Thursday, May 20, 2021

20 Books of Summer: How Many of the 1001 Children's Book List Can I Read This Summer?

 


Cathy at 746 Books is hosting her 20 Books of Summer Challenge. Cathy writes:

One summer.

Three months.

93 Days.

20 books.

Are you in?

When I was working, summer was my big reading time. I used that (much-needed) time to catch up on my kid reading. 

Now I'm retired. I am always able to easily read 3-7 books a week. 

So let me up the challenge a bit. 

As some of you know, I've been trying to read all 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up. As of today, I am at 715 books read.  That leaves me with 286 books to go.

I propose to try to read 20+ books from my list this summer. 

It sounds like an easy task, reading children's books. But the truth is that I've read almost all of the easy books---the picture books, the short chapter books, the books widely available here in the US. What I'm left with are the big books (12+), the books I can't find at the library or even Amazon, books I can't find in English, books that (honestly) don't really appeal to me. 

I will not let these problems stop me from my quest. Here is the list of books that will guide my reading this summer. 

Title (288/1001)Author
0-33/37
18Little Spook's Baby SisterInger Sandberg
29Bunny BathLena Anderson
37Julian the RabbitNicoletta Costa
3+6/124
41Jolly Aunt, TheLothar Meggendorfer
78What Does the Mouse Think on ThursdayJosef Guggenmos
81Wonderful Tree, TheUlf Lofgren
93Uppo the BearElina Karjalainen
126Fire-Engine LilJanet McLean
157Tatu and Patu in HelsinkiAino Havukainen and Sami Toivonen
5+32/220
162Traditional Chinese Folktales (Classic of Mountains and Seas)Unknown
163Tales of OtogizoshiUnknown
183Adventures of Maya the Bee, TheWaldemar Bonsels
184Josephine and Her DollsH.C. Cradock
188Rupert the BearMary Tourtel
204Little Red Engine Gets a Name, TheDiana Ross
205Tweet TweetLudmila Podjavorinska
206Tales and LegendsJavier Villafane
212ApoutsiakPaul-Emile Victor
221MarlaguetteMarie Colmont
224Detectives in TogasHenry Winterfeld
227Toad Who Wanted to Be A Star, AOscar Alfaro
236Orange Cow, TheNathan Hale
238Old Master QWong Chak
239Robber Hotzenplotz, TheOtfried Preubler
245Dreams of the Toad, TheJavier Villafane
249Dailan KifkiMaria Elena Walsh
252Cion Cion BluePinin Carpi
255Kangaroo for AllGloria Fuertes
265Hodja From PjortOle Lund Kirkegaard
273Companions, TheLygia Bojunga Nunes
291Cat that Lived a Million TimesYoko Sano
320Hound of the Mound and the Frog of the BogAna Maria Machado
338Little Bird, TheParo Anand
345Moka the CowAgostino Traini
347Sea at the End of the Forest, ThePinin Carpi
348My Kingdom for a HorseAna Maria Machado
359Love Book, ThePernilla Stalfelt
364Biggest Kiss in the World, TheR. Chavez Castaneda
367Constable SnifflerAsko Sirkia
368Girl and the Jackdaw Tree, TheRiitta Jalonen
380In Mr. Thunder's HouseGuido Quarzo
8+122/349
385Robinson the YoungerJohann Heinrich Campe
392Morality TalesRafael Pombo
402Nobody's BoyHector Malot
403Simple National Slovak TalesPavol Dobsinsky
