We made a big mistake last week in reading a certain book to my 5 year old: one part scared him and now we are all paying the consequences with late night visits to our bed. As he gets older, I find it harder and harder to choose the right books to read to him and to hold off on others. The anticipation of reading my beloved books makes me want to race ahead. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (my childhood obsession) seemed okay, but not James and the Giant Peach.
The Rusty Key, a new Brooklyn blog that is dedicated to all things Kid Lit, helps parents and kids choose the best books for each age. The editor, Jordan B. Nielsen, a former employee of the Scholastic Store in Soho, has created a cool site that looks like a house, where parents can “unlock” the door to great book reviews, book events, interviews and articles. One of the site’s features, the Golden Key Collection, is her selection of the best of the best in children’s literature and she’s sent the golden key to us!
She’s giving us her:
• Best Book List for Ages 0-5 Years (yesterday I posted this list)
• Best Book List for Ages 5-13 Years (is today!)
Here is her list of Best Books for Ages 5-13 Years
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?
Prime for: 5 and 6 year olds
Parents, we know you love your kids but you’ve got to admit, sometimes they’re as ferocious as a baby velociraptor. A fabulous series on behavior lessons for kids, Yolen substitutes various flailing, screeching, destructive dinosaurs for small children to explain right from wrong. A perfect way to slip a little education to the dinosaur lover in your family, now when your kid has just dumped his lunch all over the floor it will be perfectly appropriate to say “Darling, how do dinosaurs eat their food?”
The Knuffle Bunny Series
By Mo Willems
Prime For: 5 through 7 year olds
A Brooklyn favorite! Set in Park Slope, the books feature Trixi and her beloved, tattered stuffed animal Knuffle Bunny. As much as she loves her rabbit, Trixi has a tendency to misplace Knuffle Bunny from time to time, to the hilarious angst and consternation of Trixi’s parents. Ultimately the stories are about growing up and letting go, but Brooklyn kids will take particular delight in recognizing the picture of their neighborhood.
Bink and Gollie
By Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee
Prime For: 6 and 7 year olds
When I heard that DiCamillo and McGhee, two of my favorite Kid Lit writers were joining forces I just about hit the ceiling. Thankfully, it was NOT too good to be true. The dynamic pair delivered a clever little book with characters as irresistibly eccentric and adventurous as the authors themselves. Watch as Bink and Gollie navigate the ups and downs of friendship in one fabulous split-level tree house.
Where the Sidewalk Ends
By Shel Silverstein
Prime For: 6 and 7 year olds
Inarguably, Shel Silverstein is one of the masters of children’s poetry. This zany, wise and tender collection of his works has become a modern day classic for good reason. With thoughts on war and racism, love and silliness, and one very Hungry Mungry, Silverstein’s poems make a perfect read-aloud book for parents and kids to enjoy together.
7-10
Captain Underpants
By Dav Pilkey
Prime for: 7 and 8 year olds
A fine example of the reason to never judge a book by its cover, (or its illustration-packed pages) if parents withhold Captain Underpants from their kids for fear that it’s not ‘educational enough’, they’ll be depriving them of a witty, loveable, well developed series that could be the one that gets your non-reader hooked on books. There are more smarts to this diaper-clad super hero than initially meet the eye.
Judy Moody
By Megan McDonald
Prime For: 7 and 8 year olds
Brash, temperamental, creative and generous, not only is Judy Moody the perfect book-best friend, she’s also a relieving antidote to all the princess/fairy books for this age group. Judy walks a very believable line between girlishness and tomboyism, which many girls will be able to relate to. Take it from me, the book’s worth reading if only to learn the meaning behind the “Toad Pee Club.”
Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream
By Jenny Han
Prime For: 8 and 9 year olds
Clara Lee has dreamed of being Little Miss Apple Pie in her town’s harvest festival for her whole life. The dress, the seat atop the parade float, the adoration of friends and family, it’s the stuff of American girl dreams. There’s just one problem: Clara Lee is Korean-American. Can a girl without the blonde hair and blue eyes take the crown? Sweet without being syrupy, Clara Lee is a heartfelt exploration of persistence, self-confidence and what it really means to be an American.
Justin Case
By Rachel Vail
Prime for: 8 through 10 year olds
If Woody Allen or David Sedaris were to have kept a diary when they were in third grade, it undoubtedly would have read like Justin Case, a sharp, quirky, put-the-book-down-because-you’re-laughing-so-hard-you-can’t-see-the-words-anymore funny narrative that explodes with personality. What keeps the always anxious Justin fresh are the moments when he surprises you, and sometimes himself, with his bravery and compassion.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
By Kate DiCamillo
Prime for: 10 and 11 year olds
Move over Velveteen Rabbit, Edward Tulane is here to steal your place in the hearts of children and adults across the world. Kate DiCamillo is one of the most gifted writers of children’s fiction today, and Edward Tulane captures all of the heart rendering poignancy of her considerable skills. Prepare for a few tears as the lost little china rabbit learns the meaning of love on his journey home. This is NOT a book for younger children.
The Julia Gillian Series
By Alison McGhee
Prime For: 10 and 11 year olds
Julia Gillian is a fantastic book-friend to grow with. These quirky, witty coming of age novels take readers through the troubles and triumphs intrinsic to this age, all seen though Julia’s entirely unique point of view. She’s a girl who knows how to appreciate the smaller things in life, but pride and fear often lead her to make mistakes. It’s a true pleasure to get to know Julia as she is just getting to know herself.
One Crazy Summer
By Rita Williams-Garcia
Prime for: 12 and 13 year olds
That crack you hear when opening the first pages of One Crazy Summer isn’t the binding breaking open, it’s the sound of a starting pistol launching a story that runs with grace, speed and power. Following three African-American girls visiting their estranged mother in late 1960s San Francisco, it would not be an overstatement to say that One Crazy Summer represents not only some of the best writing in children’s fiction, but of the craft.
The Underland Chronicles
By Suzanne Collins
Prime for: 12 and 13 year olds
One day Gregor and his baby sister fall down a shaft in the laundry room of their New York City apartment building. Deep beneath the surface they encounter a whole civilization of ancient people living alongside giant talking rats, bats, and cockroaches (and you thought the ones in your kitchen were bad). The Underland Chronicles is a quest of epic proportions featuring some very tough issues. Collins is an author unafraid of challenging young readers, making this a great series to read with your kids and discuss together.