Books For Children
Suggested by the Children's Literature Center in the
Library of Congress
A list of noteworthy books published in the United States during 1994
Edited by Margaret N. Coughlan, Children's Literature Center, Library of Congress
Washington 1995
Since 1964 Books for Children has been published by the Children's
Literature Center in the Library of Congress for parents, teachers,
librarians, and those interested in the best of this country's current
children's literature.
HOW SELECTIONS ARE MADE
The editor and an advisory committee of children's book specialists
meet on an average of once a month during the year to examine newly
published titlesnearly four thousand hardcover and paperbound books in
1994to choose those they consider to be most noteworthy.
Selection criteria have remained constant over the years. Quality
of plot, theme, style, pace, characterization, and setting is essential
for any story to be satisfying. In addition, for the picturestory
book, the artand its harmony with the textis vital. For nonfiction
books, accuracy, organization, timeliness, and clarity of presentation
as well as quality of writing and illustration need to be evaluated.
WHAT IS SELECTED AND FOR WHOM
The selected books run the gamut from rhymes, concepts, and picture
stories to adventure, fantasy, natural history, biography, and science.
Books are chosen for readers from the toddler stage to the teenage
years. Some are to be read aloud; some are for instruction, some are
for fun, some are to be borrowed from a school or public library or
bought as gifts. All were chosen with the intent of stimulating the
imaginations of children and adults alike.
or
Barnes
and Noble
LIST
BARNYARD BANTER
(By) Denise Fleming. New York: Holt, 1994 unp. $15.95
ISBN 080501957X
Multimedia collages capute the clucking, mooing, cooing, and heehawing
on a farm as a goose pursues a dragonfly.
BIG FAT HEN
Illustrated by Keith Baker. San Diego: Harcourt (1994) unp.
$13.95
ISBN 0152928693
An inviting counting book, with large, clear pictures, shows a mother
hen, six friends, and their chicks.
BITTER BANANAS
By Isaac Olaley. Illustrated by Ed Young (Honesdale, Penn. J Boyd
Mills (1994) unp. $14.95
ISBN 1563970392
Bold illustrations and catchy refrains draw listeners into this story of
a young entrepreneur in an African rain forest who manages to outwit a
pack of baboons thirsty for his palm sap.
GOODNIGHT GORILLA
(By) Peggy Rathmann. (New York) Putnam (1994) unp. $12.95
ISBN 0399224459
A suspenseful, funny picture story about a mischievous gorilla who lifts
his keeper's keys, releases the other animals, and then, all follow the
unsuspecting keeper hometo bed.
GRANDFATHER AND I
(By) Helen E. Buckley (Illustrated by) Jan Ormerod. New York:
Lothrop/Morrow, 1994. unp. $13.00
ISBN 0688125336
In a world of busy adults and siblings, only grandfather has the time to
read and walk with his young grandchild. With appealing, warm
illustrations. Also, a companion book, Grandmother and I (ISBN
068812531X).
A HAT FOR MINERVA LOUISE
(By) Janet Morgan Stoeke. New York: Dutton/Penguin (1994) unp.
$12.99
ISBN 0525453288
Deceptively simple line drawings add to the humor of a hen's struggles
on a snowy day to keep her head and tail warm.
HI
(By) Ann Herbert Scott. Illustrated by Glo Coalson. New York:
Philomel/Putnam, 1994. Unp. $14.95
ISBN 0399219641
Powerful, unpretentious illustrations capture the poignancy of tiny
Margarita's yearning for someone in the long line at the post office to
return her greeting.
I LOVE ANIMALS
(By) Flora McDonnell. Cambridge, Mass: Candlewick Press, 1994.
unp. $14.95
ISBN564023877
Brightly colored endpapers and doublepaged spreads entice toddlers to
name animals that waddle, strut, bleat, and bray around the farm.
LIFE SIZE ANIMAL COUNTING BOOK
New York: Dorling Kindersley; distributed by Houghton, 1994. unp.
$12.95
ISBN 1564585174
Crisp, truetolife photographs distinguish the puppies, kittens, guinea
pigs, barn owls, and other creatures waiting to be counted.
