A Children's Literary Treasury

by James, Anna

• ISBN13: 9780712353977
• ISBN10: 0712353976
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2023-10-03
• Publisher: British Library Publishing

Summary

From Louisa May Alcott to Roald Dahl, Joan Aiken to Catherynne Valente, magical stories for every feeling.

Great stories ignite a child’s imagination and can fill a childhood with unforgettable characters, wondrous places and superb illustrations. They also allow young readers to explore, and to understand, their different feelings and experiences.

In her second compilation for the British Library, children’s author and commentator Anna James delves deep into the collections to present stories for comfort, inspiration and adventure as well as touching tales to make you laugh or sometimes cry.

We will meet mischievous characters from across the globe, sample classic stories from the likes of E. Nesbit, J. M. Barrie and Louisa May Alcott, as well as more recent favorites from some of our best-loved and prizewinning authors.

Superbly illustrated throughout with both beloved illustrations and new archive finds, this spectacular volume belongs on every family bookshelf.

Author Biography

Anna James is a leading British Children’s author. She is a long-time supporter and advocate of the British Library and the Library features in her first book Pages & Co: Tilly and the Bookwanderers, which was HarperCollins Children’s flagship debut of Autumn 2018. In 2015 she was shortlisted for the Kim Scott Walwyn Prize for women in publishing.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS
I want to read a story . . .

where the gap between this world and another is only thin...
TOM’S MIDNIGHT GARDENby Philippa Pearce
STIG OF THE DUMPby Clive King
A POCKETFUL OF STARSby Aisha Bushby
ASHA & SPIRIT BIRDby Jasbinder Bilan
THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBEby C.S. Lewis
A WRINKLE IN TIMEby Madeleine L’Engle

...that celebrates the magic of imagination...
MATILDAby Roald Dahl
POETICSby Benjamin Zephaniah
MOMOby Michael Ende
RUMAYSAby Radiya Hafiza
THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTHby Norton Juster
A LITTLE PRINCESSby Frances Hodgson Burnett

...that takes me on a journey...
FREEDOMby Catherine Johnson
WHEN HITLER STOLE PINK RABBITby Judith Kerr
TREASURE ISLANDby Robert Louis Stevenson
THE WIZARD OF OZby L. Frank Baum
THE MAGIC UMBRELLAby A.M. Heathcote
THE LEGEND OF PODKIN ONE-EARby Kieran Larwood

...that takes me to a whole other world...
CHARMED LIFEby Diana Wynne Jones
THE GIRL OF INK AND STARSby Kiran Millwood Hargrave
HE GIRL WHO CIRCUMNAVIGATED FAIRYLAND IN A SHIP OF HER OWN
MAKINGby Catherynne M. Valente
THE BATTLE OF THE BIRDSby Elizabeth W. Grierson
‘THE DAY DREAM’fromTHE CHILDREN’S TENNYSONby May Byron

...about a character that I love...
WINNIE THE POOHby A.A. Milne
PIPPI LONGSTOCKINGby Astrid Lindgren
THE RED-HEADED LEAGUEby Arthur Conan Doyle
A BEAR CALLED PADDINGTONby Michael Bond
ALICE IN WONDERLANDby Lewis Carroll
ANNE OF GREEN GABLESby L.M. Montgomery

...set in a school that’s not like mine...
AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERSby B.B. Alston
THE WORST WITCHby Jill Murphy
WHAT KATY DIDby Susan Coolidge
COSMICby Frank Cottrell Boyce
FRONT DESKby Kelly Yang
THE WOLVES OF WILLOUGHBY CHASEby Joan Aiken

...about a family that might be just like mine, or might be the
complete opposite...
HEIDIby Johanna Spyri
THE RAILWAY CHILDRENby E. Nesbit
LITTLE WOMENby Louisa May Alcott
ME, MY DAD AND THE END OF THE RAINBOWby Benjamin Dean
THE KITCHEN CATby Amy Walton
ROOFTOPPERSby Katherine Rundell

...that’s a bit dark or spooky or scary...
THE CANTERVILLE GHOSTby Oscar Wilde
THE CALL OF THE WILDby Jack London
THE TALE OF DESPEREAUXby Kate di Camillo
THE WAR OF THE WORLDSby H.G. Wells
ANIMAL FARMby George Orwell
THE BOY IN THE TOWERby Polly Ho-Yen

...about nature and the environment...
WASTE LANDby F.K. Gregory
LEAVES FROM THE LIFE OF A FAIRYby Harriet Beecher Stowe
WHERE THE RIVER RUNS GOLDby Sita Brahmachari
JOURNEY TO THE RIVER SEAby Eva Ibbotson
THE WIND IN THE WILLOWSby Kenneth Grahame

...to finish and to bring hope...
GOOD HOPEby Benjamin Zephaniah