儿童必读英文书籍大推荐（本帖的书都有阅读年龄标记）- 幼龄和小学部分

旋木

我们看这部电影还没看到1/4就溜跑了

patrickzhu

长大些再看就不害怕了，这个电影拍的很好，是精品，可以看上很多遍

patrickzhu

推荐一本中学生的必读作品【Watership Down】，当代的经典。

这是以一群野兔为主角的英雄式奇幻小说，由英国作家Richard Adams所作，1972年出版。

故事描写了以主角Hazel为首的一群野兔们逃离即将被人类毁灭的兔场，追寻新的家园，而在一路上遭遇劫难的故事。这部小说标题取自主角野兔们建立新兔场的地点，英国Hampshire北区叫做Watership Down荒原，作者儿时也居住在该处的邻近地区。

这部作品是亚当斯的小说处女作，也是他最知名的一部作品，获得过包括Carnegie Medal，Guardian Children's Fiction Prize和California Young Reader Medal在内的不少奖誉，是最为畅销的英文文学著作之一。

这本身的有趣之处在于，咋一看，大孩子不会喜欢，因为兔子当主角的故事幼稚。而给小孩子看，可能太难了，因为其文风很成人化。。。赫赫，因此推荐给Year 7-Year 10的中学生阅读。



[ 本帖最后由 patrickzhu 于 2012-2-8 12:39 编辑 ]