MY CAT JACK
(By) Patricia Casey. Cambridge, Mass: Candlewick Press, 1994.
unp. $14.95
ISBN 1564024105
A beguiling introduction to the charms of a cat, in vivid language and
energized black crayon lines. Part of the Read and Wonder series.
OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY: A BOOK OF NURSERY RHYMES
Selected and illustrated by Alan Marks. New York: NorthSouth
Books (1994) 97p. $19.95
ISBN 1558582851
Sixty nursery rhymes, illustrated with silhouettes and watercolor
paintings.
LOS POLLITOS DICEN/THE BABY CHICKS SING
Collected and adapted by Nancy Abraham Hall and Jill
SyversonStork. Illustrated by Kay Chorao. Boston: Little, Brown
(1994) 32p. $15.95
ISBN 0316340103
From Spanishspeaking countries, a bilingual collection of traditional
nursery rhymes, songs, and games.
A QUIET NIGHT IN
(By) Jill Murphy. Cambridge, Mass: Candlwick Press, 1994. unp.
$12.95
ISBN 156402248X
In an amusing story, three little elephants manage to foil their
mother's plans for a quiet celebration of their father's birthday.
SO MUCH
(By) Trish Cooke. Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. Cambridge, Mass:
Candlewick Press, 1994. unp. $14.95
ISBN 1564023443
Beguilingly pictured, this variant on the cumulative story shows the
members of an exuberant black family, coming to hug, kiss, squeeze, and
wrestle with the baby.
WAG WAG WAG
(By) Peter Hansard. Illustrated by Barbara Frith. Cambridge,
Mass: Candlwick Press, 1994. unp. $14.95
ISBN 156402301X
An outing to the park and home again is the base for this engaging
introduction to dogs. Part of the Read and Wonder series.
6 to 8
BEAST FEAST
Poems and paintings by Douglas Florian. San Diego: Harcourt
(1994) 48p. $14.95
ISBN 0152951784
Twentyone clever poems about animals, each accompanied by a watercolor
painting.
Twentyseven songs, chants, and rhymes in English and Spanish are
accompanied by simple musical arrangements and lively illustrations.
THE CREATION
(By) James Weldon Johnson. Illustrated by James E. Ransome. New
York: Holiday (1994) unp. $15.95
ISBN 0823410692
Naturalistic paintings show a contemporary AfricanAmerican storyteller
enthralling his young audience with this classic with this classic
rendition of the creation story.
FIRE IN THE MOUNTAIN
By Jane Kurtz. Illustrated by E. B. Lewis. New York: Simon &
Schuster (1994) unp. $15.00
ISBN 0671882686
Satisfying pictures complement this retelling of a traditional Ethiopian
folktale of a clever shepherd boy and his sister who manage to outwit a
rich miser.
THE FROG PRINCESS
Retold by J. Patrick Lewis. Paintings by Gennady Spirin. New
York: Dial/Penguin (1994) 32p. $15.00
ISBN 0803716230
A sumptuously illustrated Russian variant of a familiar folktale, in
which the youngest son of a tsar is forced to marry an ugly frog.
GRANDFATER'S DREAM
(By) Holly Keller. New York: Greenwillow/Morrow (1994) unp.
$14.00
ISBN 0688123392
Softly colored pictures enhance this moving story of an old man's dream
to have the cranes, symbols of good luck and long life, return to the
Mekong Delta in Vietnam.
HOW TO MAKE AN APPLE PIE AND SEE THE WORLD
By Marjorie Priceman. New York: Knopf/Random (1994) unp. $15.00
ISBN 0679837051
If your market is closed, and you want to make a special apple pie, you
might have to travel by boat, train, car, bus, and even parachute to
find the best ingredients.
JOHN HENRY
By Julius Lester. Pictures by Jerry Pinkney. New York:
Dial/Penguin (1994) unp. $16.99
ISBN 0803716060
A rhythmic retelling of a legendary hero's exploits, accompanied by
luminous, naturalistic paintings.
LUKA'S QUILT
(By) Georgia Guback. New York: Greenwillow/Morrow (1994) unp.
$14.00
ISBN 0688121543
Bright, detailed cutpaper collages enlarge this story of a grandmother
who makes a quilt that honors both Hawaiian tradition and her
granddaughter's wishes.
