A list of noteworthy books published in the United States.
Edited by Margaret N. Coughlan - Children's Literature Center
Library of Congress - Washington
Books for children
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 titles-nearly four thousand hardcover and paperbound books in
1994-to 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 picture-story
book, the art-and its harmony with the text-is 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.
Books for children up to 6 years old
BARNYARD BANTER
(By) Denise Fleming. New York: Holt, 1994 unp.
ISBN 0-8050-1957-X
Multimedia collages
capture the clucking, mooing, cooing, and hee-hawing
on a farm as a goose pursues a dragonfly.
BIG FAT HEN
Illustrated by Keith Baker. San Diego: Harcourt (1994) unp.
ISBN 0-15-292869-3
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.
ISBN 1-56397-039-2
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.
ISBN 0-399-22445-9
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 home-to bed.
GRANDFATHER AND I
(By) Helen E. Buckley (Illustrated by) Jan Ormerod. New York:
Lothrop/Morrow, 1994. unp.
ISBN 0-688-12533-6
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
0-688-12531-X).
A HAT FOR MINERVA LOUISE
(By) Janet Morgan Stoeke. New York: Dutton/Penguin (1994) unp.
ISBN 0-525-45328-8
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.
ISBN 0-399-21964-1
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. ISBN-56402-387-7
Brightly colored endpapers and double-paged 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.
ISBN 1-56458-517-4
Crisp, true-to-life 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. ISBN 1-56402-410-5
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: North-South
Books (1994) 97p. ISBN 1-55858-285-1
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
Syverson-Stork. Illustrated by Kay Chorao. Boston: Little, Brown
(1994) 32p. ISBN 0-316-34010-3
From Spanish-speaking countries, a bilingual collection of traditional
nursery rhymes, songs, and games.
A QUIET NIGHT IN
(By) Jill Murphy. Cambridge, Mass: Candlewick Press, 1994. unp.
ISBN 1-56402-248-X
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. ISBN 1-56402-344-3
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: Candlewick Press, 1994. unp. ISBN 1-56402-301-X
An outing to the park and home again is the base for this engaging
introduction to dogs. Part of the Read and Wonder series.
Books for children
6 to 8 years of age
BEAST FEAST
Poems and paintings by Douglas Florian. San Diego: Harcourt
(1994) 48p. ISBN 0-15-295178-4
Twenty-one clever poems about animals, each accompanied by a watercolor
painting.
DE COLORES AND OTHER LATIN-AMERICAN FOLK SONGS FOR CHILDREN
Selected, arranged, and translated by Jose-Luis-Orozco.
Illustrated by Elisa Kleven. New York: Dutton/Penguin (1994) 56p.
ISBN 0-525-45260-5
Twenty-seven 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. ISBN 0-8234-1069-2
Naturalistic paintings show a contemporary African-American storyteller
enthralling his young audience 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. ISBN 0-671-88268-6
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. ISBN 0-8037-1623-0
A sumptuously illustrated Russian variant of a familiar folktale, in
which the youngest son of a tsar is forced to marry an ugly frog.
GRANDFATHER'S DREAM
(By) Holly Keller. New York: Greenwillow/Morrow (1994) unp.
ISBN 0-688-12339-2
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.
ISBN 0-679-83705-1
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. ISBN 0-8037-1606-0
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.
ISBN 0-688-12154-3
Bright, detailed cut-paper 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. ISBN 1-56402-308-7
Light-hearted insults and gruesome rhymes, paired with equally
comic-macabre drawings.
MARTHA CALLING
(By) Susan Meddaugh. Boston: Houghton, 1994. unp.
ISBN 0-395-69825-1
In this sequel to Martha Speaks (1992), Martha, the talking dog, wins a
weekend stay at the Come-On-Inn.
MY FARM
(By Alison Lester. Boston: Houghton, 1994. unp. ISBN 0-395-68193-6
An account of the daily activities on an Australian farm by the sea in
the year a child receives her long-awaited palomino pony.
PIGSTY
By Mark Teague. New York: Scholastic (1994) unp. ISBN 0-590-45915-5
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. ISBN 0-307-17552-9
Rib-tickling 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. ISBN 0-8037-1318-5
Granny's hard-as-a-rock 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. ISBN 0-525-45271-0
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 King-Smith. Illustrated by Mark Teague. New York:
Crown/Random (1994) 105p. ISBN 0-517-59828-0
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. ISBN 0-590-42872-1
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)
Harper-Collins (1994) 64p. (An I can read book) ISBN 0-06-022960-8
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. ISBN 0-06-205076-1
Economic yet comic in text and line is the story of Zeke's love affair
with a sleep-inducing harmonica that leads him through danger to fame
and fortune.
Books for children
8 to 10 years old
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
Retold by Neil Philip. Illustrated by Sheila Moxley. New York:
Orchard (1994) 157p. ISBN 0-531-06868-4
Acrylic paintings and crisp language make these sixteen classic stories
inviting to young readers.
THE BARN
(By) Avi. New York: Orchard (1994) 106p. ISBN 0-531-06861-7
Nine-year-old 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. ISBN 0-316-27389-9
A satisfyingly succinct introduction to insects, with life-sized,
full-color paintings.
CLEOPATRA
(By) Diane Stanley (and) Peter Vennema. Illustrated by Diane Stanley. New York: Morrow
(1994) $15.00
ISBN 0-688-10413-4
Based on fragmentary historical records, this meticulously illustrated
biographical account brings to life a remarkable and controversial
woman.