patrickzhu

转一篇中文的书评，家长们可以了解本书的动人之处。

听说这本书很久了，但是直到上周才从图书馆借了来。是一本破旧的平装本，封面摇摇欲坠，书页卷了边，后面借书记录上密密麻麻的盖满了印章，看上去不觉得简陋，倒象是一种默默的保证。这就是那种一拿在手里就会令人产生安全感的老书，特别是在你需要读一个好故事的时候。
　　　　
这本书讲了一个精彩的历险故事，其中不乏阴谋，悬疑，还有现在最流行的卧底，读来真有些惊心动魄，最后一百页更是让人欲罢不能，它的主角是——一群野兔。故事发生在英国的乡间，为了不被人类毒死，一小群野兔逃离了它们世代生活的兔窝，经历种种冒险，终于在Watership Down这个地方安居。这本书最令人着迷的地方在于，作者创造了一个完整的兔子的世界，它们有自己独特的语言，神话和文明。它们说兔语，它们把enemy叫做“Elil”，把人类的交通工具叫做“Hrududu”，它们的口头语是“Great Frith”，就象人们说“My God”，书后附录里还有Lapine Glossary；它们讲故事，那些自古流传下来的神话包含了它们的起源，历史和信仰，主角有创造万物的太阳神Frith，兔子的神Prince of Rainbow，兔子的死神Black Rabbit，讲的最多的是兔子的老祖宗，El-ahrairah（意思是“有一千个敌人的王子”）和它得力干将Rabscuttle的故事，它们象所有民间故事的主角一样足智多谋，能说会道，经常把大人物耍得团团转；它们还有自己的社会，每一群兔子都有一个Chief Rabbit，有一群身强力壮的兔子作为它的护卫队，称为“Owsla”，它们甚至有自己的传统游戏“Bob-stones”。兔子世界的奇妙风俗与紧张的历险相互交织着，读起来几乎要让人相信，兔子们已经照这样子生活了很多很多年，而我们才刚刚发现它们的秘密。
　　　　
作者Richard Adams是英国人，这本书脱胎于他为自己两个小女儿讲的故事。书扉页上的题献是：To Juliet and Rosamond, remembering the road to Stratford-on-Avon。 一个夏日，一家人驱车外出，在漫长的旅途中他给两个小女儿讲了一个野兔的故事，那时候Juliet十岁， Rosamond八岁。后来在两个孩子一再坚持下，他开始把故事写成书，小说完成于1969年，距离那次旅行大约两年。Richard Adams收到了无数的拒稿信，出版社的理由是，谁会对一本动物的书感兴趣呢。在他几乎丧失希望的时候，终于有一家小出版社接受了这份稿件，而那家小出版社刚刚出版了一本有关动物的书。实际上又过了两年多，在1972年，这本书才终于印刷发行，结果一经面世就赢得了无数儿童读者和成人读者的喜爱，作者因此于1973年获得Guardian Award和Carnegie Medal。从此这本书不仅列入中学生的必读书单，而且成为一部公认的fantasy经典。
　　　　
Richard Adams一贯说明这是一本给孩子看的书，很多读者都认为这本书是个政治寓言，并且喜欢把它和《动物庄园》相提并论。的确在书里作者描写了四个不同的兔窝（Warren），大概隐含着作者对社会的不满和理想。《动物庄园》我没有看过，看这本书的时候不知为什么常常想到的是另一本书《蝇王》（Lord of the Flies）。在《Watership Down》里，到第一部分结束历险的主力军基本上定型，一小群野兔，数量总共不过十几只，但这个小团体可谓各类人员齐备：Hazel--Chief，Fiver--Prophet，Bigwig--Warrior，Blackberry--Intellectual，可以再算上Dandelion--Entertainer。Fiver给出了兔窝将被毁灭的预言，Hazel做出了逃离兔窝的决定，Bigwig打退了来追捕它们的Owsla，Blackberry让两只体质虚弱的小兔趴在木板上安全渡过河水，Dandelion给大家讲故事平抚情绪和鼓舞士气。在危机四伏的田野里它们意识到要生存下去必须依赖彼此，于是，随着故事展开，Hazel变得果断而有远见，Fiver和Blackberry得到了大家的尊敬，Bigwig成为忠诚的战士。《Lord of the Flies》里荒岛上的孩子们有类似的处境，也有几个精英成员：Ralph--Chief，Simon--Thinker（有些勉强，想不出好的了），Piggy--Intellectual，Jack--Warrior。但是，孩子们认为小岛是无拘无束的天堂，大家都嘲笑Piggy，他的尊严和他的眼镜最后连他自己一同在岩石上摔得粉碎，没人相信Simon的话，Simon自己反而被当作野兽杀死，Jack的力量失去了控制，Ralph成了光杆司令。
　　　　
在写作这本书的时候Richard Adams是英国的环境部门的公务员，他热爱自然，熟悉英国乡村生活，关心环境，这些兴趣在小说里留下了鲜明的印记，书中的地名都是真实的，题目Watership Down就取自作者成长之地一座小山的名字。另外，故事里面兔窝被人下毒，人用铁丝网做的陷阱捕捉兔子等等情节也不是凭空而来，当时（50年代）英国农民普遍使用一种带弹簧的圈套捕猎，虽然捕捉了一些野兔，但对它们的数量没有影响，反而大量的獾，鼬，狐狸和猛禽被捕杀，这些动物大都是野兔的天敌，这样一来造成野兔数目激增，结果最终的受害者是农民的庄稼。为了控制野兔的数量政府颁布禁令不得使用带弹簧的圈套捕猎，而且还派出专家往兔窝里散布病菌，这种病菌能通过兔子耳朵上的跳蚤迅速传播，使兔子大批死亡。就靠这种方法，英国政府自称每年挽救了价值四百万英磅的粮食。小说里站在野兔的角度描写了兔子的命运，这不仅仅是侧面描写人类对环境的破坏，而且更让人从弱者的眼睛里看到了自己野蛮和残忍的一面。
　　　　
Richard Adams在写作之前就读过P.M. Lockley的《The Private Life of the Rabbit》，写作的时候也参考了这本书。你会发现尽管书里的兔子们讲一口流利英语，但它们的许多行为与野地里一窝真实的兔子别无二致，而这又与神奇的兔子世界几乎天衣无缝的结合起来，读起来就特别感到自然，可信，趣味盎然。我一向认为好的动物小说一定是动物主角的个性与它本身的自然习性相一致的小说，否则就会让人觉得做作反感。《Watership Down》里我最喜欢的是Bigwig。孔武有力的大个子野兔，头上有一小撮毛，性格直爽粗鲁，而且非常有头脑，最有意思的是它教训起不听话的小兔子来，经常是一大串一大串的口头语脱口而出，不带重样不说，还很有兔子特色。Richard Adams有一枝生花妙笔，一段在人类看来微不足道的历险写得险象环生，跌宕起伏，为了生存兔子们做出的努力尤其令人感动和值得尊敬。就像某个评论里写的，Adams made it not just the journey of a group of rabbits，but a movement of creatures who are no less part of nature than we are, and whose humble disasters and migrations have a claim to the attention of men, for all the greater scale of theirs.

juneluo

今天去图书馆借了另个贴里妈妈提到的"A series of unfortunate Events", 有知道这套书的TX吗？ 适合几年级孩子看的？

patrickzhu

原帖由 juneluo 于 2012-2-8 13:13 发表
今天去图书馆借了另个贴里妈妈提到的"A series of unfortunate Events", 有知道这套书的TX吗？ 适合几年级孩子看的？

Year 2+

kieren

Mark下，慢慢学习。

elena_sokolova

我小时候看了无数遍的一套书 - 雷梦拉系列。适合小学女生看。是美国人写的，但很多澳州图书馆也有。前年还拍成了电影。
http://www.beverlycleary.com/books.aspx

ps. 原帖太长了，看不到尾。绿山墙的安妮有人介绍了么?

patrickzhu

原帖由 elena_sokolova 于 2012-2-9 18:26 发表
我小时候看了无数遍的一套书 - 雷梦拉系列。适合小学女生看。是美国人写的，但很多澳州图书馆也有。前年还拍成了电影。
http://www.beverlycleary.com/books.aspx

ps. 原帖太长了，看不到尾。绿山墙的安妮有人介绍了么?

