Top 100: 71-80

You know this would be a lot easier to do if I didn't keep shifting books on my list. I have not had any hateful comments yet, so maybe my top 100 chapter books isn't too out there. At least not yet, but I still have a long way to go.

80. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Personally, I have always preferred Tom to Huck. Since this is a list of children's chapter books, Tom Sawyer is a bit more kid appropriate than Huckleberry Finn. Tom Sawyer has humor, a hunt for buried treasure, and Injun Joe is a terrifying villain.
 
Now that I am a mom I think that Tom Sawyer appeals to me, because the character of Tom reminds me so much of my youngest son. Like Tom, my Zane is a silver-tongued little con artist who is incapable of avoiding mischief. If there was a fence to be white-washed I can imagine Zane convincing all of his friends that it would be more fun than riding a roller coaster.

For girls, Tom Sawyer may be more appealing because you have Becky Thatcher as a lead female character. True, she is a bit undeveloped in the beginning as she is just the pretty, jealous blond that is infatuated with Tom. However, Becky does prove to be pretty spunky and courageous when her and Tom are trapped in the cave.  The Actual & Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher by Jessica Lawson came out just a month or two ago and I thought that it was a fun spin on the Twain classic. I enjoyed how Lawson fleshed out the character of Becky Thatcher and gave her a unique voice.

There have been quite a number of movies about Tom Sawyer. Who can forget the 1973 version with Johnny Whitaker (I think he was born to play Tom Sawyer) and Jodie Foster as Becky Thatcher. I thought that Tom and Huck starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas was cute too.


79. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume

Boys  may want to skip this review due to content that could make them uncomfortable.

The many covers of Margaret

I remember every girl in the fourth grade waiting for their turn to check this out of the school library. It was so scandalous because it talked about boobs, kissing, and periods (oh my gosh!!!). I know that I am giving away my age, but when I read this book in the 80's it was still the original 1970 version. Afterwards, I practically ran screaming to my mother to find out if I would actually have to wear a "BELT"!!! Luckily, for girls born during the current century Are You there God? It's Me, Margaret.  was updated in 2006. Instead of the dreaded "menstruation belt" Margaret gets to use the more convenient and less terrifying sanitary napkins.

All joking aside, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. is much deeper than a group of girls chanting "I must, I must, I must increase my bust" (sorry I had to include that line somewhere). Blume's famed coming of age tale is achingly authentic and tender. Margaret is not only navigating the ups and downs of puberty and junior high, she also feels torn between the opposing religions of her parents. Any young girl can relate to Margaret as she struggles to figure out who she is and the woman that she wants to become.

Interesting side note: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. is one of  the most frequently banned and/or challenged book in school libraries.  I find it sad and strange that people feel the need to protect young girls from reading about things that are actually happening to their own bodies.

78. The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

A person would have to have a phobic fear of crickets to not think that Chester was pretty cute. Especially when he is drawn by Garth Williams, the illustrator of Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, and all of the Little House books. This relatively short book about a little country cricket with a huge musical gift is a sweet tale of friendship with memorable characters.

If you enjoyed this book as a kid you may also remember the Chuck Jones animated version. I grew up loving the cartoons based on books that Chuck Jones made after he left Warner Brothers. My favorite was always Rikki Tikki Tavi, but The Cricket in Time Square is also magical.

77. The Twits by Roald Dahl

If you know me you are probably shocked that this is the first Roald Dahl book on this list. Well, it was hard to resist but I figured that I should try to include some other authors and books in my top 100. Not saying that you will not see some more books by Roald Dahl higher on the list.
 
How can you not love a book called The Twits in which the opening line is "What a lot of hairy-faced men there are nowadays!"  Supposedly Dahl was inspired to write The Twits because he hated beards and I would not be surprised if that were true considering his lengthy and quite repulsive description of Mr. Twit's beard. I have read this passage to my young writers club to illustrate descriptive writing. On the Roald Dahl website there is even a link to download a beard to decorate with your own bits of debris.  What else can I say? The Twits is outrageously funny in an absurd and demented kind of way which is probably why I love it so much.