MAKING FRIENDS WITH FRANKENSTEIN: A BOOK OF MONSTROUS POEMS AND
PICTURES
(By) Colin McNaughton. Cambridge, Mass: Candlewick Press, 1994.
90p. $19.95
ISBN 1564023087
Lighthearted insults and grusome rhymes, paired with equally
comicmacabre drawings.
MARTHA CALLING
(By) Susan Meddaugh. Boston: Houghton, 1994. unp. $14.95
ISBN 0395698251
In this sequel to Martha Speaks (1992), Martha, the talking dog, wins a
weekend stay at the ComeOnInn.
MY FARM
(By Alison Lester. Boston: Houghton, 1994. unp. $14.95
ISBN 0395681936
An account of the daily activities on an Australian farm by the sea in
the year a child receives her longawaited palomino pony.
PIGSTY
By Mark Teague. New York: Scholastic (1994) unp. $13.95
ISBN 0590459155
A humorously illustrated cautionary tale of a boy who is so messy that
his room becomes a hotel for pigs.
POCKETFUL OF NONSENSE
By James Marshall. New York: Golden (1994) 18p. $12.95
ISBN 0307175529
Ribtickling verses, original and familiar, are happily paired with
Marshall's zany characters.
THE RATTLEBANG PICNIC
By Margaret Mahy. Pictures by Steven Kellogg. New York:
Dial/Penguin (1994) unp. $14.95
ISBN 0803713185
Granny's hardasarock pizza comes in handy when the MacTavishes'
rattlebang car loses a wheel in the path of an erupting volcano.
SWAMP ANGEL
By Anne Isaacs. Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. New York:
Dutton/Penguin (1994) unp. $14.99
ISBN 0525452710
Exaggeration in illustration and text is the key to this original tall
tale about Angelica Longrider, the greatest woodsmen in all Tennessee.
THREE TERRIBLE TRINS
(By) Dick KingSmith. Illustrated by Mark Teague. New York:
Crown/Random (1994) 105p. $15.00
ISBN 0517598280
Mrs. Gray, a mouse widowed for the third time, dedicates her trins,
Thomas, Richard, and Henry, to the sacred task of avenging their
father's death.
WINTER POEMS
Selected by Barbara Rogasky. Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman.
New York: Scholastic (1994) 40p. $15.95
ISBN 0590428721
Acrylic paintings of the New Hampshire landscape complement a delightful
assortment of poems.
WIZARD AND WART
Story by Janice Lee Smith. Pictures by Paul Meisel (New York)
HarperCollins (1994) 64p. (An I can read book) $14.00
ISBN 0060229608
A wizard's magic backfires when he becomes embroiled in a romantic
triangle involving a snake, a rabbit, and a cat.
ZEKE PIPPIN
(By) William Steig (New York) HarperCollins (1994) unp. $15.00
ISBN 0062050761
Economic yet comic in text and line is the story of Zeke's love affair
with a sleepinducing harmonica that leads him through danger to fame
and fortune.
8 to 10
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
Retold by Neil Philip. Illustrated by Sheila Moxley. New York:
Orchard (1994) 157p. $19.95
ISBN 0531068684
Acrylic paintings and crisp language make these sixteen classic stories
inviting to young readers.
THE BARN
(By) Avi. New York: Orchard (1994) 106p. $13.95
ISBN 0531068617
Nineyearold Ben, in this taut narrative, convinces his reluctant
siblings to fulfill their sick father's dream and build a new barn on
their Oregon homestead.
THE BIG BUG BOOK
By Margery Facklam. Illustrated by Paul Facklam. Boston: Little,
Brown (1994) 32p. $15.95
ISBN 0316273899
A satisfyingly succinct introduction to insects, with lifesized,
fullcolor paintings.
CLEOPATRA
(By) Diane Stanley (and) Peter Vennema. Illustrated by Diane
Stanley. New York: Morrow (1994) $15.00
ISBN 0688104134
Based on fragmentary historical records, this meticulously illustrated
biographical account brings to life a remarkable and controversial
woman.
