Dear Readers:
The years just seem to be flying by. I hope you have enjoyed the book talks for 2024. As well, I am pleased to have given you some valuable titles for your children and family. The famous English writer, Walter de la Mare said: “Only the rarest kind of the best can be good enough for the young.”
I hope that my choices have assisted you in choosing beautiful, wholesome literature for your children. Merry Christmas.
Sincerely, Dr. Terrence Nollen
Editor's Note: full reviews are available at https://www.lincolndiocese.org/op-ed/children-s-literature-bookshelf.
“Chasing Bright Medusas: A Life of Willa Cather” by Benjamin Taylor. Viking, New York, 180 pages, Grades 11 and higher. Dec. 8, 2023.
“The Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank. Doubleday, New York, 1995, 340 pages, Grades 8 through adult. Dec. 15, 2023.
“Star of Wonder” by Leena Lane and Elena Baboni. Abingdon Press, Nashville, Tenn., 2007, 29 pages, K-2. Dec. 22, 2023
“The Christmas Truce of 1914” by Tom Streissguth. Abdo Publishing, Minneapolis, 2016, 112 pages, Grades 6-9. Jan. 12, 2024.
“It’s Snowing!” by Gail Gibbons. Holiday House, Inc., New York, 2011, 32 pages, K-3. Jan. 19, 2024.
“Across the Desert” by Dusti Bowling. Little Brown and Company, New York, 2021, 305 pages, Grades 5-7. Jan. 26, 2024.
“Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!” by Mo Willems. Hyperion Books for Children, New York, 32 pages, 2003, K-2. Feb. 2, 2024.
“The Indestructible Tom Crean: Heroic Explorer of the Antarctic” by Jennifer Thermes. Viking Press, New York, 2023, 56 pages, Grades 1-4. Feb. 9, 2024.
“The Invisible Boy” by Trudy Ludwig, illustrated by Patrice Barton. Alfred Knopf, New York, 2013, 40 pages, K-1. Feb. 16, 2024.
“Ten Thousand Tries” by Amy Makechnie. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, New York, 2021, 375 pages, Grades 5-7. Feb. 23, 2024.
“Tops and Bottoms” by Janet Stevens. Harcourt Brace and Company, New York, 1995, 40 pages, 2003, K-2. March 1, 2024.
“The Gardener” by Sarah Stewart, illustrated by David Small. Farrar, Straus, Giroux, New York, 1997, 40 pages, Grades K-2. March 8, 2024.
“The Beatryce Prophecy” by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Sophie Blackall. Candlewick Press, Somerville, Mass., 2021, 247 pages, Grades 4-6. March 15, 2024.
“Have You Ever Seen a Flower?” by Shawn Harris. Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 2021, 48 pages, Pre-school through Kindergarten. March 22, 2024.
“The Easter Egg Farm” by Mary Jane Auch. Holiday House, New York, 1992, 32 pages, Grades K-2. March 29, 2024.
The Last Supper and Passion Account of St. Luke. Chapters 22-24. April 5, 2024.
“The Enigma Girls” by Candace Fleming. Scholastic Inc., New York, 2024, 371 pages, Grades 6-8. April 12, 2024.
“The Night Walk” by Marie Dorleans. Floris Books, Paris, 2020, 32 pages, K-2. April 19, 2024.
“Bombs Over Bikini: The World’s First Nuclear Disaster” by Connie Goldsmith. Twenty First Century Books, 88 pages, 2014, Grades 6-High School. April 26, 2024.
“Tales From Shakespeare” by Charles and Mary Lamb, illustrated by Arthur Rackham. Pook Press, first edition, 1807, reprint in 2013, 322 pages, Grades 6-10. May 3, 2024.
“Getting To Know the World’s Greatest Artists: Mary Cassatt” by Mike Venezia. Children’s Press, New York, 2015, 32 pages, Grades 1-3. May 10, 2024.
