Seven Excellent Children's Books Recommended by a Child

Sonora, my six-year-old daughter, likes to read. She also likes telling people what to do. So when I said she could help me with a blog post that recommended good books for children to read, she was more than happy to help. I asked her to grab her favorite stories from the book shelf and explain why other kids would like to read them. Here are her favorite picks:

Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy by David Somar and Jacky Davis: Sonora likes this book because "it teaches kids how they can get along and play pretend."

Lulu, the main character and "alter-ego" of Ladybug Girl, wears a ladybug Halloween costume and goes to the park with her mother.

Once there, she meets a little boy in a striped shirt. At first, they can't agree on a game to play. After trying everything from digging in the sand to climbing the monkey bars, Lulu decides it's time to be Ladybug Girl. She then dubs her striped-shirted sidekick Bumblebee Boy, and together they protect the playground from evil!

Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney: "I have some excellent things to say about this book." Sonora says. "This shows that sometimes mama's have to do boring stuff, but it isn't because they're being mean. It's not their fault and you have to be patient. Llama Llama wasn't patient and he hurt his mama's feelings."

In this story, Mama Llama takes her baby llama grocery shopping (Sonora thinks the shop, called Shop-O-Rama, is a silly store, and I must include this fact in the review). Shopping becomes quite dull and frustrating for the little llama. Soon, he finds himself angry at his mama llama and throwing a big fit!

This book is an easy read with a lot of fun rhyming.

The Spiffiest Giant in Town by Julia Donaldson- Sonora says "this book teaches you about kindness and helping people. Also, it tells about respect."

George is a giant who buys himself a new spiffy outfit to replace his old gown and sandals. While he walks through the town showing off his new style, he comes across some animals who need his help. He unselfishly chooses to use his new clothes as assistance for the animals, and in the end they show their appreciation.

Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar: "This is the funniest book I can think of!" raves Sonora.

Wayside School, a thirty-story school with one classroom on each floor (a result of the contractor mistakenly reading the blueprints sideways), is full of hilarious and easy-to-read tales from the class on the thirtieth story. Though there are some moral lessons in the book, the real appeal is the silly humor that draws a child into the Wayside world, making them look forward to reading more.

Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss: "Kids should read this because it has lots of rhyming words, and this book is also a tongue twister, so it's fun and funny!" says Sonora.

If you read this book out loud to your child, expect some laughs. Even with practice, I still cannot read this book without twisting my tongue!

Sonora likes to brag about how she brought this in for her second grade teacher to read, and her teacher kept saying "Bleh!" throughout the recital.

This book does encourage your child to read, though, because it poses an entertaining and humorous challenge as it's "a tongue twister for super children" according to Dr. Seuss.

The Magic School Bus: Space Explorers by Eva Moore- Sonora thinks children will like this one because "it teaches kids about science and space, and it's also a chapter book."

This is a great beginning chapter book for young readers. The Magic School Bus series is always entertaining and this does not disappoint. Not only is the story itself entertaining, but it's packed with facts about space exploration and science that are never monotonous or boring.

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss- "The Lorax knows that you're supposed to take care of the trees and animals and not mess up the earth with smoke and pollution. That's why I like him." says Sonora.

This story sends the message that the environment should be protected and natural resources shouldn't be mindlessly exhausted for the creation of useless products. The book is on a child's reading level and encompasses the rhyming style for which Dr. Seuss is best known while telling children of the importance of trees, wildlife and the environment. It's a classic that your child shouldn't miss.