THE HEADLESS HAUNT AND OTHER AFRICANAMERICAN GHOST STORIES
Collected and retold by James Haskins. Illustrated by Ben Otero.
(New York) HarperCollins (1994) 116p. $14.00
ISBN 0060229942
A handsome volume of ghost stories and anecdotes, illustrated with
dramatic blackandwhite drawings.
HOB AND THE GOBLINS
(By) William Mayne. Illustrated by Norman Messenger. (New York:
Dorling Kindersley. 1994) 140p. $12.95
ISBN 1564587134
Skillfully builtup suspense gives way to mayhem when an invisible
household spirit battles the evil infesting Fairy Ring Cottage.
JACQUESHENRI LARTIGUE: BOY WITH A CAMERA
By John Cech. New York: Four Winds/Macmillan (1994) 32p. $15.95
ISBN 0027181367
An album of photographs taken in the early twentieth century reveals the
then unconventional work of one of France's photographic geniuses whose
love affair with the camera began at age seven.
THE LAST TALES OF UNCLE REMUS
As told by Julius Lester. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. New York:
Dial/Penguin (1994) 156p. $17.99
ISBN 0803713037
A potpourri of stories, ranging from pourquoi to trickster tales,
pictured in blackandwhite drawings and fullcolor spreads.
THE LIBRARIAN WHO MEASURED THE EARTH
(By) Kathryn Lasky. Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Boston: Little,
Brown (1994) 48p. $16.95
ISBN 0316515264
The life and work of the ancient Greek librarian, geographer, and
astronomer who made the first mathematically based map of the world.
THE PASSOVER JOURNEY: A SEDER COMPANION
By Barbara Diamond Goldin. Illustrated by Neil Waldman. (New
York) Viking/Penguin (1994) 56p. $15.99
ISBN 0670824216
A masterful introduction to the story of Exodus and to the Seder and its
rituals. Accompanied by striking watercolor paintings.
THE PINATA MAKER/EL PINATERO
(By) George Ancona. San Diego: Harcourt (1994) unp. $16.95
ISBN 0152618759
The work of Don Ricardo, a seventyfiveyearold pinata maker in a
southern Mexican village, is documented in color photographs and
bilingual text.
PINK AND SAY
(By) Patricia Polacco. New York: Philomel/Putnam (1994) unp.
$15.95
ISBN 0399226710
A true story of the friendship between two young Union soldiers, one
black, one white, who meet on a Georgia battlefield, only to be
separated at Andersonville Prison.
TWELVE TALES
(By) Hans Christian Anderson. Selected, translated, and
illustrated by Erik Blegvad. New York: McElderry/Macmillian
(1994) 92p. $18.95
ISBN 0689505841
A dozen favorite tales, engagingly retold and illustrated with appealing
fullcolor drawings
WHAT DO YOU SEE & HOW DO YOU SEE IT?: EXPLORING LIGHT, COLOR, AND
VISION
(By) Patricia Lauber. Photographs by Leonard Lessin. New York:
Crown/Random (1994) 48p. $17.00
ISBN 0517593904
The workings of the eye and brain are skillfully presented through
succinct text and handsome photographs and drawings.
11 and up
THE BOYS FROM ST. PETRI
(By) Bjarne Reuther. Translated by Anthea Bell. New York:
Dutton/Penguin (1994) 215p. $14.99
ISBN 0525451218
Based on actual events that took place in Denmark in 1942, this
compelling novel of friendship, loyalty, and courage, tells of the
daring exploits of six boys dedicated to harassing the Nazis.
THE DREAM KEEPERS AND OTHER POEMS
(By) Langston Hughes. Illustrated by Brian Pinkney. New York:
Knopf/Random (1994) 83p. $12.00
ISBN 067984421X
A new edition of a work, originally published in 1932, enlarged and
enriched by elegant woodcuts.
THE EAR, THE EYE, AND THE ARM
By Nancy Farmer. New York: Orchard (1994) 311p. $18.95
ISBN 0531068293
A compelling novel set in Zimbabwe in 2194 centers on General Matsika's
stolen children, the underworld forces that enslave them, and the mutant
detectives who seek to rescue them.