Anne of Green Gables?
#337-#340

patrickzhu

原帖由 elena_sokolova 于 2012-2-9 18:26 发表
我小时候看了无数遍的一套书 - 雷梦拉系列。适合小学女生看。是美国人写的，但很多澳州图书馆也有。前年还拍成了电影。
http://www.beverlycleary.com/books.aspx

大概介绍下吧，特别是说下阅读年龄，这样方便大家

fcad

Mark

patrickzhu

下面介绍一些Young Fiction的书，适合小学低年级的小朋友阅读。


今天介绍一个作家叫Jeremy Strong，他是英国现代最著名的儿童作家之一，他原来是小学老师，后来成为专业作家，出版了80多本儿童作品，大部分都是Young Fiction，可以说是7-10岁年龄段英文世界的小朋友必读的作品。

他被英国的媒体誉为King of Comedy。英国的独立报评论他说：Comic energy and general fizz are Jeremy Strong's trademark。

英国Puffin出版社的出版的系列Laugh Your Socks Off With Jeremy Strong有他最受欢迎的作品，其中有一本叫做【The Hundred-Mile-an-Hour Dog】是他最成功最畅销的作品，在1997年得到了NFCBG Children's Book of the Year Award Award。
7-9岁小朋友的必读作品。

这个故事说的是一只跑得疾风似箭的猎犬Streaker。
想象下，如果你带着一条跑得比法拉利、鱼雷还要快的狗散步，你也大概想要到那将会是怎样的一回事吧！
它的主人Trevor是个个子细小的男孩，为了30英磅的酬金，他承诺了爸妈于复活节长假每天带Streaker散步，然而Streaker实在跑得太快了，Trevor完全不能控制牠，结果当然是发生了一连串令人发笑的事情，结果还连累Trevor被警察逮捕，误以为他是抢手袋和入屋行劫的犯人。
Trevor最后怎样才能训练好Streaker呢？去买一本来看看吧，小朋友一定喜欢。

推荐阅读年龄 7岁-9岁

patrickzhu

Young Fiction的世界里里还有一本奇书，名字叫做【Fungus the Bogeyman】，Bogeyman是可怕的妖怪的意思，Fungus这个妖怪的名字。

这个故事很有意思，
在地底下的不为人知怪物王国（Bogey Society）里住着一群绿色怪物，他们过着跟地面上的人们完全不同的生活，这个地下世界其实和人类世界很相似，但是怪物们的社会和人类社会的有着截然相反的生活状态，怪物们喜欢的东西都是人类所厌恶的比如黑暗、潮湿、冰冷和腐败的食物。。。

其中一个叫做Fungus怪物每天晚上都会跑到地面上来吓人，这个故事就是说了他一天的生活。在这一天里，他经历一场对自己人生的思考，他苦苦思索着他为啥要每天毫无意义地出来吓人。。。

这本听上去有点吓人有点怪怪的书，受到了小朋友们的热烈欢迎。。。70年代末出版后得到了很高的评价：
Sunday Times说，You need a strong stomach and a quick eye.
The Times说， A vivid and truly vile creation.
Sun说，Horrible enough to be a roaring success.

推荐阅读年龄 8+

ECLF408

又有好书推荐，顶！！！

patrickzhu

在介绍一位英国最受欢迎的儿童作家，她的儿童文学作品涵盖了不同年龄层次的小读者，她的作品有很深的内涵，同时笔调也轻松幽默，被翻译成27种语言在全世界各地流行。

介绍几本她最出名的作品，小朋友们的必读。

patrickzhu

杀手猫日记【The Diary of a Killer Cat】是写给小学低年级年龄段里最有名的作品。
这只叫做Killer cat的猫在西方世界的小朋友中家喻户晓。
Killer Cat在书里唱到：

OKAY,OKAY.
So hang me.
I killed the bird.
For pity's sake,
I'm a cat.

- Plot -
Poor Ellie is horrified when Tuffy drags a dead bird into the house. Then a mouse. But Tuffy can't understand what all the fuss is about.

Who on earth will be the next victim to arrive through the cat-flap? Can soft-hearted Ellie manage to get her beloved pet to change his wild, wild ways before he ends up in even deeper trouble?

The hilarious antics of Tuffy and his family as told by the killer cat himself.


