Quality literature and poetry from the
1000 Good
Books List
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IN ASSOCIATION
WITH
Pied Piper of Hamelin
Robert Browning, illustrated by Kate Greenaway
One of Browning’s best-known works,
the poem relates the classic legend of the town of Hamelin and its burghers, who engage
the mysterious pied piper to lure the town’s vermin to their death in the river. When
the townspeople refuse to pay the piper for his services, he lures their children away by
the same means. The legend has its roots in the Middle Ages, when rats overan most towns
(due to the hunting down of cats believed to be witch’s familiars) and spread plague
throughout Europe. Greenaway’s graceful illustrations fittingly adorn this volume. A beautifully-bound
hardcover edition, also with Greenaway’s classic illustrations, is also
available.
The Illustrated Bulfinch’s Mythology
Thomas Bulfinch, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli
This edition has the
complete Bulfinch’s Mythology collected together in one volume: The Age of Fable
(myths of Greece and Rome, as well as Norse and others); The Age of Chivalry (legends of
King Arthur and more) and The Legends of Charlemagne. “Each timeless myth is superbly
presented in story form and enhanced with original art work by world-renowned artist
Giovanni Caselli. Though Bulfinch’s has been heralded for more than a century, it has
never been published in so beautiful and accessible a format. Evocative illustrations,
many full-page, bring to life key events and characters of these universal tales and sagas
from the Greek and Roman pantheon of gods to the heroes of the Crusades, from the exploits
of Robin Hood to the feats of Richard the Lionheart. Together they form a remarkable
tapestry of human endeavor: dreams, illusions, adventures, loves lost and loves found.
Includes original footnotes, indexes, and prefaces by Thomas Bulfinch (1796-1867), the
first to create a popular compendium of ancient myths and legends. Giovanni Caselli is one
of Europe’s most celebrated authors and illustrators.” --The Publisher.
(Amazon’s page shows the wrong book picture, but it’s the right order page for
the edition pictured and described here.) Now for the problems: There are several
illustrations in Age of Fable
that will need repairing with a marker; one illustration in Age of Chivalry,
and two illustrations in Legends of
Charlemagne. Each of these volumes may also be purchased separately by clicking on the
above links.
The Canturbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer, edited by Barbara Cohen
Eight of Chaucer’s tales retold in
prose form, edited by Barbara Cohen, and beautifully illustrated. The tales include The
Knight’s Tale, The Miller, The Wife of Bath, the Merchant, The Franklin’s Tale,
The Pardoner, The Prioress, and the Nun’s Priest’s Tale. While the reading level
is more advanced for 3rd graders, this makes an excellent read-aloud and a wonderful
introduction to the people and characterizations of the Middle Ages. My favorite
introduction to the Canterbury Tales for children, which is suitable for 3rd graders to
read on their own, however, is unfortunately out of print, but here is the used book store
search information: The
Canterbury Tales of Geoffrey Chaucer, illustrated by Gustaf Tenngren, selected and
adapted by A. Kent Hieatt and Constance Hieatt, published by Golden Press, copyright 1961.
The Adventures of Pinocchio
Carlo Collodi
Pinocchio tries so hard to please
his father, Gepetto. The little wooden puppet gets into all kinds of scrapes because he
rushes into things with little consideration. Pinocchio is tricked by the Fox and Cat,
advised by the Talking-Cricket, helped by the Fairy with Blue Hair, and ultimately
realizes that if he wants to become a real boy, his inner self must be transformed first.
The final chapter is a true indication of how Pinocchio has fully become a son to Gepetto.
The unabridged edition is a true classic and a wonderful story, with little relationship
to the many movie and television remakes. A paperback
unabridged edition is also available.
The Door in the Wall
Marguerite de Angeli
Marguerite de Angeli won the Newbery Award
in 1949 for The Door in the Wall. Robin, a 14th century nobleman’s son, is on
a journey to begin his training in knighthood when he falls ill and loses the use of his
legs. He is befriended by a monk, who helps him learn virtues greater than swordplay and
horsemanship: the true meaning of manliness and strength. Along the way, Robin discovers
that when God closes a window, He opens a “door in the wall.” A powerful story
with staying power. A hardcover
edition is also available.
The Twenty-One Balloons
William Pene du Bois
“Professor William Waterman
Sherman, a disillusioned school teacher, sails in a giant balloon over the Pacific, lands
on the island of Krakatoa, and witnesses a stupendous explosion in which that notorious
island blows up. When Professor Sherman is found adrift in the Atlantic clinging to the
debris of twenty balloons, all America rocks with curiosity. Much of the story is based on
complete truth--scientific principles behind nineteenth-century balloon inventions and the
history of the amazing civilization found on Krakatoa. The rest, agrees the author, is
absolute nonsense.” --The Publisher. But what wonderful nonsense! Winner of the 1947
Newbery Award. A hardcover
edition is also available.
