Best Kids’ Books From The 60s And 70s Novels & Stories

“Only because it’s an emergency.” Elmo rubbed his eyes, and blinked away fatigue. As his vision cleared he found himself looking at Lucas’ bookshelf, and his heart sank as he surveyed the spines of books his friend loved so much. There were copies of The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, The Three Investigators and The Secret Seven, as well as modern mystery thrillers by authors such as Lee Child and James Patterson. But there were also older novels that Elmo recalled as movies on TCM but had never read. He saw Treasure Island and Ivanhoe, Tom Sawyer and Robinson Crusoe.

The night before the visit, I ended up lying across my bed scrolling through social media and parenting forums like a man preparing for an exam he forgot to study for. Best gifts for six year olds. Best books for intelligent children. Best educational toys. Gifts for analytical kids. Gifts children actually remember. At some point I became irrationally invested in whether six year olds preferred puzzle based activities over interactive science kits. Then somehow that spiraled into reading reviews written by parents arguing passionately over children’s attention spans. It was ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. And yet I stayed awake until nearly two in the morning researching. I even called m

The Little Mermaid popped out at me, as did The Emperor's New Clothes, but I thought maybe a story that people are foolish in public wouldn’t be the best choice. Then I looked around some more and picked up Floca’s Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11, Lewis’s The Wolf, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and Dahl’s Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and a few others. I paused at the Harry Potter series, but while the girls were old enough, being werewolves, for the story, I knew the sizes of the books would put them off. Next year, I thought. They’d have handled textbooks by then and wouldn’t be so rapidly opposed to books an inch thick or more.

I would soar across borders and continents as the wind hovers against my face. Goddamn!! I miss my childhood so much, and my mother was one person who made it more memorable for me. We shared so many awesome memories, even when she fell sick, she still made time for me. She would read me lovely fantasy books, she would take me into the world of dragons, talking cats, and pigs of course; Winnie the Pooh was my favorite piglet. Too bad what the world has done with that character in this generation, they are ruining my childhood with the new development. Speaking of childhood and stories, I loved books like Alice and wonderland; the adventures of young people in mysterious lands. One of my favo

“Will you read us a bedtime story?” “Aria,” Macey wanted to protest, but Aria pressed the book into his hands. “One story, please!” “I don’t mind,” Julius assured her as the kids snuggled on either side of him. The picture book Aria handed him was Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. He remembered it from his own childhood and wondered if it was nostalgia that made his father include it. Aria and Caden leaned close as he opened it and read. Macey watched from the doorway, a soft yet conflicted look on her face. This was the scene she always dreamed of, but never thought she would ever see.

“But smart people learn from them.” I stared at him. “How old are you?” “Six,” they said in unison. Six. Six years of bedtime stories I missed. Of scraped knees. Of first words, first steps, first days of school. Six years I would never get back. “And you?” I asked. “We can read chapter books,” one said proudly. “And we know multiplication.” “And planets,” the other added quickly. “Except Pluto. It’s complicated.” I actually laughed this time. A real laugh.

And even when they hadn’t… I no longer let them land. I had too much peace in me now. There wasn’t room for shame anymore. Back at the house, I carried the books Darren had ordered for the nursery upstairs and placed them on the newly assembled shelf. They were all hardcovers with soft pastel covers and gold-stamped lettering: Goodnight Moon, The Velveteen Rabbit, Where the Wild Things Are, Dream Big, Little One, I Am Enough. I traced the spine of each book with my fingertip, whispering the titles softly.