My 10 Favorite Children's Books (continued)

A Single Shard
Ages: 12 & Up
By Linda Sue Park

A Newbery medal winner, this book artistically illustrates the landscape and sensations of a 12th century Korean pottery village. It tells the story of Tree-ear, who is an orphan boy living under a bridge with Crane-Man. Tree-ear becomes an apprentice to a master potter, Min, and embarks upon a long and perilous journey to show Min’s pottery to the King. Not only does he learn the art of pottery but he also learns about life and the importance of a single shard.

Who’s in Rabbit’s House?
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.
By Verna Aardema, Illustrated by Diane Dillon

Aardema is one of my favorite authors to study. Her books maintain the flavor of the African oral tradition. In this book, Aardema re-presents a Masai tale entitled The Long One. The Long One, an ominous character who eats trees and tramples on elephants, is in Rabbit’s house. Various animals try to get the Long One out; however, the most unlikely of all the animals succeeds and a lesson is learned.

The Witches
Ages: 9 - 12 yrs.
By Roald Dahl

Without a doubt, Dahl is one of the best authors to read-aloud. His characters are eccentric and interesting. His plots are engaging and unpredictable. In The Witches, a young boy gets entangled in a witchy plot to rid the world of children. Even though good triumphs in the end, bad things do happen to good people. I love this story because of the fantastical world of “real witches” that Dahl creates.

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson
Ages: 7 - 10 yrs.
By Bette Bao Lord, Illustrated by Marc Simont

I still remember reading this book in school. It was the first time that an Asian-American story was part of the school canon. I remember being proud of my Chinese-American identity, which is indicative of the power of books. Told through a series of vignettes, Lord shows how Shirley Temple Wong, the main character, learns how to be both American and Chinese. Embarrassed by her poor English skills and her cultural traditions, Wong discovers that her love of baseball and Jackie Robinson are her tickets into American culture.

About the Author

Virginia Loh is a university instructor, doctoral student and co-author of the forecoming children's book entitled THE JADE DRAGON, a semi-autobiographical story about a young Chinese-American coming to terms with her cultural identity (Fall 2006). She has a bimonthly column in a local newspaper and a book contract with Candlewick. She currently resides in San Diego, California.