The Wind in the Willows
Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Ernest Shepard
“[Mole] thought his happiness was
complete when, as he meandered aimlessly along, suddenly he stood by the edge of a
full-fed river. Never in his life had he seen a river before--this sleek, sinuous,
full-bodied animal, chasing and chuckling, gripping things with a gurgle and leaving them
with a laugh, to fling itself on fresh playmates that shook themselves free, and were
caught and held again.” The elegant, rich prose of Kenneth Grahame has been
delighting readers for over four generations, and Ernest Shepard’s illustrations can
hardly be improved upon. A hardcover
edition, also with Ernest Shepard’s illustrations, is also available.
The Chronicles of Narnia
C. S. Lewis
This boxed set includes all seven of
Lewis’ magical Narnia books, in the order he originally intended the series to be
read: The Magician’s Nephew, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, The Horse &
His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, and The Last
Battle. Paperback. Also available: The Complete
Chronicles of Narnia, a new hardback edition which includes the text and original
illustrations of all seven Narnia books in one volume; and The Chronicles
of Narnia, the hardback boxed set of all seven Narnia books.
The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh
A. A. Milne, illustrated by Ernest Shepard
A.A. Milne’s
endearing stories, Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner, are brought
together in this beautiful edition, complete and unabridged, with Ernest Shepard’s
classic illustrations. When Christopher Robin asks Pooh what he likes doing best in the
world, Pooh says, after much thought, “What I like best in the whole world is Me and
Piglet going to see You, and You saying ‘What about a little something?’ and Me
saying, ‘Well, I shouldn’t mind a little something, should you, Piglet,’
and it being a hummy sort of day outside, and birds singing.” The lovable “Bear
of Very Little Brain” nevertheless delights us with his profoundly eternal wisdom in
the ways of the world, and the heart.
Otto of the Silver Hand
Howard Pyle
Howard Pyle was a master storyteller and
illustrator, and excelled in the sagas of the middle ages, replete with bravery, chivalry,
magic and unforgettable drama. Otto of the Silver Hand is historical fiction and easiest
for third graders to begin with; followed by Men of Iron.
Howard Pyle’s retellings of the legends of the Middle Ages, while the most
challenging for third graders, should also not be missed (they are wonderful read-alouds,
if nothing else): The Story of
King Arthur and His Knights is his best, followed closely by The Merry
Adventures of Robin Hood. Since the vocabulary and the style of language may be
challenging for some third graders, it might be advisable to save these for the latter
part of the year after children have cut their teeth on Kenneth Grahame, A. A. Milne, C.
S. Lewis, and Carlo Collodi.
Black Beauty: The Autobiography of a Horse
Anna Sewell
The story of a horse’s life during the
Victorian era, when horses were a part of everyone’s everyday existence. Black
Beauty, born on a country estate to kind masters, lives through unexpected events and
misfortunes, good times as well as bad, enduring kindness and cruelty alike, before being
reunited with the groom that loves him. A powerful story that allows us to identify with
the recipients of both kind and cruel treatment, and masterfully portrays the nobility of
gentleness and the cowardice of bullying. A hardcover
edition is also available.
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew
Margaret Sidney
“Polly and Ben Pepper are full of
secret plans to surprise Mamsie. But it’s hard to come up with ideas for presents
when there isn’t even enough money for the children to go to school. Since their
father died, the five Pepper children and their mother have been living in poverty, with
only potatoes and brown bread for supper. Ben chops wood to help support the family, and
Polly looks after the little ones while their mother earns what she can by sewing. The
Peppers are so poor, they’ve never even had a Christmas. But from measles to monkeys,
through bad times and good, the cozy kitchen in the little brown house rings with laughter
and hope.” --The Publisher. This was my youngest’s favorite book in third grade,
full of heart and warmth. Unfortunately the paperback edition is out of print, but the
link will take you to an in-print
hardcover edition.
Little House on the Prairie
Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Big Woods are getting too
crowded. Pa Ingalls decides to sell the little log house, and the family sets out for
Indian country. They travel from Wisconsin to Kansas and there Pa builds their little
house on the prairie. Sometimes farm life is difficult, even dangerous, but Laura and the
family are kept busy and are happy with the promise of their new life. These classics have
been favorites for generations. Little House on the Prairie is the second and the
most famous book in the series; the others include: Little House in
the Big Woods, Farmer Boy, On the Banks of
Plum Creek, By the Shores of
Silver Lake, The Long Winter,
Little Town
on the Prairie, These Happy
Golden Years, and The First Four
Years. The complete
nine-book boxed set is also available.
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