推荐阅读年龄 5-7岁

patrickzhu

【Bill's New Frock】是Anne Fine另外一部写给小学生的小说，这本书的特别之处是涉及了男女性别教育。
在西方世界被称为最适合小孩子阅读的性别（教育）启蒙书。

故事说的是，小男孩Bill Simpson在星期一的早上醒来的时候，他发现他变成了一个女孩子，他不知道发生了什么事，他站在镜子前直愣愣地看着他那红灿灿的长发，简直不敢相信。更糟糕的是，妈妈硬是强迫他穿上一件镶褶边的粉红裙子才能去上学，这是一条有着精巧的纽扣，背上镶着拉链的漂亮裙子，但对于Bill来说奇丑无比。临走时爸爸居然在他脸颊上给了一个难以置信的吻，并柔声地叫他“乖孩子”。Bill发现，他人生中最糟糕的一天即将开始。。。

他怀着恐惧的心情去了学校，想象着人们该会怎样评价他。到了学校他受到了不同于男生的礼遇，一切都变得不同了。他是个男孩子却有着女儿身，他不被允许去踢足球，因为怕弄脏裙子，但他又讨厌和女孩子玩娃娃。现在也没有人敢用脚踢他了，他也不会被老师挑选出来搬桌子，他已不再是个又大又强壮的男孩子了。他现在要做的就是保持干净整洁并要表现得文静乖巧。一天就这样在男女角色挣扎中度过，不可避免的是他的裙子变得又脏又破，回到家中妈妈非常生气，并不再允许他穿裙子去上学了，他又回到从前作为男孩子的生活了，Bill很庆幸终于不用再穿裙子了。

Anne Fine用很简短的篇幅向我们展示了一个幽默搞笑的故事，充满奇妙的想象力。通过Bill大变身的一天，让孩子们在轻松愉快中感受着男女生之间的不同。对于小孩子来说，这是一本极其适合他们阅读的幽默有趣的性别启蒙书。

推荐阅读年龄 7-9岁

patrickzhu

不得不提一下Anne Fine最著名的作品，【窈窕奶爸】（Madame Doubtfire）

这本书是Anne Fine的代表作，滑稽、感人且带有她独特的幽默感和写实面，是个读来令人难以抗拒的故事。
获1987年Guardian Children's Fiction Award，1987年Observer Teenage Fiction Prize和1987年the Whitbread Children's Book Award。

1993年被好莱坞改编成电影，由【Home Alone】的导演Chris Columbus主导，著名的喜剧明星Robin Williams主演，相信我这个年纪的家长一定看过这部电影【Mrs. Doubtfire】

这个故事说的是，
Daniel Hillard本是卡通配音员，但因擅自增加对白而遭开除，他在儿子生日时，把家里搞得天翻地覆，在办公室里忙得焦头烂额的妻子Miranda一回到家看到这副乱象，怒火中烧，Daniel“数罪并发”，被妻子扫地出门。Daniel丢了差事，他和Miranda在法庭上争取孩子的监护权当然落败，法庭判他只能在周末与孩子相聚，Daniel见子心切，希望能争取更多的相处机会，便发挥他的表演才能，遂男扮女装，化身为英国籍六十五岁的老奶奶前去应征奶妈。Miranda和三个孩子不疑有他，遂高高兴兴接纳了这位慈蔼的老奶奶“Doubtfire太太”。

Daniel白天在电视台当搬运工，晚间则到妻儿的家里打扫煮饭，照顾孩子。刚开始时，做不惯家务事的他笑话百出，但也由此体会妻子内外两忙的辛劳。在“Doubtfire太太”的帮助下，Miranda负担减轻，不再歇斯底里，孩子们功课进步，Daniel本人也改变了邋遢、不修边幅的恶习。他的善解人意以及和孩子间的默契，都让他的前妻大为欣赏，以为这位奶妈是上帝派给她的礼物，因此对他毫无防备地诉说心事。谁知在阴错阳差的情况下，她的前妻揭穿了这个骗局，她生气地赶走前夫并竭尽所能地数落他。

Daniel受此打击，回到脏乱的家，好好的检讨自己的行为，发现自己实在不算个尽责的丈夫，便认真地收拾一下屋子，以弥补他一贯任性的过失。而他的前妻也觉得自己的口气太过激烈，便下定决心不再老是对他持有负面的偏见，两人在孩子的周旋下，终于愿意用尊重的态度面对彼此。

这部书和电影，都是必读必看的作品，老少咸宜。

推荐年龄 12+

elena_sokolova

我强烈推荐的，雷梦拉系列。全套一共8本，都在下面。由于是美国人写的，所以不是所有澳洲书店都有，但是很多图书馆也都可以借到。个人认为内容和语言适合8到12岁的女孩子阅读。
http://www.beverlycleary.com/books.aspx

其中有两本最有名的翻成了中文，简单介绍一下。


雷梦拉与爸爸

每个月爸爸发薪水的日子都是全家最高兴的一天，因为这一天爸爸会买礼物送给雷梦拉和她的姐姐，甚至还会带上全家到餐馆吃大餐。

但是有一天，雷梦拉无意间听到了一个噩耗——爸爸失业了。从此以后，妈妈不得不去找了一个很辛苦的工作来维持家计。而雷梦拉这个小大人又准备担负起家庭的重担了。

在圣诞节快要来临之际，雷梦拉许下了自己小小的愿望——希望爸爸能够早日找到工作。到底家中能不能再度回复往日的欢笑呢？她的愿望能不能实现呢？让我们拭目以待。

雷梦拉八岁

本书为贝芙莉·克莱瑞的经典名作，荣获纽伯瑞儿童文学奖银奖。八岁的雷梦拉，再开学就要上小学三年级了。她在学校里爱出风头，却又担心别人说她是讨厌鬼；对家里的食物挑挑拣拣，却在自己被罚亲手做过一次晚餐之后理解了妈妈；她生病时，会装出很痛苦的样子引起他人的同情；她有着丰富的想象力，写出了一篇精彩绝伦的读书报告……

elena_sokolova

本系列书在2010年还被改编成了电影，Ramona and Beezus
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493949/

