Booklists

One of the great ecological and human tragedies in American history, the dust storms of the 1930's left a permanent but now fading mark on the American consciousness and on the stories of tens of thousands of families. Some of those stories are captured here.

The epic stories from around the world form much of our cultural and literary backdrop. It might be said that most of what we produce today are elaborations, refinements, or dull reflections of what has already been captured in these ancient and long ago stories.

A couple of points need to be made. More than is usually the case, these stories lend themselves to being read aloud. Take that into account as to when to introduce them to your child. My youngest son is a real adventure and action story kind of guy and I read Seamus Heaney's Beowolf to him when he was seven or eight, even though it is more of a Young Adult book. He loved it.

The other thing to be cautious about is that in their original forms, these stories often have quite graphic accounts of warfare, personal battle and sex (Gilgamesh in particular). Some renditions omit these scenes or tone them down, others include them. You probably want to read through the story first to determine if there is any material you might want to modify/omit if you are doing the reading to your child. Rather like a boatman coming up short upon an unexpected bank in the river, I have a couple of times found myself having to do simultaneous editing of a text as I was reading it having unexpectedly encountered some material I thought not to be appropriate.

Finally, these stories have lasted down through the centuries in part because they are so primal. They deal with honor, duty, courage, betrayal, death, and loss. They deal with them forthrightly and in a fashion not always in concordance with the softer, gentler, cushier story-telling to which our children have often become accustomed. Again, read them first to determine whether your child is ready for these wonderful but starker tales and/or whether you need to prep them a little in advance for what they are about to hear. These are great stories but not everyone is necessarily always prepared to hear them in their primal glory.

Picture Books

Gilgamesh the Hero by Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated David Parkins Recommended

Beowulf by Michael Morpurgo and illustrated by Michael Foreman Recommended

Black Ships Before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff and illustrated by Alan Lee Recommended

The Wanderings Of Odysseus by Rosemary Sutcliff and illustrated by Alan Lee Highly Recommended

In Search of a Homeland by Penelope Lively and illustrated by Ian Andrew Recommended

Gilgamesh the King by Ludmila Zeman Recommended

The Revenge of Ishtar by Ludmila Zeman Recommended

The Last Quest of Gilgamesh by Ludmila Zeman Recommended

Independent Reader

The Children's Homer by Padraic Colum and illustrated by Willy Pogany Suggested

Beowulf by Welwyn Wilton Katz and illustrated by Laszlo Gal Recommended

The Hero Beowulf by Eric A. Kimmel and illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher Suggested

El Cid by Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by A. Montaner Suggested

Beowulf by Nicky Raven and illustrated by John Howe Suggested

Beowulf by Ian Serraillier Highly Recommended

Young Adult

Beowolf by Michael Alexander Suggested

The Aeneid by Robert Fagles Suggested

The Iliad by Richard Fagles Suggested

The Odyssey by Robert Fagles Suggested

The Quest for El Cid by Richard A. Fletcher Suggested

Beowulf by Seamus Henney Highly Recommended

Grendel by John Gardner Recommended

The Aeneid of Virgil by Allen Mandelbaum and illustrated by Barry Moser Suggested

Gilgamesh by Stephen Mitchell Suggested

The Odyssey by Alaexander Pope

The Iliad by Alexander Pope

This booklist is focused on recounting the tales of those that set out to connect the world through discovery, the Herodotus's, the Magellans, the Marco Polo's, the Ibn Batusta's, the Cortez's of the world. These were people that set out with a purpose to bring back or accomplish something (knowledge, gold, religious converts, power, etc.). So not mere travellers but discoverers and interpreters. We will address scientific discovery in a separate booklist.

Are there others you would suggest. Please use the comments section to nominate other cadidates for this list.

This list is from the November 19, 2007 Pigeon Post, Strong Girls.

Below is a sampler of titles where the female protagonist displays self-reliance, confidence, strength and good humor to overcome circumstances or to achieve something which they value. Critically, these books are 1) great stories that just happen to have a female protagonist and 2) don't preach. While they might have some particular resonance with girls and serve as role-models as they address day-to-day issues, I think you will find that virtually all of these books are thoroughly enjoyed by boys as well, though they might not readily admit it.

Are there others which you might recommend? Please use the comments section to nominate additional titles.

Picture Books

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman and illustrated by Caroline Binch Suggested

Brave Margaret by Robert D. San Souci and illustrated by Sally Wern Comport Suggested

Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by Du Bose Heyward and illustrated by Marjorie Flack Highly Recommended

Heroines: Great Women Through the Ages by Rebecca Hazell and illustrated by Rebecca Hazell Suggested

Joan of Arc by Josephine Poole and illustrated by Angela Barrett Suggested

Kate Shelley Bound for Legend by Robert D. San Souci and illustrated by Max Ginsburg Recommended

The Little Ships; The Heroic Rescue at Dunkirk in World War II by Lousie Borden and illustrated by Michael Foreman Highly Recommended

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney Recommended

Queen Esther Saves Her People by Rita Gelman (Out of Print)

Sacagawea by Flora Warren Seymour Suggested

Susanna of the Alamo by John Julius Jakes and illustrated by Paul Bacon Recommended

The Ballad of the Pirate Queens by Jane Yolen and illustrated by David Shannon Highly Recommended

The Bus Ride by William Miller and illustrated by John Ward Recommended

The Gardener by Sarah Stewart and illustrated by David Small Recommended

The Library by Sarah Stewart and illustrated by David Small Highly Recommended

Independent Reader

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle Highly Recommended

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and illustrated by John Tenniel Highly Recommended

American Girl series by various authors Recommended

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery and illustrated by Jody Lee Recommended

Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild and illustrated by Diane Goode Recommended

Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich Recommended

Boston Jane by Jennifer L. Holm Suggested

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman Recommended

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman Suggested

Daddy Long-Legs by Jean Webster Suggested

Helen Keller by Katharine E. Wilkie and illustrated by Robert Doremus Suggested

Ida Early Comes Over the Mountain by Robert Burch Recommended

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell Recommended

Joan of Arc by Angela Bull Suggested

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder and illustrated by Garth Williams Highly Recommended

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and illustrated by Louis Jambour Highly Recommended

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers and illustrated by Mary Shepard Highly Recommended

Not One Damsel in Distress by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Susan Guevara Highly Recommended

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren and illustrated by Michael Chesworth Highly Recommended

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and illustrated by Tasha Tudor Highly Recommended

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Highly Recommended

Young Adult

A Bone from a Dry Sea by Peter Dickinson Suggested

Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts Recommended

The Warrior Queens by Antonia Fraser Suggested

This is a book list constructed from the November 25th, 2007 Pigeon Post essay.

The books included here are the non-Christmas stories that take place in winter or have some winter theme to them.

Please use the comments to suggest additional titles.