Children's Books > S Children's Books > by Author Name (First Letter)

Advantages: Great pictures and an atmospheric story.
Disadvantages: Some of the pictures are a little scary for really young children.

...the other day I saw a book that reminded me of Man on the Moon and it came as no surprise to discover that it had also been illustrated by Simon Bartram. This book is written by Marcus Sedgwick and is called A Christmas Wish (strangely enough it can also be purchased under the title of A Winter’s Tale too. I have no idea why, although I presume one may be an American title and one for release in the UK!) ~~~THE PLOT. A Christmas Wish is all about ...
...Christmas time, but it is a mild winter and there is no sign that it will snow in time for Christmas morning. The boy, who incidentally is never named, has a lovely round snow globe on a wooden base. He shakes the globe and wishes that it would snow outside in the same magical way that it does inside the glass. It is then that the magic starts to work and a snow storm, unlike any that has ever been seen before, begins. When morning comes the boy ... Read review

Advantages: thought provoking and imaginative
Disadvantages: none

Book information --------------------- Title: Abomination Author: Robert Swindells Year Published: 1999 Length: 208 pages Publisher: Corgi Childrens ISBN: 0440863627 Price: £4.99 The Author ------------- Swindells was born 20th March in Bradford and currently lives in West Yorkshire. His first book was 'When Darkness comes' which was written in 1973. He has won many book awards including the Children's Book Award more than once. Swindells ...
...to produce a book which gives pleasure and keeps children reading. It can be interesting, gripping, frightening as long as it keeps children reading." Story Line ------------ *Martha* This story is about a girl called Martha who is bullied at school for her odd parents and strange clothes. She has no friends and feels extremely lonely. Her home life is no better with her strangely religiously parents who think they are doing the best for her ... Read review

Advantages: Lovely nostalgic novel for children and adults, gentle pace, encouraging ending
Disadvantages: A little idealistic, slight caricatures in some of the characters

...a rambling old house called Apple Bough, and the four children still remember it with nostalgia. Myra, the oldest, is twelve when this story starts: a sensible, motherly child who adores her younger siblings and worries about the future. She deeply misses her dog Wag, who had to be left in England with a friend when the family started touring the world. The reason for the touring is that Sebastian, next in age to Myra, is a child prodigy violinist. ...
...'Apple Bough' is no exception. Sebastian was discovered at the age of eight by a famous Russian conductor, and was contracted to tour initially for six months, but this gradually extended until the family seem to spend their entire lives travelling. There are 'rest periods', but they're usually in European or American cities where Sebastian can study with great teachers. David and Polly, the parents, both love travelling. They're musicians and artists ... Read review

Advantages: A fun way to learn or re-learn Latin
Disadvantages: The story is a bit of a puzzle

Shel Silverstein's 'The Giving Tree' has become a classic parable of modern times. Like good parables, it has a multivalent quality toward interpretation. Some people love it, and some people hate it. The story is simple, as is the vocabulary and grammar. There is a tree, who loved a boy, and gave the boy whatever he needed that was within her power to give. When the boy was hungry, she gave apples. When the boy was tired, she gave shade. When the ...
...the course of the story, the tree gets reduced to a stump from having given and given (give 'till it hurts?). The boy, typical of humans, is never-ending request of needs. The tree, typical of nature, perhaps typical of parents, perhaps typical of God (one never knows if Silverstein had an intended metaphor here), gives and gives without complaint and without counting the cost. The boy likewise doesn't count the cost. But what is the real cost, and ... Read review

Advantages: makes the war be seen in a different light
Disadvantages: only small writing in most of the editions, get a modern one with bigger writing.

Set in pre war britain, the main charactors are evacuee's who are sent to live in the countyside to get away from London. The author keeps you wanting to read on so well, I have read this book twice in the month I have owned it! I suppose the disadvantages of the book are that the cover on all the editions in my opinion would not attract the younger generation. At first when they start living at this manor house, the man of the house is very popus ...
...girl in his house and for a while persists the girl (who happens to be the oldest) goes. Eventually then all learn to get on very well as a family and then when the end of the war comes, bothe families can't bring themselves to say goodbye, not even the man who was grumpy at the start. Would make very good reading for 9-12yr olds who are just starting to get affected by the true horror of the war as it can give a peace of mind and make you feel ... Read review