404Uncle Remus StoriesJoel Chandler Harris
406Bevis*Richard Jefferies
414Moonfleet*J. Meade Faulkner
415Black Corsair, TheEmilio Salgari
418Queen of the CaribbeanEmilio Salgari
419Sussi and BiribissiCollodi Nipote
424Captain StormEmilio Salgari
425BecassineJacqueline Riviere
426Paul Street BoysFerenc Molnar
430Wonderful Adventures of Nils, TheSelma Lagerlof
433Extraordinary Adventures of MassagranJosep Maria Folch i Torres
435Adventures of Gian Burrasca, TheVamba
447What Celia SaysElena Fortun
450Kubula and Kuba KubikulaVladislav Vancura
451Red U: A Story for Lads, TheWilhelm Matthiessen
455Night in the Galactic RailroadKenji Miyazawa
460Pony for Jean, AJoanna Cannan
463Pigeon PostArthur Ransome
464Adventures of the Wishing Chair, TheEnid Blyton
465Far-Distant Oxus, TheK. Hull and P. Whitlock
470Circus is Coming, TheNoel Streatfeild
474Traveller in Time, AAllison Uttley
478Swish of the Curtain, ThePamela Brown
483Brendon ChaseB.B.
485Wind on the MoonEric Linklater
488Lucky Luke - Arizona 1880Morris
489Little White Horse, TheElizabeth Goudge
490Mistress Masham's ReposeT.H. White
494Billy Bunter of Greyfriars SchoolFrank Richards
496Hurrah for St. Trinian'sRonald Searle
497Fantastic Antonita, TheBorita Casas
498Autumn Term*Antonia Forest
504Princess Who Had Magic Fingers, TheMaria Luisa Gefaell
505Adventurous Tales of Machu PicchuCiro Alegria
506Tales of Uncle RabbitEuclides Jaramillo
507KimbaOsamu Tezuka
509Little OnionGianni Rodari
512Astro Boy (Mighty Atom) Osamu Tezuka
513Marcelino, Bread and WineJose Maria Sanchez Silva
514Jennings and DarbishireAnthony Buckeridge
515Down with Skool!Geoffrey Willams
523Minnow on the SayPhilippa Pearce
524Hundred Million Francs, APaul Berna
527Warden's Niece, TheGilliam Avery
528Thorn CastleIstvan Fekete
529GastonAndre Franquin et. al.
531Warrior ScarletRosemary Sutcliff
532Mort and PhilFrancisco Ibanez
534Boy, the Swallow and the Cat, TheMiguel Bunuel
537Bonny Pit Laddie, TheFrederick Grice
538Knight's Fee Rosemary Sutcliff
539Jim Button and Luke the Engine DriverMichael Ende
543FantometteGeorges Chaulet
544Six CompanionsPaul-Jacques Bonzon
550Garden, TheJiri Trnka
552Little Pot Boiler, TheSpike Milligan
553How the Whale Became Ted Hughes
558White Stone, TheGunnel Linde
560Adventures of Rupert the Toad, TheRoy Berocay
562Shy VioletGiana Anguissola
566Little Fox, The (Vuk the Fox Cub)Istvan Fekete
568Telephone TalesGianni Rodari
569King of Copper Mountains, ThePaul Biegel
573Hedgehog Tree, TheAntonio Gramsci
576Goalkeeper's Revenge, TheBill Naughton
578Tales of the Rue BrocaPierre Gripari
582Doraemon: Gadget Cat from the FutureFujiko Fujio
585Little Captain, ThePaul Biegel
594Efrem the KnightMino Milani
596Stradbroke DreamtimeNoonuccal Oodgeroo
598Chlorophyll from the Blue SkyBianca Pitzorno
600Crusade in JeansThea Beckman
602Fib, TheGeorge Layton
603Conrad: The Factory-Made Boy Christine Nostlinger
604GrannyPeter Hartling
608Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler, TheGene Kep
611Little Man Dressed in Gray, TheFernando Alonso
612Kaziranga Trail, TheArup Kumar Dutta
