Best Children's Books of 2007 (in 750 Words or Less)?

All "top ten" or "best of the year" lists are subjective, but with this disclaimer I can recommend the books below for those who want to give exceptional books to the young readers on their Christmas lists. These books are drawn from the short list I did for the Philadelphia Inquirer published in their Book Review Magazine secion last Thursday. Many of these books have been reviewed earlier here, and my full reviews of them may be found using the search line above. Thanks to the Inquirer and Book Editor Frank Wilson for mentioning my blog!

Choosing a few good books to recommend from the universe of great children's literature is a daunting task. The following books were selected for their favorable reviews from a variety of critics, their unique voice and creative presentation, their appeal to young and middle readers (ages 4 to 13), and their ability to create an emotional connection with their readers:

FICTION BOOKS

Eleven-year-old Elijah is already somebody in Buxton, Ontario. The first free child born in his community of escaped slaves, he feels compelled to recover stolen money saved to buy freedom for a slave family. Journeying to the South, he comes face to face with the terrors of slavery, and only his own spirit can help Elijah survive the journey home. Elijah Of Buxton by two-time Newbery author Christopher Paul Curtis was published by Scholastic Books.


Orphan Hugo hides out in a Paris train station, stealing parts from a toymaker to repair the mysterious early-20th-century automaton left him by his father. Part intricately illustrated graphic novel, part film storyboard, and part magical mystery tour, a novel like no other. The Invention of Hugo Cabret, written by Brian Seltznick and published by Scholastic Books, was a 2007 National Book Award finalist in the category of Children's Literature.

Book 4 in the award-winning saga of Joey Pigza, has Joey's manic father uprooting the family and changing all their names. Re-named "Freddy Heinz," good-hearted Joey somehow manages to manage his own ADHD while maintaining his own center, sense of humor, and his ability to forgive in this latest in a hilarious and inspiring series. I Am Not Joey Pigza by Jack Gantos was published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux.


Blood brothers David, who is white, and Malcolm, who is black, find their secret friendship threatened by David's Klan father as ugly racial violence breaks through the genteel veneer of small-town life in the segregated South. Bone by Bone by Bone by Tony Johnston was published by Roaring Brook.

Davy Bowman idolizes his brother, a B-17 bombardier, but as the war drags on, he learns there are many ways to be a hero, on the front lines and on the home front, in this intimate look at small-town life during World War II.
On The Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck was published by Dial Books for Children.

Seventh grader Emma-Jean is determined to avoid the messy emotional morass of middle-school life by maintaining the clinical detachment of a sociologist, but following her unsuspectedly empathic heart leads to the surprising insight that rigid rationality doesn't make for friendship or richness of life. Emma Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree, a first novel by Lauren Tarshis, was published by Dial Books.



In addition to the obvious Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7), by J. K. Rowling, two more wizard and wizardry fantasy sequels are noteworthy:

Young apprentice Septimus Heap leaves magyk behind for the study of physik, the search for the healing elixir of eternal youth, in this suspenseful sequel packed with action and wizardly family values. Physik (Septimus Heap, Book 3) by Angie Sage was published by Katherine Tegen Books.


In this sequel to The Sea of Trolls, bard apprentice Jack struggles with Celtic mythological foes as he rescues his changeling sister Lucy and finds his lost blood sister in the mists and underworld of medieval England. The Land of the Silver Apples was written by Nancy Farmer and published by Atheneum Books For Children.

NONFICTION BOOKS

Striking double-page photo close-ups will lead readers to the solid science behind the 350-million-year survival of these often misunderstood animals. Don't miss the pictures of the mother wolf spider piggybacking hundreds of her tiny babies or the dinner-plate-size Goliath bird-eating tarantula. Awesome! Nic Bishop Spiders was written by noted nature photographer and writer Nic Bishop for Scholastic Books.
by Nic Bishop (Scholastic, 2007).

Plenty of hands-on nature science, crafts and cooking activities for camping - from the backyard to the backwoods - with loads of fun you don't even have to load the car for. Camp Out!: The Ultimate Kids' Guide, written by nature writer Lynn Brunelle, was published by Workman Publishing Company.

PICTURE BOOKS

In an original pairing of Carroll's nonsense verse and his own considerable artistic skills, Myers carries off an artistic tour de force as a huge black player, the Jabberwock, takes on a young hero armed with Vorpal sneakers and a snicker-snack of a jump shot in an urban basketball shoot-out with frabjous results.Jabberwockyby Lewis Carroll and Christopher Myers was published by Hyperion Books.

Give an author-illustrator five words, four in the title, plus a final "There!" and what do you get? As many ways as the words can be related and illustrated, it seems. Gravett toys with words in innovative and delightful ways. Also available in board book format. Orange Pear Apple Bear was created by Emily Gravett and published by Simon & Schuster.


Seeger introduces us to another classic pair of unlikely storybook friends - like Pooh and Piglet, Frog and Toad - a dachshund and a teddy bear whose droll, understated adventures show that true companionship knows no boundaries. The tales are short and sweet with surprising but supremely satisfying endings. Dog and Bear (Neal Porter Books) (Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Winner-Best Picture Book) (Awards)) was written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger and published by Roaring Brook Press.

Lauren Thompson's lyrical free verse stirs the heart and taste buds in this delightfully nostalgic tale of father-daughter apple-picking and pie-baking time, perfectly paired with Jonathan Bean's rounded, Virginia Burton-esque illustrations celebrating the cosmic cycle of life. The Apple Pie That Papa Baked The Apple Pie That Papa Baked was published by Simon & Schuster.

In this second Knuffle Bunny book, Trixie is devastated to learn that Sonia has brought a bunny exactly like her Knuffle to day-care show-and-tell, but when at bedtime she discovers she has taken home Sonia's look-alike, it's time for toddler meltdown II. Hilarious and heartfelt, a great sequel. Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity was written and illustrated in appealing collage by Mo Willems and published by Hyperion Books.