure it will make the next one.
Your channel appeared unexpectedly on my screen today. What a wonderful thing! Your enthusiasm and humane approach are a relief from too many similar sites that are snarky or didactic or smarmy. I was reminded by this list of some books I read beginning around age ten--by Howard Pease. I have no idea how I came upon his books about a merchant marine named Tod Moran, who was a crew member on a tramp steamer called the Araby, The characters and situations were riveting to me. I decided to reread most of them a few years ago, soon after my 70th birthday. They were as engaging as I recalled. Pease wrote what used to be called "boys' adventure" stories. He had expectations that his young readers would pay attention to the technical terms about ships. Once introduced and explained, the words were on their own. with the readers. I wish those books were still in print because I would like to share them with readers of all ages.
Beatrix Potter's The Complete Tales. Ohh, I love "Two Bad Mice!" The Velveteen Rabbit is unforgettable too, but maybe considered a 'picture book' for the younger readers to be.
❤m bdvd😅😢😢❤❤❤❤
I love the Robert Heinlein juveniles: Space Cadet, Tunnel in the Sky, Citizen of the Galaxy, The Rolling Stones, Farmer in the Sky, Red Planet, Between Planets, Starman Jones, Rocket Ship Galileo, Have Space Suit-Will Travel, The Star Beast, and Time for the Stars. Don't let the silliness of some of those titles put you off - they're excellent.
Thanks for the push! I loved reading with my kids when I was homeschooling, but I find it so hard to read by myself. I ordered Huckleberry Finn, a Scribner Classics version of Robin Hood (have not read either), and a first edition of Bambi which I read out loud to them in elementary school and remember fondly. I will start here, and hopefully get to some of the more “grown up books” after.
That's amazing. In truth, as much as these are sometimes called children's classics, they are enjoyed even more as adults. They are so remarkably written that it is impossible to say that they are children's books. I love reading to my boy, it takes me back to when my mum read to me.
I was six when my father read " The treasure island" to me. I liked it very much. I was simply stunned!
It is a book I love. I think the chold in us never goes away. We just put it to sleep and books like this wake it up.
Read Treasure Island to my child and it was also the first time I had ever read it- there were descriptions of scenes that stuck with me, like when they’re moving through the docks to board the Hispaniola and sailors on other ships were swinging from one rigging to another, I felt like I was there & wanted nothing more than to board a ship for a sea adventure
@@delormepress I think I have loved English literature since that time!😁
Great list!! Some are new to me. I've enjoyed reading many classics to my girls. The first I read to them was The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (illustrated brilliantly by Ingpen). They also have loved Heidi, The Phantom Tollbooth, Anne of Green Gables, Betsy-Tacy, the Nutcracker, The Boxcar Children to name a few not on your list. I admit Peter Pan was a little violent for my taste, but maybe when they are older they can read it on their own. Good stuff!
Great books, Dina. Anne of Green Gables is extraordinary. My wife says Emily of the New Moon is brilliant too. I've not read Boxcar Children or Phantom Tollbooth, though I know of them.
@tristanandtheclassics6538 my girls and I were rolling with laughter with The Phantom Tollbooth. I will be sure to put Emily of the New Moon in their minds!
Yes, The Phantom Tollbooth is hilarious for adults and children alike but on different levels
Children are more resilient than we think. In addition, they understand when something is "make-believe" and do not get scared too easily ).
@dianas_Diana_S my kid was screaming at me to stop reading it when Tinkerbell was trying to kill Wendy. So I stopped.
So glad you promoted Coral Island! I've had it for years and not read! I must lend it to my beloved granddaughter with your encouragement
It was beloved of Victorian children. Most classic authors would have read it themselves.
The very top book for me is The Hobbit. We read it together in primary school as a kid that started my lifelong love of books and reading. ❤📚 Also loved The Wind in the Willows and Narnia. I love classics, its the biggest collection of books i have on all my bookshelves. ❤📚
It's hard to argue with the Hobbit being number 1. I think a certain emotional impact will always contribute to books from childhood. Had I read the Hobbit before Treasure Island my ranking might have been different. 😀❤️
I’ve read the Hobbit a fare few times. I actually think it’s far far better book than the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Yes, there are scores of children's books out there but one classic missing from this list must be "Lorna Doone" by R.D. Blackmoor. Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe" and "Rob Roy" are also notable absentees along with Swift's "Gulliver's Travels", Jack London's "Call of the Wild" and "Tarka the Otter" by Henry Williamson.