One of the most wonderful thing about all of Dahl's books is that in the middle of all the zaniness he can inject profound and heartfelt emotion.  In a world where there is so much obsession with appearance The Twits contains a quote that should be on every body-conscious girl's mirror.
“if you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams, and you will always look lovely” 

76. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

When I was growing up I loved all of The Wilderness Family movies. Am I the only one that remembers those? I remember asking my dad if we could move to the mountains like the Robinsons so I could have pet bear cubs and a raccoon. My Side of the Mountain is The Wilderness Family meets Walden junior. What exactly does that mean? Well, Sam Gribley despises living in the hustle and bustle of New York City so he absconds to the Catskill Mountains with only forty dollars, some rope, a flint and steel, and a pen knife. Sam learns how to be self-sufficient and be one with nature (that is where the Walden similarities come in, but luckily there isn't any of Thoreau's wordy philosophy).

The book is slightly implausible. How many parents would allow their child to become a backwoods survivalist all by themselves? Young readers will enjoy learning how Sam hollows out a tree to live in, makes his own clothes, and hunts for food. Also, even though he doesn't get a pet bear cub, the bond between Sam and the falcon he raises is wonderful storytelling.

Check this out.
You can watch the entire first Wilderness Family movie on you tube!!!!

75. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Of all the famous horse books I think that Black Beauty is my favorite because it is narrated by the horse.  Now lots of children's books feature animals as main characters, but first person narration by an animal can be tricky. It can easily read hokey, contrived, and/or too babyish for older children.  What makes Black Beauty so exceptional is that as the reader, you never doubt the authenticity of Darkie/Black Beauty/Black Auster/Jack/Blackie/Old Crony.

Maybe this isn't the best endorsement, but I bawled so many times while reading Black Beauty.  The cruelty inflicted on Black Beauty is heartrending, and the suffering of work horses in Victorian London is difficult to read about.  There were definitely tears of joy, though, when Black Beauty is reunited with Joe and gets to spend the rest of his life in comfort and safety.

74. Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

Caddie Woodlawn is an 11 year old tomboy growing up in Wisconsin during the 1860s. Brink actually based the book on her grandmother, named Caddie Woodhouse whose family moved from Boston to a rural Wisconsin farm. The real Caddie also had two brothers named Tom and Warren. Fans of Caddie Woodlawn can visit the original home of the Woodhouse family which was moved to the Caddie Woodhouse historical park in 1970.

Yes, Caddie Woodlawn is a frontier story with a lively young heroine but don't confuse it with the Little House books; it is a unique and captivating story in its own right.  There is danger, excitement, and also lots of humor as Caddie and her brothers repeatedly find themselves in trouble.

73. The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

Most people believe that the Chronicles of Narnia begins with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Well, if you go by the date published, The Magician's Nephew was published in 1955 which was five years after The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  I really love that C.S. Lewis went back and wrote a prequel explaining how Aslan created Narnia, why the animals talk, where the White Witch came from, why the wardrobe leads to Narnia, and how a lamp post came to be in the center of a forest.

The lead character, Digory Kirke, is the same Professor Kirke that provides refuge to the Pevensie children during the London airstrikes of WWII. There was always that hint in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe that he knew what was going on when Lucy first claimed to have gone to a strange land. You will find yourself saying "Aaaahhh, so that is where it came from" multiple times while reading The Magician's Nephew.




72. The Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
All of the Harry Potter books are spectacular, but I particularly love The Goblet of Fire, in which Rowling expands her world of magic beyond the walls of Hogwarts . The action starts with a bang at the The Quidditch World Cup and it only gets more thrilling when the Tri-Wizard Tournament begins.  Rowling packs so many chills, thrills, plot twists, and interesting new characters that I couldn't put The Goblet of Fire down.

The resurrection of Voldemort at the end of The Goblet of Fire is also a major transition in the Harry Potter series. The first four books in the series are definitely intended for juvenile readers; they include lots of action but are also light and funny.  The death of Cedric, the grisly rebirth of Voldemort, the unmasking of Barty Crouch Jr. lead into the darker, more mature 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th novels.

71.  Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin by His Good Mouse Amos by Robert Lawson

I still remember my fifth grade teacher reading this book aloud to the class and then watching the cartoon version.  The book is actually a really fun way to teach kids about the life of Ben Franklin and the Revolutionary  War.  Who knew that Ben Franklin got all of his inspiration for his famous inventions from a mouse. Amos even helped write the Declaration of Independence!

Lawson also wrote Mr. Revere and I: Being an Account of Certain Episodes in the Career of Paul Revere, Esq. as Revealed by his Horse. Early American history is much more interesting when you throw talking animals into the mix.

 

Ok so there are 10 more books. I am going to try to get my next 10 out sooner, but I am in the midst of planning several programs so please be patient with me. I might have to start writing less on each book.