614Fray Perico and His DonkeyJuan Munoz
620Nothing to be Afraid OfJan Mark
621Jules's RatPeter Hacks
629Schoolboy Jia LiQin Wenjun
631Max and SallyMilos Macourek
636Mouth Open, Story Jump OutGrace Hallworth
638Tomb RaidersOdile Weulersse
639Pirate's HeartBenno Pludra
640StormKevin Crossley-Holland
643Valley of the Fireflies, TheGloria Cecilia Diaz
645Gargling With JellyBrian Patten
646Hounds of the Morrigan, ThePat O'Shea
651Quirky TailsPaul Jennings
653Thief in the Village, AJames Berry
656Pit PonyJoyce Barkhouse
658Hayflower and QuiltshoeSinikka and Tiina Nopola
659Merryll of the StonesBrian Caswell
663Painted House, TheMontserrat del Amo
668Last Giants, The Francois Place
669Almost Everyone Could ToppleToon Tellegen
672Mole Always Turns up on its Own, AHanna Johansen
673Bed and Breakfast Star, TheJacqueline Wilson
674Way HomeLibby Hathorn
675Stories to FernandoEma Wolf
676HalinkaMirjam Pressler
677Watch Out for the CatSilvana Gandolfi
678Poordog the StarvedGraciela Montes
681Clockwork Philip Pullman
687Matthias and GrandpaRoberto Piumini
688TobyGraciela Beatriz Cabal
692My GirragundjiMeme McDonald and Boori Pryor
693Sterkarm Handshake, The Susan Price
694Dog with the Yellow Heart, TheJutta Richter
702Day I Learned to Tame Spiders, TheJutta Richter
705Father Grew Wings in SpringTomi Kontio
707Papunya School Book, TheNadia Wheatley
709Rupert the Rapper and Aunt Deep FreezeSinikka and Tiina Nopola
714Barrumbi KidsLeonie Norrington
720Three Fairy TalesGustavo Martin Garza
725Rabbit and CoyoteBeatriz Donnet
12+123/270
731Bertoldo, Bertoldino, and CacasennoGiulio Cesare Croce and A. Banchieri
734Adventures of Baron Munchhausen, TheRaspe, Rudolf Erich
741Eric, or Little by LittleFrederic W. Farrar
742Captain FracesseTheophile Gautier
744Good Little Devil, TheComtesse de Segur
750Fifth Form at St. Dominic's, TheTalbot Baines Reed
751With Clive in IndiaGeorge Alfred Henty
753Heart: An Italian Schoolboy's JournalEdmondo De Amicis
756Treasure in Silver Lake, TheKarl May
757Eclipse of the Crescent MoonGeza Gardonyi
758Tigers of Mompracem, TheEmilio Salgari
761Jolanda, Daughter of the Black CorsairEmilio Salgari
765Jock of the BushveldPercy Fitzpatrick
766Mystery of the Yellow Room, The Gaston Leroux
768War of the Buttons, TheLouis Pergaud
770Cave Children, TheAlois Theodor Sonnleitner
772In MedeleniIonel Teodoreanu
775Ede and UnkuAlex Wedding
777Children from Number 67, TheLista Teszner and Kurt Held
778Missing From Saint-AgilPierre Very
780Happy Return, TheC.S. Forester
782Cue for TreasonGeoffrey Trease
783Red ZoraKurt Held
784We Couldn't Leave DinahMary Treadgold
787Woods of WindriViolet Needham
788Otterbury Incident, TheCecil Day-Lewis
790MetropolisOsamu Tezuka
791Path, TheMiguel Delibes
792Big Tiger and ChristianFritz Mühlenweg
794Wool-Pack: A Tale of Adventure, TheCynthia Harnett
795Sons of the Great Bear, TheLiselotte Welskopf-Heinrich
796Adventures of the Ingenious AlfanhuiRafael Sanchez Ferlosio
805Captain ThunderVictor Mora
806Neitah: A Girl in the Far NorthEdith Klatt
808Cherry Kids, TheConstantin Chirita