THE HEADLESS HAUNT AND OTHER AFRICAN-AMERICAN GHOST STORIES
Collected and retold by James Haskins. Illustrated by Ben Oter (New York) HarperCollins
(1994) 116p.
ISBN 0-06-022994-2
A handsome volume of ghost stories and anecdotes, illustrated with dramatic
black-and-white drawings.
HOB AND THE GOBLINS
(By) William Mayne. Illustrated by Norman Messenger. (New York:
Dorling Kindersley. 1994) 140p. ISBN 1-56458-713-4
Skillfully built-up suspense gives way to mayhem when an invisible
household spirit battles the evil infesting Fairy Ring Cottage.
JACQUES-HENRI LARTIGUE: BOY WITH A CAMERA
By John Cech. New York: Four Winds/Macmillan (1994) 32p. ISBN 0-02-718136-7
An album of photographs taken in the early twentieth century reveals the
then unconventional work of one of France's photographic geniuses who's
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. ISBN 0-8037-1303-7
A potpourri of stories, ranging from
pour quoi to trickster tales,
pictured in black-and-white drawings and full-color spreads.
THE LIBRARIAN WHO MEASURED THE EARTH
(By) Kathryn Lasky. Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Boston: Little,
Brown (1994) 48p. ISBN 0-316-51526-4
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. ISBN 0-670-82421-6
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. ISBN 0-15-261875-9
The work of Don Ricardo, a seventy-five-year-old 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.
ISBN 0-399-22671-0
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. ISBN 0-689-50584-1
A dozen favorite tales, engagingly retold and illustrated with appealing
full-color 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. ISBN 0-517-59390-4
The workings of the eye and brain are skillfully presented through
succinct text and handsome photographs and drawings.
Books for children
11 years old and up
THE BOYS FROM ST. PETRI
(By) Bjarne Reuther. Translated by Anthea Bell. New York:
Dutton/Penguin (1994) 215p. ISBN 0-525-45121-8
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. ISBN 0-679-84421-X
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.
ISBN 0-531-06829-3
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. ISBN 0-374-32234-1
In this picaresque tale, set in sixteenth-century 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. ISBN 0-316-28319-3
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.
ISBN 0-8075-2531-6
A well-documented account of the lives of five women whose careers span
the history of photography, from the mid-nineteenth century to the
present.
THE FROZEN WATERFALL
(By) Gaye Hicyilmaz. New York: Farrar (1994) 325p. ISBN 0-374-32482-4
An engrossing tale of the struggle of a courageous, determined
twelve-year-old 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.ISBN 0-590-45897-3
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. ISBN 0-8050-2769-6
Strong in character and setting, this remarkable novel deals with the
power of time, friendship, and family love in healing the grief of
fourteen-year-old Lisette and twelve-year-old 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. ISBN 1-56402-199-8
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. ISBN 0-679-85618-8
A capsule history of jazz told through the lives of its great
musicians-horn players, pianists, composers, and singers-from Buddy
Bolden to Sarah Vaughan. Illustrated with portraits by the author.
JERICHO
(By) Janet Hickman. New York: Greenwillow/Morrow (1994) 135p.
ISBN 0-688-13398-3
Strong, well drawn characters and their relationships are the strengths
of this spare, perceptive novel which subtly connects the emotional
experiences of twelve-year-old Angela to those of her great-grandmother,
now reliving the emotional turmoils of her past.
JULIE
(By) Jean Craighead George. Illustrated by Wendell Minor. (New
York) HarperCollins (1994) 226p. ISBN 0-06-023528-4
Julie's difficulties in adjusting to her father's marrying a non-Eskimo
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.
ISBN 0-689-50590-6
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.ISBN 0-525-44778-4
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. ISBN 0-02-792526-9
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. ISBN 0-688-12911-0
A new edition of a favorite classic, enhanced by the vitality of
Freeman's black-and-white drawings and robust, full-color paintings.
REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM
(By) Kate Douglas Wiggin. Illustrations by Helen Mason Grose. New
York: Books of Wonder/Morrow (1994) 291p. ISBN 0-688-13481-5
An appealing facsimile of the first edition of a much-loved classic.
UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER: U.S. GRANT AND THE CIVIL WAR
(By) Albert Marrin. New York: Atheneum/Macmillan, 1994. 200p.
ISBN 0-689-31837-5
Colorful incidents from primary sources and effective black-and-white
photographs make vivid this account of the famous Union general's
activities during the Civil War.
UNDER THE BLOOD-RED SUN
(By) Graham Salisbury (New York) Delcorte (1994) 246p.
ISBN 0-385-32099-X
Thirteen-year-old Tomi's compelling account of the events in the life of
his Japanese-American family in Hawaii after the bombing of Pearl
Harbor.
WAR GAMES
(By) Michael Foreman. (New York) Arcade (1994) unp. ISBN 1-55970-242-7
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, 1621-1922
(By) Gillian Avery. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994. 226p. ISBN
0-370-31952-4
By a British scholar, a wide-ranging, 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.
SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS OF CHILDREN'S BOOK WEEK POSTERS
Sponsored by the Children's Book Council. Text by Leonard S.
Marcus. New York: Knopf (1994) 74p. ISBN 0-679-85106-2
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.
A TEENY TINY BABY
(By) Amy Schwartz. New York: Orchard (1994) unp. ISBN 0-531-06818-8
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
