It was recently in the news that children's writer Robert Munsch was on a downward path of dementia, and had applied for medical assistance in dying (MAiD). Earlier this past week, the morning CBCadio show here asked people about their favourite book as a child. This morning, I heard an interview with cartoonist Liana Finck, who noted some of her favourite child-focused authors. It all got me to thinking about the topic.
My own favourite books as a kid were Paddle to the Sea, by Holling C. Holling, and Knight's Castle by Edward Eager. Paddle always gave me a warm feeling because a little boy's dream came to fruition through both chance and the kindness of others. Knight's Castle was about some kids whose toy knights came to life at night. It was a bit like Mark Twain's Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, in mixing contemporary ideas with medieval characters.
As a parent, three authors I enjoyed reading to my sons were Maira Kalman, Dayal Kaur Khalsa, and Ken Roberts. Kalman, whose Chagall-like illustrations, fondness for weird characters, and NYC cosmopolitan sensibilities provided a world in which the child was pretty much a happy but dazed observer. I was thrilled when I learned that she had illustrated an edition of Strunk & White's writing guide, "Elements of Style". It didn't disappoint. Her books about Max the dog, who wants to move to the Left Bank and become a poet, were charming.
Khalsa, American-born but moved to and wrote in Canada, published a number of delightfully and brightly illustrated books about things that only children would think bout and remember ( https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/dayal...khalsa/340093/?srsltid=AfmBOopGip-PjIvRnXAVs0W95Y9MTNpoBBZuEidwucw6YVC7D2H6mNdQ ). In our house, we loved "My Family Vacation", "How Pizza Came to Our Town" and "I want a dog". The latter book detailed all the things a young girl did to persuade her parents she was responsible enough to have a pet, including dutifully taking a roller skate out for regular "walks", pulling it on a leash behind her; an action that many of the other kids in the neighbourhood started copying.
Ken Roberts ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Roberts_(author) ) was a children's librarian earlier in his life, and penned a number of mostly-text novels aimed at kids in grade 5 and older. What I and the boys enjoyed about them was how they presented ethical dilemmas to kids their age, that had to be resolved. In "Hiccup Champion of the World", a boy who has been hiccuping steadily for years, comes to notoriety, and is about to have a guest slot on a late-night talk show. But the fear of being on TV results in the hiccups stopping unexpectedly. Should he fake it for the camera, or admit to this sudden change? In the book "Pop Bottles", a couple of boys find a huge stash of empty bottles, during an era when they can be returned for money, which can be then used to buy candy. They don't want to be found out, lest someone come and abscond with their stash, so they have to cash the bottles in piecemeal fashion. Two corner stores in their neighbourhood will redeem bottles for cash. One will take anyone's bottles but has a poor choice of candy. The other has a great and plentiful selection of candy, but is very fussy about which bottles they will accept (MUST have originally been purchased in that store). Helluva tough choice if you're 10.
So which authors were your faves or your kids' faves?
My own favourite books as a kid were Paddle to the Sea, by Holling C. Holling, and Knight's Castle by Edward Eager. Paddle always gave me a warm feeling because a little boy's dream came to fruition through both chance and the kindness of others. Knight's Castle was about some kids whose toy knights came to life at night. It was a bit like Mark Twain's Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, in mixing contemporary ideas with medieval characters.
As a parent, three authors I enjoyed reading to my sons were Maira Kalman, Dayal Kaur Khalsa, and Ken Roberts. Kalman, whose Chagall-like illustrations, fondness for weird characters, and NYC cosmopolitan sensibilities provided a world in which the child was pretty much a happy but dazed observer. I was thrilled when I learned that she had illustrated an edition of Strunk & White's writing guide, "Elements of Style". It didn't disappoint. Her books about Max the dog, who wants to move to the Left Bank and become a poet, were charming.
Khalsa, American-born but moved to and wrote in Canada, published a number of delightfully and brightly illustrated books about things that only children would think bout and remember ( https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/dayal...khalsa/340093/?srsltid=AfmBOopGip-PjIvRnXAVs0W95Y9MTNpoBBZuEidwucw6YVC7D2H6mNdQ ). In our house, we loved "My Family Vacation", "How Pizza Came to Our Town" and "I want a dog". The latter book detailed all the things a young girl did to persuade her parents she was responsible enough to have a pet, including dutifully taking a roller skate out for regular "walks", pulling it on a leash behind her; an action that many of the other kids in the neighbourhood started copying.
Ken Roberts ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Roberts_(author) ) was a children's librarian earlier in his life, and penned a number of mostly-text novels aimed at kids in grade 5 and older. What I and the boys enjoyed about them was how they presented ethical dilemmas to kids their age, that had to be resolved. In "Hiccup Champion of the World", a boy who has been hiccuping steadily for years, comes to notoriety, and is about to have a guest slot on a late-night talk show. But the fear of being on TV results in the hiccups stopping unexpectedly. Should he fake it for the camera, or admit to this sudden change? In the book "Pop Bottles", a couple of boys find a huge stash of empty bottles, during an era when they can be returned for money, which can be then used to buy candy. They don't want to be found out, lest someone come and abscond with their stash, so they have to cash the bottles in piecemeal fashion. Two corner stores in their neighbourhood will redeem bottles for cash. One will take anyone's bottles but has a poor choice of candy. The other has a great and plentiful selection of candy, but is very fussy about which bottles they will accept (MUST have originally been purchased in that store). Helluva tough choice if you're 10.
So which authors were your faves or your kids' faves?