书

电影

elena_sokolova

英文的一些简介

Ramona Forever

The protagonist, Ramona Quimby, is a third grader who is eight years old and always feels that she has a story to tell. At the beginning of the novel, she is ecstatic that the rich uncle of her friend, Howie Kemp, is coming to visit. Ramona’s Aunt Bea expresses an overly enthusiastic interest in this event. Ramona brags about Howie's rich uncle to her classmates, who soon become tired of hearing about the rich uncle and are convinced that he will never arrive in Oregon. One day after school, Howie’s Uncle Hobart arrives in a muddy, beat up van instead of the expected limo. He also arrives in dirty clothes which surprises Ramona. Uncle Hobart does, however, provide Howie and Willa Jean with presents.

Ramona is embarrassed as Uncle Hobart makes fun of her and Howie while calling her Howie’s girlfriend. Hobart gives Willa Jean an accordion and Howie a unicycle. Howie’s grandmother feels that the unicycle is an inappropriate gift. Ramona watches from indoors with Willa Jean as Howie learns to ride the unicycle outside. While indoors Ramona catches Willa Jean sitting on and breaking the accordion which reveals a strange noise. After the incident Mrs. Kemp blames Ramona for not stopping Willa Jean from breaking the accordion. Ramona is upset because she feels that it is not her responsibility to look after Willa Jean. Furthermore, the incident happened so quickly that Ramona was unable to prevent it.

Uncle Hobart confesses that he thinks Ramona is wonderful since she is Howie’s girlfriend, but Ramona decides to never come back. As the Quimbys eat a fish dinner, Ramona relays what happened during her time at the Kemps. The Quimbys ask about Uncle Hobart. During the discussion both Beezus and Ramona reveal their dislike for the man.

Later on Ramona convinces her parents to let her stay home by promising not to fight with Beezus. As a result Ramona tries to be on her best behavior and get along with Beezus, who is going through tough times as she has hit puberty which includes breaking out in pimples from time to time. Howie then pays a visit to Ramona’s house and brings both his bike and his unicycle along hoping that they can cycle together. When Ramona asks her sister for permission Beezus denies Ramona the privilege. Ramona feels that Beezus is being overly bossy. In a fit of rage Ramona calls Beezus “pizza face,” which hurts her sister's feelings due to the acne she is suffering from. Ramona then leaves anyway, disobeying her sister.

While riding Howie’s bike, Ramona falls and gets hurt. She goes home to wash the wound and asks Beezus to help, but Beezus refuses and calls her a “hateful little creep” in retaliation for Ramona's calling her "pizza face". Ramona finds the situation to be unfair since she called her “pizza face” by accident, but Beezus called her a “hateful little creep” on purpose (Ramona had called Beezus "pie face" in other times, which is what she was playing off of when she called her "pizza face"). When their parents finally come home neither are talking to each other.

One day, Ramona comes home looking for her cat Picky-Picky but realizes that she forgot to let him out of the basement. When Beezus opens up the door to the basement, they find the cat dead. Ramona suggests that they bury the cat to avoid worrying their mother. After burying the cat they decide to pray. The death of Picky-Picky makes Beezus and Ramona closer and the sisters finally forgive each other. When their parents come home, their mother reveals that she's pregnant again and Beezus and Ramona start calling the baby "It" as Mr. and Mrs. Quimby decided to wait until the baby's born to find out if it's a boy or a girl.

Toward the end of the story, Uncle Hobart and Aunt Bea announce that they will be getting married. Ramona, Beezus, Willa Jean, Howie, and Uncle Hobart shop for clothes to wear in the wedding. On the day of the wedding, Howie accidentally drops the ring and Ramona finds it after that Ramona and Beezus became the nieces of Uncle Hobart. Ramona and her family go to the hospital since Mrs. Quimby is in labor. Beezus and Ramona's baby sister, Roberta, is born. Their mother believes that Roberta looks like Ramona and at school Ramona is excited to tell everyone about her little sister.



Ramona Quimby, Age 8

The novel opens with Ramona starting third grade and being excited about riding the school bus all by herself. At the same time, her older sister Beezus is enthusiastic about starting junior high, while their father begins taking college classes with a view to becoming a teacher, quitting his job as a supermarket checker that he acquired in the previous novel.

