Q: If I gave you a group of names, like Paul, George, John and Ringo would you be able to tell me what they have in common?
A: Duh! They're all members of The Beatles!
Q: What about something a little harder ... what about Mark, James, Virginia, T.S., Leo, Oscar and Mary? Need a hint? Here's some last names: Twain, Joyce, Woolf, Eliot, Tolstoy, Wild and Shelley.
A: They are all authors!
Q: Of what?
A: Books!
Q: What kind of books?
A: Fiction books!
Q: For what audience?
A: Adults!
Q: INCORRECT!
A: What?
A: Duh! They're all members of The Beatles!
Q: What about something a little harder ... what about Mark, James, Virginia, T.S., Leo, Oscar and Mary? Need a hint? Here's some last names: Twain, Joyce, Woolf, Eliot, Tolstoy, Wild and Shelley.
A: They are all authors!
Q: Of what?
A: Books!
Q: What kind of books?
A: Fiction books!
Q: For what audience?
A: Adults!
Q: INCORRECT!
A: What?
They've also all written books for kids!
The previously mentioned authors are of course most popular for their more "grown-up" material, but their lesser-known children's books are nothing to be glanced over. I recently discovered some of these literary gems, and can't wait to get my hands on the rest of them! To view all seven authors' children's books, click here. Otherwise, here's a look at my top three favorites!
Mark Twain's Advice to Little Girls
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In 1865, the man behind Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn did something totally unexpected – he wrote a children's book. Written in a scaled-back version of the trademark satire Twain is known for in his adult work, Advice to Little Girls serves as a sort of manual for what to do (or not do) in normal situations that everyday girls might find themselves in. As if the words themselves weren't comical enough, Vladimir Radunsky's illustrations elevate the book's humor even higher.
 "If at any time you find it necessary to correct your brother, do not correct him with mud — never, on any account, throw mud at him, because it will spoil his clothes. It is better to scald him a little, for then you obtain desirable results. You secure his immediate attention to the lessons you are inculcating, and at the same time your hot water will have a tendency to move impurities from his person, and possibly the skin, in spots." | "If you have nothing but a rag-doll stuffed with sawdust, while one of your more fortunate little playmates has a costly China one, you should treat her with a show of kindness nevertheless. And you ought not to attempt to make a forcible swap with her unless your conscience would justify you in it, and you know you are able to do it."  |
Images via brainpickings.org
 | Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince and Other TalesWhat can I say, I'm wild about Wilde. Written before his most iconic plays and essays, Wilde wrote The Happy Prince and Other Tales, an 1888 collection of five children’s stories about happiness, life and death. Readers see an unknown side of Wilde in these gentle, moralistic, and at times, sardonic fairytales that aren't to be missed! The collection's namesake The Happy Prince can be read online in its entirety, courtesy of The Literature Network. |
T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical CatsSome may know his as the most important English-language poet of the 20th century, others by his more endearing title of "Old Possum." In the 1930s, good Old Possum himself wrote a series of letters to his godchildren , including a few poems regarding the complex science of feline psychology. Those letters were later turned into what is now known as Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. This is one of the more bizarre items on my bookshelf, but as a cat owner/lover, I must say it is quite the enjoyable read. |  |
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