By the author of Pippi Longstocking but in a very different vein, this book shamelessly hits every cliche and yet manages to be one-of-a-kind. Bill Bergson lives in a safe little village but dreams of catching criminals in the big city. He is steeped in the blood-and-thunder idioms of murder mysteries and gangster movies, and… Read more Bill Bergson, Master Detective (1946)
The story is a simple one, of a dragon who is a retiring and literary sort, befriended by a boy and then challenged to a fight by Saint George (at the behest of the villagers, who love fights). Between them, the boy, knight, and dragon arrange a staged battle, after which the dragon becomes a… Read more The Reluctant Dragon (1898)
My generation grew up on James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; later generations grew up on Matilda and The Big Friendly Giant. Somewhere in the middle is a forgotten book that is arguably Roald Dahl’s best: Danny the Champion of the World. It tells the story of a boy and… Read more Danny the Champion of the World (1975)
Everyone loves a good story about children who have gotten rid of the grown-ups. With their widowed father out of town, Malcolm, Molly, and Theobold (the Toad) are left alone when the housekeeper, Mrs. Coverlet, must go help her adult daughter who has broken her leg. They lead her to believe they will arrange for… Read more While Mrs. Coverlet Was Away (1958)
Here’s a rare find that I came across: an absolutely wonderful book that has fallen into obscurity for no good reason. Nine-year-old Prinda goes out on the snowy streets of 1920’s New York, on New Years Eve night, to find a miracle for her sick uncle. She discovers a pawnshop, featuring signs saying “A Small… Read more The Magic Pawnshop (1927)