In the first chapter Ramona is shocked to learn Mr. Quimby is back in school. On the bus Ramona meets a Boy named Danny who she called a yard ape .Once Ramona arrives at school, she instantly clicks with her teacher, Mrs. Whaley ("a whale with a 'y' for a tail"), and starts signing her name, "Ramona Quimby, Age 8". But of course, as is normal for Ramona, things don't always go as planned. One day, she takes a hard-boiled egg to school for lunch. When she whacks it against her head to remove the shell as per a third-grade trend, she realizes it wasn't hard boiled and gets raw egg in her hair. She later overhears Mrs. Whaley talking about the incident in the staff room, commenting "What a nuisance". Ramona is shocked and upset that her teacher thinks of her like this. In another chapter, Ramona and Beezus claim not to like tongue because of "those yucky little, small, and tiny bumps". As punishment for their comments, Mr. and Mrs. Quimby state that their two daughters should prepare the evening meal. The next day, Beezus and Ramona behave themselves in the hope that their parents will forget about their punishment. Unfortunately, Mr. and Mrs. Quimby remember and instruct the sisters to cook dinner. They prepare chicken thighs, rice and cornbread. However, they substitute other ingredients, because they run out of the right ones: They use Cream of Wheat in the cornbread with the cornmeal and banana yogurt and chili powder in the chicken. They also make a mess of the kitchen. Their parents pretend to like the dinner. In another chapter, Ramona contracts stomach flu and she does the "most terrible, horrible, dreadful, awful thing" — she throws up in front of everybody in class.

After Ramona recovers, she has hangups about a book report she is assigned to do, and comes up with a clever way to present it, she makes cat masks and tell her friends to act like cats. Mrs. Whaley congratulates her warmly. Ramona confronts her teacher about the way she called her a nuisance. Mrs. Whaley replies that she meant it was a nuisance for the school secretary to have to wash the egg out of Ramona's hair. In the final chapter, the Quimbys are in a generally bad mood on a rainy Sunday, hardly a novelty in Oregon, complete with Beezus being upset over not being able to spend the night at her friend Mary Jane's house because of coming home exhausted and angry, Ramona being forced to clean up her room , and Mr. Quimby getting annoyed with his art assignment. So, to cheer everyone up, their father decides they should go out to dinner for the first time in months to Whopper burger. There, the whole family realizes that a man, who had strangely asked Ramona if she's been nice to her mother, has paid for their meal, and they go home happy.


Ramona and Her Father

Ramona is well into her second grade year at Glenwood School, and all is going well until one day her father comes home and announces he has lost his job. The Quimbys must now cope with the breadwinner searching for another job - filling out job applications and collecting unemployment insurance. Until then, Mrs. Quimby, who has been working part time at a hospital, secures full time work (for another doctor she has been working for in the past) to keep the family going, in essence becoming the breadwinner herself, but things are still very tight for the family. It is especially difficult to find a job because Ramona's father never went to college. Mr. Quimby goes into a depression and Mrs. Quimby informs her children that they must not do anything that would further upset their dad. Ramona is discontented and worried. Like many children her age, all she wants is to have a happy family.

Many of the chapters in the book are of Ramona trying to keep things together and getting into all sorts of hilarious scrapes. The Quimbys try to have a Halloween, only to have their cat Picky-picky eat the jack o'lantern. Other subplots deal with the family's temperamental car, Beezus and her hangups about creative writing, and Ramona's crafty attempts to get her father to kick his smoking habit (Ramona is worried his lungs are going to turn black).

In another chapter of the book, Ramona watches TV and has the idea that if she became one of the kids on television commercials, she could earn a million dollars and help pull her family out of their financial woes. She begins to imitate the children on television in hopes that someone important will notice her and put her on television. As usual, her attempts end up getting her into a big mess as she makes a tiara out of burrs on the playground and gets them stuck in her hair. She also unintentionally offends her teacher by telling her "her pantyhose bunch around her ankles like an elephant's skin." When Ramona goes home for the day, she expresses her worries of not having a happy family, her dad reassures her the Quimbys will always be together and strong, no matter what happens.

The final chapter finds Mr. Quimby finally getting a job as a supermarket cashier, and of Beezus and Ramona participating in their church's annual Christmas pageant with Beezus's friend Henry Huggins. Beezus is to be the Virgin Mary and Ramona has the idea for her and her friends Howie Kemp and Davy to be sheep in the pageant, but Ramona's costume is made of a pair of old pajamas because her mother had little time to sew (mainly due to her full time work schedule). After having her mother agree to make her costume, Ramona becomes angry with her father after overhearing her father say to her mother (referring to Ramona) "we dont want a spoiled brat on our hands." Nevertheless, the sheep steal the show.


Ramona the Brave

As the story begins, Ramona is coming off a summer after kindergarten, a summer that was spent playing a muddy game of Brick Factory with her friend Howie Kemp. The game involves smashing bricks to smithereens. She gets excited about beginning first grade at Glenwood School and meeting her new teacher, Mrs. Griggs. Ramona is anxious to leave her "pest" days behind her, but of course, things don't always work out the way she wants to.