Biggles was a must read for any boy in the 50's and 60's, as was "Just William" by Richmal Crompton.
Yes, Please make another one! I've read Bambi which I loved but I wouldn't read to children lol and am reading Peter Pan and Pinocchio which are fantastic. There are so many great childrens classics.
ANY Roald Dahl !... Adventure, humour, mischief. No wonder his books are loved by all. But Charlottes Web is just a beautiful read. I still remember the emotion and grief I felt reading it as a 9 year old.
Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pierce was a Read-aloud hit with my children.
I just checked this book out at the library!
The Silver Sword (Escape from Warsaw I think in America) was a childhood book that stayed with me. Not sure how well it holds up.
I avoided Watership Down as a kid but I think I will give it a go and see if it would work for my 12 year olds. I’m so glad that there is less gatekeeping around The Hobbit and LotR. Back in the 80s/90s in London it felt very much like a boys club and you had to commit to reading the entire series multiple times before you could have access to the books. Probably not the case but that’s how it felt!
Every year I set aside a fews days in the spring to sit under a tree in a field and read Watership Down❤
That I'd beautiful. I might follow your example this spring.
I have GOT to finally read this book. In fact, I need to check my parents' attic to see if the copy I remember from childhood is still around. (Although I am in 50s, so it's likely disintegrated into dust by now.) I know I started it as a child but didn't get that far into it. I have vague memory flashes of being outside with it, but nearly nothing about the story, itself.
Just finished Peter Pan,Treasure Island, and The Indian in the Cupboard. The Lion,the Witch and the Wardrrobe is on my table ,by my teading glasse.s . I bought very inexpensive used copies and annotated and summarized in a notebook ,too. It was easy I wanted to think more about these stories. 🌟 Since I started reading these "kids" books a few weeks ago I have better conversations, better dreams,and more empathy. Hope you try it ! Start with ANY one here. And consider waiting a day or two to digest one before diving into the next..
I've just found your channel today, and love this list.Several on your list were books I read as a child and have read to my own children. Looking forward to trying some of the others. I would love to hear more suggestions from you.
This isn't a classic but it made such an impact on my I never forgot it. Although, I forgot the title, just knew a brief outline of the story. Years of searching and asking librarians and teachers. Finally with the advent of google I found it. On EBAY but at the time $180 was not in my wheelhouse. Fortunately a friend found another copy for $10 Crazy eh!? The book is about 2 school children flying home for holidays and the plane crashes in the Pyrenees mountains. They and an infant are the only survivors. It's called The Village That Slept. When I read it again as an adult I loved it just as much as the first time. The book is a prized possession on my bookshelf.
Thank you for this video it was fantastic and classic children’s books stay in your memory forever when read as a child and rereading them as an adult is even more rewarding! Greetings from Canada.
Thank you for all your videos Tristan. Love your videos - I enjoy them and they are of great help to me! Love from India!!
Thank you for your support, Sanjai . 😀❤️👍
I loved this video, it was amazing. You shared a wonderful book list, actually I didn' know anything about Robert Ingpen's illustration. I am going to buy some of his book!
The children of Green Knowe- Lucy M. Boston. Ghost story, and fantasy. Other books in the series as well.And you can still visit the house in Hemmingford Grey. Fantastic!
I just checked this out at the library. This and Tom’s Midnight Garden.
My gosh, what a great list. Surprised that The Little Prince wasn't on it, but other than that, I'm excited for the several books that I've never heard of! I do fall in the camp of liking The Hobbit more than Treasure Island, and honestly I'd probably put Peter Pan ahead of it as well, but Treasure Planet is probably my favorite Disney movie, or was until Moana came out.
Your choices are lovely. I will have to find Jennings and read Peter Pan too. I also loved Treasure Island as a child.
Hey, this is exactly what I was looking for!! I just joined booktube and found younimmediately. Then went scrolling for this vid cause I'm homeschooling next year!!