810Baron in the Trees, TheItalo Calvino
813Marianne DreamsCatherine Storr
822TangaraNan Chauncy
823FriedrichHans Peter Richter
826Twelve and the Genii, ThePauline Clarke
827Time of TrialHester Burton
829Pastures of the Blue CraneH.F. Brinsmead
830Stowaway of the Ulysses, TheAna Maria Matute
832Min-Min, TheMavis Thorpe Clark
845Edge of the CloudK.M. Peyton
846Oscar at the South PoleCarmen Kurtz
848Lark and the Laurel, TheBarbara Willard
849GroverVera and Bill Cleaver
850I'm the King of the CastleSusan Hill
852Winter in WartimeJan Terlouw
853No Way of TellingEmma Smith
854Across the BarricadesJoan Lingard
857Stories from the Year One ThousandTonino Guerra
858Spirit Wind, TheMax Fatchen
862Friends, The Rosa Guy
866Nobody's Family is Going to ChangeLouise Fitzhugh
867Trouble with Donovan Croft, TheBernard Ashley
868Who Does This Kid Take After?Eva Janikovsky
870Twopence a TubSusan Price
872Machine Gunners, TheRobert Westall
874Crisis on Conshelf TenMonica Hughes
875October Child, TheEleanor Spence
879Thunder and LightningsJan Mark
880First of MidnightMajorie Darke
881Underground to CanadaBarbara Smucker
885TulkuPeter Dickinson
887My One-Legged Friend and MeAnna-Liisa Haakana
889Sentinels, ThePeter Carter
891Scarecrows, TheRobert Westall
892Agnes CeciliaMaria Gripe
896Nausicaa Hayao Miyazaki
897HandlesJan Mark
898Parcel of Patterns, AJill Paton Walsh
899Talking in WhispersJames Watson
901Brother in the LandRobert Swindells
905Johnny, My FriendPeter Pohl
908Ghost Drum, TheSusan Price
910StrollersLesley Beake
911Cloud, TheGudrun Pausewang
912AlexTessa Duder
913Devil's Arithmetic, TheJane Yolen
914Pack of Lies, AGeraldine McCaughrean
915Caperucita in ManhattanCarmen Martin Gaite
918Strange ObjectsGary Crew
919RedworkMichael Bedard
920RoccoSherryl Jordan
921Visits, TheSilvia Schujer
922Dear NobodyBerlie Doherty
923Listen to my HeartBianca Pitzorno
924Memoirs of a Basque CowBernardo Atxaga
926There Will Be WolvesKarleen Bradford
929TiteufZep
931Heart's DelightPer Nilsson
933Some of the Kinder Planets Tim Wynne-Jones
934Rowan of Rin Emily Rodda
935Gathering, The Isobelle Carmody
936Gold DustGeraldine McCaughrean
937DougyJames Moloney
938Stone ColdRobert Swindells
939FoxspellGillian Rubenstein
941Switchers Kate Thompson
942Whispers in the GraveyardTheresa Breslin
944Jump into the Other World, ABruno Tognolini
945When the World Was Still YoungJurg Schubiger
949Gifting, TheSophie Masson
951Deadly, Unna?Phillip Gwynne
952River BoyTim Bowler
953Pig-Heart BoyMalorie Blackman
958Stony Heart CountryDavid Metzenthen
960Not Chicago, Not HereKirsten Boie
961Postcards From No Man's Land Aidan Chambers
963Wind Singer, The William Nicholson
965Witch ChildCelia Rees
966Oh, Boy!Marie-Aude Murail
968Coram Boy Jamila Gavin
969Refugee BoyBenjamin Zephaniah
971I Am PollekeGuus Kuijer
979Four SistersMalika Ferdjoukh
980Slaves of QuentarisPaul Collins
989Boat in the Forest, APaola Mastrocola
991Memories of Indhun: The ResistanceLaura Gallego Garcia
998Monster Blood Tattoo: Foundling David Cornish
1000Silver Jaguar, TheHerman Scholz