In one chapter, Mrs. Griggs' class makes paper-bag owls for Parents Night. Ramona sees Susan, her kindergarten nemesis, copying Ramona's owl. Mrs. Griggs sees Susan's owl, assumes that Susan came up with the idea herself, and gives Susan praise. Ramona destroys her own owl, then Susan's. The next morning, she is forced to apologize to Susan in front of the whole class. Later in the book, after a bad day at school and having to show her progress report (saying she needs to learn self-control and to keep her hands to herself), Ramona startles her family by threatening to say a bad word, which she does - "Guts!" But instead of shock, her family laughs at her, further upsetting Ramona.

The final chapter describes how Ramona became "The Brave." Ramona is accosted by a dog on her way to school one morning. She takes off her shoe and throws it at the animal. The dog picks up her shoe and carries it away. Mrs. Griggs discovers that Ramona is only wearing one shoe when she finally chooses her to lead the morning flag salute. Eventually, her shoe is returned and her class is thrilled with how "bravely" she handled the situation.

floodp

mark

patrickzhu

320楼介绍过一对夫妻作家Janet and Allan Ahlbery，他们的作品主要是给学龄前儿童和刚上小学的小朋友读的，相信这里有很多父母一定在图书馆里见到过他们的书，因为他们的书在英国国家的社区图书馆里总是列为Most Popular的， 老公Allan负责写作，而老婆Janet负责插图，二十年来Janet and Allan Ahlbery一直致力于给宝宝们和小朋友们写书，他们书是小宝宝们学习单词和简单的韵律的最好教材，他们的书同样也吸引大孩子们。

英国的卫报评论这两位夫妻作家成就的话有些像精英中学GA题，Janet and Allan Ahlberg are to children's books what Ginger and Fred were to dancing.(Ginger and Fred是美国最出名的夫妻跳舞家）
很可惜地是妻子Janet英年早逝，1994年死于癌症，才50岁。

【Happy Families】是一套系列书，针对刚刚上学的小朋友阅读，程度相当于在英文儿童读物里从Picture book到Chapter book过渡的阅读材料，从1980问世以来已经在全世界卖出了超过260万本。

媒体对这套书的评价很高：
If ever a series was designed to lighten the darkness of parents and children worrying about developing reading, this is it."    - Books for Your Children

Recommended Age 5-8

patrickzhu

不得不提一下这对牛人夫妇作家的最著名作品【The Jolly Postman】，这部书是Picture Book，Allan写字Janet作画，在全世界卖出了600多万本。。。
（后来因为太过出名，他们又出版了续集【The Jolly Pocket Postman and The Jolly Christmas Postman】）

这部书加入新的创意，将信件，卡片，游戏和一本小书用一个信封装起來，连同正本一起出版。
Janet and Allan Ahlberg花了5年的时间才完成这本书，期间和出版商有过无数次的讨论，才在1986年出版，是真正的精品，3岁以上小朋友的必读，呵呵。

elena_sokolova

这本书不知道有没有人提过



海蒂--木偶百年历险记，适合9到13岁的女孩阅读。

海蒂的第一个小主人菲比，是船长的女儿，因此海蒂有机会随船出海，和水手们一起体验惊险刺激的海上生活。当海船遇难后，她漂流到南太平洋的小岛上，差点成为土著人的掌中和当他们被另一条船救走，在印度的孟买登陆后，海蒂又被耍蛇人收留，目睹了让人魂飞魄散的耍蛇表演，后来，海蒂随着另一个小主人――美国小姑娘赛克菲尔，回到了费城。在那之后，一连串奇遇发行在海蒂身上：聆听了世界著名的女歌唱家的表演，受到一位诗人的赞赏，成了画家的模特，还见到了英国著名作家狄更斯，成了展览会上的明星……最后，她被一位古董收藏家收购，竟又旅行到了她的第一个小主人菲比的老家!可惜景物依然而故人不在，于是饱经悲欢的海蒂提笔开始撰写自己的回忆录。

这就是海蒂的一生――既感受到了来自人间的无比温暖和关怀，也体验到了世态炎凉。但她始终对人间的一切充满憧憬，对她关注的人充满与祝福。

Hitty, Her First Hundred Years is a children's novel written by Rachel Field and published in 1929. It won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1930.

The story was rewritten and updated in 1999 by Susan Jeffers and Rosemary Wells.

Plot summary

The narrative unfolds through the eyes of a wooden doll named Hitty. Hitty was carved in the early 19th century for a young girl from Maine. The story details Hitty's adventures as she travels from owner to owner over the course of a century. She ends up living in locations as far-flung as Boston, New Orleans, India, and an island in the South Pacific. At various times, she is lost deep under the sea and also under sofa cushions, abandoned in a hayloft, and serves as part of a snake-charmer's act.

