Chlidren’s Book Reviews
by Michele Reutty, MLS
Director
Oakland Public Library
Staff Picks
For the month of June I asked the Most Excellent Staff of the Oakland Public Library
to pick their favorite children’s books. Here are a few to get you started.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
“Twee” is a Brittish word meaning sweet or cute and that applies to both the
stories and the drawings in this series by Beatrix Potter.
The miniature books are just the right size for children’s hands and the vocabulary
is ideal for a first or second grader, with a little help from a friend now and
then. But as exquisite as the drawings are, every tale contains a moral or a
lesson. And don’t just stop at Peter Rabbit; read about his cousin, Benjamin Bunny
or Jemima Puddleduck—there are many wonderful stories in this series about the
residents of Mr. MacGregor’s farm.
The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories)
Can you remember reading the first book in a series and then eager waiting to
return to the library to take out the next, and then the next and then the next…?
That’s how most readers feel about the Nancy Drew mysteries. You can’t read just one.
Who wouldn’t like Nancy-one of the first feminists of fiction? Though she had her
dependable Dad and her boyfriend, Ned, she was able to solve mysteries through her
own abilities of observation, deduction and a good deal of luck. And she got to
drive around in that snappy roadster!
Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
Mary Poppins was chosen by yours truly as one of my favorites, though I could have
equally chosen anything by Dr. Seuss, or the Blue, Red, Pink, or Rainbow, (etc.)
Fairy Book by Andrew Lang (who collected international fairy tales). I was a
voracious reader, even as a child, and the world of books was a wonderful place to
live.
What a treat this will be for chapter book readers who are only aware of the Disney version of Mary Poppins!
Mary was not a sweet soul. The book portrays her as an even more strict
disciplinarian than the movie. In the book, Mary schools the parents as well as the
children. She has a wonderful coterie of friends and introduces Michael, Jane and
John to extraordinary experiences which seem normal to Mary. She does a lot of
sniffing when she is not pleased, which is most of the time. But I never doubted
that she cared deeply for the Banks children. And since that time, I have always
believed there IS magic in the world.
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
I am jealous of any child reading this book for the first time. What a wonderful
read awaits them!
Black Beauty narrates the story himself, and through his own experiences and the
dialog of the humans around him it becomes a story of triumph over adversity. The
story of Black Beauty takes place in Victorian England. He goes through good masters
and cruel ones, happy days and trying times, and never looses his “heart”. He has
become an unforgettable character to anyone who has ever read this book.
There is a reason why some books have endured the test of time to become classics.
This is an excellent example.
Michele Reutty, MLS
Director
Oakland Public Library
2 Municipal Plaza
Oakland, NJ
201-337-3742
Past President, New Jersey Library Association
Public Library Representative, HRLC Executive Board