“Jerome Lejeune: The Saintly Geneticist” by Ana Braga-Henebry, illustrated by Anita Barghigiani. Spark: Word on Fire, Elk Grove Village, Ill., 2024, 48 pages, Grades 3-5. May 17, 2024.
“Hidden Hope” by Elisa Boxer, illustrated by Amy June Bates. Abrams Books for Young Readers, New York, 2023, 48 pages, Grades 3-4. May 24, 2024.
“Courage Under Fire: Father Willie Doyle S.J. Priest and Hero of World War I” by Fiorella De Maria, illustrated by Christopher J. Pelicano. Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 2024, 181 pages, Grades 3-6. May 31, 2024.
“Stubby: The War Dog” by Ann Basum. National Geographic for Kids, Washington D.C., 72 pages, 2014, Grades 4-6. June 14, 2024.
“Give Me Liberty! The Story of the Declaration of Independence” by Russell Freedman. Holiday House, New York, 2000, 90 pages, Grades 6 and higher. June 28, 2024.
“Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” a retelling by Lorinda Bryan Cauley. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, New York, 1981, 32 pages, K-2. July 12, 2024.
“The Three Billy Goats Buenos” by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Miguel Ordonez. G.P Putnam’s and Sons, New York, 2020, 32 pages, K-3. July 26, 2024.
“Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Iliad” by Rosemary Sutcliff, illustrated by Alan Lee. Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, London, 1993, 128 pages, Grades 6-8. Aug. 9, 2024.
“I Must Betray You” by Sepetys Ruta. Philomel Books, New York, 2022, 314 pages. Grades 7 and higher. Aug. 22, 2024.
“Lord of the World” by Robert Hugh Benson. Newman Press, Long Prairie, Minn., first published in 1907, republished in 1982, Grade 10 and higher. Column reprint from 2010. Sept. 6, 2024.
“Girls Play Volleyball” by Anne Forest. Power Kids Press, New York, 2017, 24 pages, Grades 3-5. Sept. 13, 2024.
“The World Series: Baseball’s Biggest Stage” by Matt Doeden. Millbrook Press, Minneapolis, 2014, 63 pages, Grades 4-6. Sept. 20, 2024.
“The Monkey Trial: John Scopes and the Battle Over Teaching Evolution” by Anita Sanchez. Clarion Books, New York, 2023, 184 pages, Grades 6-9. Sept. 27, 2024.
“All About Hurricanes: Discovering Earth’s Wildest Storms” by Cody Crane. Children’s Press, New York, 2022, 48 pages, Grades 3-5. Oct. 4, 2024.
“Lines of Courage” by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Scholastic Press, New York, 2022, 388 pages, Grades 7-9. Oct. 11, 2024.
“Every Dog in the Neighborhood” by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Matthew Bordell. Holiday House, New York, 2022, 40 pages, Grades 1-3. Oct. 18, 2024.
“The Blue Cross. The Father Brown Stories” by G.K. Chesterton. E-book, Interactive Media. Originally published between 1910-1936. Complete set, 1,084 pages. The Blue Cross short story is approximately 29 pages, depending on format. Grade 9 and above. Oct. 25, 2024.
“Mother Aspen: A Story of How Forests Cooperate and Communicate” by Annette LeBox, illustrated by Crystal Smith. Groundwood Books, Toronto, 2024, 32 pages, K-3. Nov. 1, 2024.
“The Black Stallion” by Walter Farley. Random House, New York, 1941, 275 pages, Grades 5-7. Nov. 8, 2024.
“The Song at the Scaffold” by Gertrude La Fort. Sophia Institute Press, Manchester, N.H., original publication, 1933, reprint, 2001, 124 pages, Grades 9 and above. Nov. 15, 2024.
“Pearl” by Sherri Smith, illustrated by Christine Norrie. Scholastic, New York, 2024, 133 pages, Grades 5-7. Nov. 22, 2024.