THE EXAMINATION
(By) Malcolm Bosse. New York: Farrar (1994) 296p. $17.00
ISBN 0374322341
In this picaresque tale, set in sixteenthcentury China, practical Hong
guides his scholarly elder brother on a perilous journey to Beijing for
the national examination.
FLOUR BABIES
(By) Anne Fine. Boston: Little, Brown (1994) 178p. $14.95
ISBN 0316283193
Funny and touching by turns, this story focuses on the maturing of Simon
Martin, after he and his classmates are each given a bag of flour to
care for, as if it were a real baby.
FOCUS: FIVE WOMEN PHOTOGRAPHERS
(By) Sylvia Wolf. Morton Grove, Ill.: Albert Whitman (1994) 63p.
$18.95
ISBN 0807525316
A welldocumented account of the lives of five women whose careers span
the history of photography, from the midnineteenth century to the
present.
THE FROZEN WATERFALL
(By) Gaye Hicyilmaz. New York: Farrar (1994) 325p. $17.00
ISBN 0374324824
An engrossing tale of the struggle of a courageous, determined
twelveyearold Turkish girl to make a place for herself in the alien
climate of Switzerland.
THE GLORY FIELD
(By) Walter Dean Myers. New York: Scholastic (1994) 375p. $14.95
ISBN 0590458973
Six incidents chronicle the history of the Lewis family, descended from
the slave Muhammad Bilal and held together by a plot of land and a pair
of shackles.
IT'S NOTHING TO A MOUNTAIN
(By) Sid Hite. New York: Holt (1994) 214p. $15.95
ISBN 0805027696
Strong in character and setting, this remarkable novel deals with the
power of time, friendship, and family love in healing the grief of
fourteenyearold Lisette and twelveyearold Riley over the accidental
death of their parents.
IT'S PERFECTLY NORMAL
(By) Robie H. Harris. Illustrated by Michael Emberley. Cambridge,
Mass: Candlewick Press, 1994. 89p. $19.95
ISBN 1564021998
A straightforward, scientific, yet sensitive, treatment of sex and
sexuality, lightened by humorous illustrations.
JAZZ: MY MUSIC, MY PEOPLE
By Morgan Monceaux. New York: Knopf/Random (1994) 64p. $18.00
ISBN 0679856188
A capsule history of jazz told through the lives of its great
musicianshorn players, pianists, composers, and singersfrom Buddy
Bolden to Sarah Vaughan. Illustrated with portraits by the author.
JERICHO
(By) Janet Hickman. New York: Greenwillow/Morrow (1994) 135p.
$14.00
ISBN 0688133983
Strong, well drawn characters and their relationships are the strengths
of this spare, perceptive novel which subtly connects the emotional
experiences of twelveyearold Angela to those of her greatgrandmother,
now reliving the emotional turmoils of her past.
JULIE
(By) Jean Craighead George. Illustrated by Wendell Minor. (New
York) HarperCollins (1994) 226p. $15.00
ISBN 0060235284
Julie's difficulties in adjusting to her father's marrying a nonEskimo
and to the modern changes in traditional Eskimo life that threaten her
beloved wolves mark this sequel to Julie of the Wolves.
MISSING SISTERS
(By) Gregory Maguire. New York: McElderry/Macmillan (1994) 151p.
$14.95
ISBN 0689505906
A humorous, compassionate story about Alice Colossus, a resident at a
convent orphanage, whose chance discovery that she is a twin sends her
on a search for family and self.
MY BROTHER FRED
(By) Jill Pinkwater. New York: Dutton/Penguin (1994) 211p. $15.99
ISBN 0525447784
An uproarious battle of wits ensues when recalcitrant Class 6A hits the
books to prove that its new permanent teacher, the unflappable Mr. Fred,
is really a space alien.
MY BROTHER, MY SISTER, AND I
(By) Yoko Kawashima Watkins. New York: Bradbury/Macmillan (1994)
275p. $16.95
ISBN 0027925269
Sequel to So Far From the Bamboo Grove, this novel follow the Kawashima
family as they battle poverty, sickness, and injustice in postwar Japan.