Add your link to sign up here to join the 20 Books of Summer.


23 comments:

  1. Good luck with this challenge! I hope that you end up enjoying the 20 books that you decide to read from this list.

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  2. I've hardly ready any of these, but can highly recommend The Mystery of the Yellow Room, although I don't really think of it as a children's book. I read the Bunter books as a child and thought they were mildly funny, but I fear they will have dated pretty badly. The Jennings and Darbishire books on the other hand are delightful! I loved them as a child and still do - Stephen Fry recorded some of them as audiobooks a few years ago and I had fun revisiting them. Hope you enjoy whichever ones you get to!

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  3. Almost every one of these sounds obscure to me. Good luck searching out - and getting through - the difficult ones. Perhaps you will find a gem, one that will become one of your all-time favourites!

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  4. The Baron In The Trees is one of my absolute favorite books. You should read that ;-)

    I don't know that I think of Baron Munchhausen as a children's book, though there's no reason a 12+ couldn't read it, I suppose. It's a pretty wild ride.

    I haven't read the Henty on your list, but he tends to be rah-rah British empire, but is otherwise OK, I thought.

    I'm curious about Salgari and Karl May but haven't read either.

    Happy reading!

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  5. I think the hardest part about this challenge is picking the books. Good luck!

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  6. Sounds doable for you. You are indomitable.

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  7. What a great list of children's literature! (I just got the Nils books by Lagerlof, so I'm excited about that).

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  8. Fascinating list -- I'll look forward to your reviews. On the list: Robber Hotzenplotz is familiar because my grandchildren have read it, and I've been meaning to read it. They have puppets of some of the characters from the story. Also familiar to me: the author Antonio Gramsci, but he's famous for politics, not literature.

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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  9. I love this plan of yours.

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  10. Wow, you've made so much progress on this challenge! I think the only one of these I recognise is Witch Child, which I've heard good things about.

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  11. Some of the books on this list are also available in German!
    I also love to read!

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  12. I hope you have fun reading them.

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  13. Well, there you go... my own favourite book as a child is on the list, Minnow on the Say by Philippa Pearce. Oh, how I loved that book and still have a copy. Good luck with your challenge!

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  14. Good luck with your quest to find and read the books you are still looking for. I read a lot of children's books and read them to my students and children, but a lot of these books, I have not heard of. I hope you enjoy whatever you are able to get your hands on.

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  15. I hope you get hold of the requisite number in time! I recognise quite a few of the UK ones in the 8+ and 12+, let me know if you need me to look out for any for you!

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  16. I'm in. Summer starts with a road trip to California and back so I should get three audiobooks completed. Then there is a the sit outdoors and read moments. I'll be off to a good start. Sorry I am so late to respond to your comment on my Friday post. Fridays I watch my grandson and now that he is mobile I don't have much chance to do anything other than keep an eagle eye on him all day. Exhausting.

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  17. You can do it! I think it's wonderful that you've been doing this reading plan and have fun with the 20 Books of Summer. I may try to join in to :)

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  18. Lots of good choices on this list, including one that I stopped halfway through because I got distracted. If I can find it and finish it, I will send it to you!

    I should create a list like this. It would certainly include The Little White Horse but it is very sentimental so not everyone would like it. I certainly enjoyed it as a child, however.

    Constance

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  19. It's so great that you are going for all 1001 books! I have total faith that you will read 20 of these over the summer!

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  20. I spotted a few Australian titles in the older list, but the rest are unknown to me. I loved Across the Barricades and the Flambards book, but like the Aussie titles in the list, all quite dated now. Pastures of the Blue Crane is set in the area of northern NSW where my dad grew up and where we used to spend our summer holidays visiting grandma. Good luck with the book search :-)

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  21. Hi Deb, I prepared this little post just for you after reading your lists - I hope it helps you decide. Bron xo
    My 1001 books

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  22. What a list!
    While I admire your summer goal, I am going to stick to working on my general 2021 goals this summer.

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