The story was inspired by a doll purchased by Field. The doll currently resides at the Stockbridge Library Association in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

[ 本帖最后由 elena_sokolova 于 2012-2-17 10:45 编辑 ]

patrickzhu

原帖由 elena_sokolova 于 2012-2-17 10:43 发表
这本书不知道有没有人提过

526577

海蒂--木偶百年历险记，适合9到13岁的女孩阅读。

海蒂的第一个小主人菲比，是船长的女儿，因此海蒂有机会随船出海，和水手们一起体验惊险刺激的海上生活。当海船遇难后，她漂流到南太平洋 ...

谢谢推荐。
也是Newbery Medal呀。

Bluemoon99

收藏，以后给宝宝买

Onmyway

Nim Chimpsky



The book Nim Chimpsky is based around chimpanzees used in experiments, or brought up in human homes, but were then deserted by their careres who dumped them in research centres or experiment cnetres of which would finally kill them. This book tells you about 4-5 different stories of different chimp, but mainly focused on Nim CHimpsky. WE always thought about them as just research animals or things that we can toss around like toys. This book is about the story from the Chimpanzee's point of view.

The book is about an adorable baby chimp who was brought up in a human family (the Lafarges) then dumped at research centres, to suffer from depression. The project is called Project Nim or more known as the movie. Nim Chimpsky was an amazing learner, he studied sign language and learnt it faster compared to other experiment chimpanzees. He was playful, making everyone around Nim love him. As he grew older, they found it harder to teach him, as he was stubborn and couldn't leran well in a classroom. He bit and scratched the people he didn't like, even though he thought it was just as play. The manager of the project (Terrace) found it even harder to dominate and control the chimp than before. He was becoming a real problem. Soon Terrace knew he could not keep Nim, and the project was definetly not going anywhere. So Nim was seperated from the ones he knew and loved, and sent to a research centre. Nim was put in a cage, where he suffered form depression and loneliness.

Nim Chimpsky is quite a sad book (Not as sad to make you cry) but then again, it's very interesting to know what happened to Nim. I would recommend it to 13 years and older, because it does contain rude words, and small children may not understand the concepts just yet. I rate it 8/10, for it's creativeness, and I just liked reading it.

Onmyway

关于这本书的详细背景和中文翻译，请看JUJU阿姨的帖子

一只被当成人类养大的黑猩猩的真实故事

elena_sokolova

再来推荐一本低幼的，适合3到7岁刚学认字的小孩读。很多邮局有一段时间都有卖这个的。



Green Eggs and Ham
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Green Eggs and Ham is a best-selling and critically acclaimed book by Dr. Seuss, first published on August 12, 1960. As of 2001, according to Publishers Weekly, it was the fourth-best-selling English-language children's book (novel) of all time.[1]

Storyline

The story is told wholly through images and rhyming dialogue, containing only about 50 words; there is no descriptive narrative or analysis.

There are two characters: "Sam-I-Am" (or simply Sam) and an unnamed character.

Throughout the book, Sam tries to encourage the unnamed character to try a dish consisting of green eggs and ham saying: "Do you like green eggs and ham?". The unnamed character refuses to taste the dish, saying: "I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them, Sam-I-Am", insisting that he would not like it. Sam then goes through an assortment of locations (house, car, tree, train, box, boat) and dining partners (fox, goat, mouse) trying to persuade the unnamed character to eat the dish.

The conclusion of the tale occurs when the unnamed character, after a train/shipwreck, finally gives in and tries the green eggs and ham on the condition that Sam leaves him alone. Upon doing so, he realizes that he does, in fact, like green eggs and ham, and would eat them in all the places and with all the dining partners suggested throughout the book.

The story closes with the character thanking Sam-I-Am for his persistence.

Lexicon

Green Eggs and Ham is one of Seuss's "Beginner Books", written in a very simple vocabulary for beginning readers.

The vocabulary of the text consists of just fifty different words[2] and was the result of a bet between Seuss and Bennett Cerf (Dr. Seuss's publisher)[2][3] that Seuss (after completing The Cat in the Hat using 225 words) could not complete an entire book using so few words.

The 50 are: a, am, and, anywhere, are, be, boat, box, car, could, dark, do, eat, eggs, fox, goat, good, green, ham, here, house, I, if, in, let, like, may, me, mouse, not, on, or, rain, Sam, say, see, so, thank, that, the, them, there, they, train, tree, try, will, with, would, you.[2]

Reception

Green Eggs and Ham was first published on August 12, 1960,[4][5] and became the fourth-best selling English-language children's hardcover book of all time.[1][6] In 1999, the National Education Association conducted an online survey of children and teachers, seeking the 100 most popular children's books. On both the children's and the teachers' lists, Green Eggs and Ham was ranked third, just above another Dr. Seuss book, The Cat in the Hat.[7][8]

[ 本帖最后由 elena_sokolova 于 2012-2-20 18:41 编辑 ]