Childhood

King Matt the First

King Matt the First is the story of a boy who becomes king and sets out to reform his kingdom. He decrees that all children are to be given a piece of chocolate at the end of each day. He visits faraway lands and befriends cannibal kings. Whenever his ministers tell him something’s impossible, he puts them in jail. He disguises himself as a soldier and becomes a hero. But, as in real life, fantasy is tempered by reality: Matt’s fellow kings become jealous of his success–and in the end, Matt falls, although it’s clear that he was the greatest king there ever was.

Doggy Slippers

Children everywhere love pets, and some are even lucky enough to get their own. In Doggy Slippers Jorge Luján offers a collection of poems about pets inspired by children. Luján turned funny and touching anecdotes his young readers sent him about the role of pets in their lives into fresh poems, selecting the 12 best for this book. His status as one of the most important poets writing for children today, combined with Isol’s unique, childlike take on the world, makes this the perfect poetry collection for young readers.

Benjamin Dove

As an adult, Benjamin Dove looks back on a childhood summer that changed his life forever. A summer when his new friend Roland, seemingly descended from the knights of the past, encouraged him to stand up for himself and for those he loves. It was a summer when he and his friends formed the Order of the Red Dragon that gave them a sense of identity and purpose in their turbulent world; a summer when innocent childhood games were torn apart by an almost inevitable tragedy. Benjamin Dove is a brilliantly conceived work of fiction, tinged with both light and dark humor. Disturbing themes are explored, from bullying to child abuse to rivalry, yet there is always a sense of a child’s unbreakable spirit. Published to acclaim in 1992, Benjamin Dove has won several book awards, including the International Board on Books for Young People Award (the IBBY), The Icelandic Children’s Book Award, and the Reykjavik City Children’s Book Award. It has also been made into a feature length film of the same name, that went on to win awards at eight international film festivals. Benjamin Dove is a timeless story that explores such perennial and poignant themes that it is sure to become a modern-day classic. The New York Times calls it a “best-selling, distinguished children’s book.”

The People of Twelve Thousand Winters

Ten-year-old Walking Turtle is of the Lenni-Lenape tribe. He lives with his family in a small village alongside the Passaic River in what will become northeastern New Jersey. They have a relatively peaceful life, with nature offering up a bounty of resources for food and shelter, amply meeting their needs.

Walking Turtle is close to his younger cousin, Little Talk, who has difficulty walking. He feels protective of him. Together they roam the forests near their village, with Walking Turtle carrying his cousin on his back.

But in the autumn of Walking Turtle’s tenth year, his father tells him that soon he must leave childhood friends behind and begin warrior school. Walking Turtle worries about what will become of Little Talk when he leaves for his training.

Little Treasures

All over the world, people express their love for their children through endearments, such as sweetie pie or peanut. A child might be called  little angel, angelito, in Spanish or precious, bao bei, in Chinese or my sweet little moon, mera chanda, in Hindu. Little Treasures offers a wealth of endearments in fourteen languages to share with your own beloved poppet and petit chou.

Diego Rivera: His World and Ours

This charming book introduces one of the most popular artists of the twentieth century, Diego Rivera, to young readers. It tells the story of Diego as a young, mischievous boy who demonstrated a clear passion for art and then went on to become one of the most famous painters in the world. Duncan Tonatiuh also prompts readers to think about what Diego would paint today. Just as Diego’s murals depicted great historical events in Mexican culture or celebrated native peoples, if Diego were painting today, what would his artwork depict? How would his paintings reflect today’s culture?

See the review at WOW Review, Volume 4, Issue 3

A Boy Called Dickens

For years Dickens kept the story of his own childhood a secret. Yet it is a story worth telling. For it helps us remember how much we all might lose when a child’s dreams don’t come true. As a child, Dickens was forced to live on his own and work long hours in a rat-infested blacking factory. Readers will be drawn into the winding streets of London, where they will learn how Dickens got the inspiration for many of his characters. This tale of his little-known boyhood is the perfect way to introduce kids to the great author.