I wish I had kids JUST so I could homeschool them. ;)
THANK YOUUUUUUU TRISTAN! I haven't even watched the episode yet, but I did ask you for this topic when I wrote my first comment when I subscribed about a month ago! As soon as I saw the topic today, I jumped right into the comments section, to thank you for the subject, whether my request was involved in your choice of dealing with it now, or not. A very heartfelt thank you for having listened and for having taken the time to put this episode together. I was really looking forward to it! And now, off to your episode! I'm impatient to discover it!!!! I'll post another comment after I've watched it! I'm so happy!
This is lovely. Thank you very much for your kindness and positivity. I hope that you like it. 😀❤️
Thank you! I already posted another comment on a new thread. Just to keep your comments flow going. :)
I haven't read all of them, having been an adult for decades but some great choices. I agree with your top choice, Treasure Island was the first classic I read at 8 or 9 years old and I have re-read it many times, it's still fresh and brilliant as ever.
2 of your list I only read as an adult over 30 but really loved, namely Watership Down and Swallows and Amazons and the whole of that series (the latter unfortunately barely known in Germany).
I'm reading Treasure Island to my boy at the moment, and I think I'm enjoying it more than he is. So many of god "children's book" ate just great stories which are equally good for adults.
Love this list. As I see others are adding to it, I would suggest "Over Sea, Under Stone" by Susan Cooper (and the others in the "Dark Is Rising" series).
The Walker family are Commander Ted Walker of the Royal Navy, his Australian-born wife Mary Walker and their children, often called the Swallows: John, Susan, Titty, Roger and Bridget.
my favorite is "wrinkle in time" by madeline l' Engle
What lovely a video 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍I read The secret garden on april ( the best choice ever) and it made me feel so positive and happy.
A very nice list indeed, and I see many of my favorites mentioned in the comments as well. One book I would highlight because of its personal significance to me is A Wrinkle In Time. My Mother gave it to me since it is important to her and now we have a shared love of Madeline L’Engles classic tale of love conquering all.
Some great recommendations here, some I loved as a child, some I discovered and loved as an adult 😊 I have to say that I’m surprised that the Tales of Redwall series (at least Redwall, the first one) didn’t make the list, but I suppose youtube won’t let you upload videos that are 83 years long 😂
Swallows and Amazons was a favourite of mine too. And the sequel, Swallowdale.
So many lovely memories reading some of these. Just reread Black Beauty same copy that we had as children. Narnia was my sons favorite and he read them over and over. I read them all one summer when I found a volume with the whole series and Illustrations. Watership down I read as adult a year or two ago. The Hobbit! Didnt know about this until adult and have read it many times now. Thank you for a wonderful overview of these books. Some I look forward to reading in my golden year upon me now.
My favorites as a kid were ‘Half Magic’ and ‘Harriet the Spy’. Read them with my kids.
A great list and a wonderful topic. However I was slightly surprised not to see a single book of Astrid Lindgren on here.
Also I was wondering if you are familiar with the works of Michael Ende, especially Momo?
The Little Prince by Antoine du Saint-Exupery (1943). I've loved that book since grade one - I still have the copy my teacher gave me!!
Oh yes, my very most favorite little book too.
The Secret Garden is my favorite! Love your channel!
It is very good. Thank you.
Dickens
Thanks for a great list.I've read most of them with a few new ones to go on TBR.
My favorite children's book is The Wind on the Moon by Eric Linklater
I've not read that one, so thanks for the recommendation 😀
A good range of suggestions.
Thank you 😀
The Wizard of Oz, the Hardy Boys (original series), the Boxcars Kids, and Tom Sawyer.
I wouldn't be comfortable reading Huckleberry Finn out loud to a child, nor would I encourage a child to read it. I think it's a book for adults.
So many of these are where my love of books began 😊
This list is fantastic Tristan. I wish I’d thought about them years ago. My son was born in 1997 and I read him all of the Harry Potter books as they were published. He was spellbound (sorry) but I wish now that I had read him all the ones on your list. Although he is in his 20s now, I’m going to buy him Treasure Island for Christmas. Keep up the good work. Peter
20:19 oh my dear Lord!! This book stole my heart. I might weep.