OLIVER TWIST
(By) Charles Dickens. Illustrated by Don Freeman. New York: Books
of Wonder/Morrow (1994) 442p. $20.00
ISBN 0688129110
A new edition of a favorite classic, enhanced by the vitality of
Freeman's blackandwhite drawings and robust, fullcolor paintings.
REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM
(By) Kate Douglas Wiggin. Illustrations by Helen Mason Grose. New
York: Books of Wonder/Morrow (1994) 291p. $17.00
ISBN 0688134815
An appealing facsimile of the first edition of a muchloved classic.
UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER: U.S. GRANT AND THE CIVIL WAR
(By) Albert Marrin. New York: Atheneum/Macmillan, 1994. 200p.
$19.95
ISBN 0689318375
Colorful incidents from primary sources and effective blackandwhite
photographs make vivid this account of the famous Union general's
activities during the Civil War.
UNDER THE BLOODRED SUN
(By) Graham Salisbury (New York) Delcorte (1994) 246p. $15.95
ISBN 038532099X
Thirteenyearold Tomi's compelling account of the events in the life of
his JapaneseAmerican family in Hawaii after the bombing of Pearl
Harbor.
WAR GAMES
(By) Michael Foreman. (New York) Arcade (1994) unp. $16.95
ISBN 1559702427
A pictorial account of a Christmas episode during World War 1 when
British and German troops laid down their arms and played a game of
soccer.
adults
BEHOLD THE CHILD: AMERICAN CHILDREN AND THEIR BOOKS, 16211922
(By) Gillian Avery. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press,
1994. 226p. $29.95
ISBN 0370319524
By a British scholar, a wideranging, crisply narrated history of
American children's books that is the first to examine the books in
relation to their readers and to the society that produced them.
Attractively illustrated.
BIBLES AND BESTIARIES: A GUIDE TO ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS
(By) Elizabeth B. Wilson. New York: Farrar (1994) 64p. $25.00
ISBN 0374306850
A fine introduction to the art of bookmaking before Gutenberg,
generously illustrated with blackandwhite and fullcolor reproductions
from holdings in the Pierpont Morgan Library.
CELEBRATE AMERICA IN POETRY AND ART
Edited by Nora Panzer. New York: National Museum of American Art,
Smithsonian Institution/Hyperion (1994) 96p. $18.95
ISBN 1562826646
From one hundred poets and artists, an eclectic collection highlighting
the diversity of past and present America.
SEVENTYFIVE YEARS OF CHILDREN'S BOOK WEEK POSTERS
Sponsored by the Children's Book Council. Text by Leonard S.
Marcus. New York: Knopf (1994) 74p. $30.00
ISBN 0679851062
A brief, absorbing history of Children's Book Week, with reproductions
of its posters from 1919 to the present and biographical notes about
each artist.
THE SHADOW OF A FLYING BIRD: A LEGEND FROM THE KURDISTANI JEWS
Retold and illustrated by Mordecai Gerstein. New York: Hyperion
(1994) unp. $15.95
ISBN 078680016X
In this dramatically illustrated story from the Kurdistani Jewish
tradition, Moses prays to God, the heavens and the earth to be spared
from death.
A TEENY TINY BABY
(By) Amy Schwartz. New York: Orchard (1994) unp. $15.95
ISBN 0531068188
For new parents and nostalgic adults, a look at the world from an
infant's point of view.
Editor
Margaret N. Coughlan Children's Literature Center
Assistant to the Editor
Divna Todorovich Children's Literature Team,
History and Literature Cataloging Division
Assisted by Alice Conlon School of Library and Information
Science Catholic University
Committee Members
Nell Colburn
Prince George's County (Md.) Memorial Library System
Sharon Grover
Arlington County (Va.) Public Library
Elizabeth Guldseth
Montgomery County (Md.) Department of Public Libraries
Steven Herb
Pennsylvania State University (University Park, Pa.)
Caroline S. Parr
Central Rappahannock (Va.) Regional Library
Maria Salvadore
District of Columbia Public Libraries
Pam Sachs
Cheshire Cat Bookstore (Washington, D.C.)
Victoria Velsey
Georgetown Day School (Washington, D.C.)
Martha Walke
Thomas Jefferson Middle School (Arlington, Va.)
The Library of Congress
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