Book picks similar to
Mostly Mary by Gwynedd Rae


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The Children of Cherry Tree Farm


Enid Blyton - 1940
    Once they meet him all sorts of wonderful things start to happen, for Tammylan introduces the children to his animal friends, and soon the ways of badgers and squirrels, rabbits and frogs, moles, otters and snakes are familiar to them, and London seems far away and unreal.

Gobbolino the Witch's Cat


Ursula Moray Williams - 1942
    So, while his sister Sootica learns how to ride a broomstick and turn mice into toads, Gobbolino sets off to find a nice warm fire and a family to care for him. He has many adventures along the way and makes many friends, until he finally finds the home he dreams of. First published in 1942, Gobbolino the Witch's Cat continues to delight children - a true modern classic.

Christopher Robin: The Novelization


Elizabeth Rudnick - 2018
    Focusing on the power of love, friendship, and family, the novelization invites readers to join Christopher Robin, Pooh, and their friends from the Hundred Acre Wood on an all-new adventure that adds new depth to timeless and beloved characters old and new.

Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens


J.M. Barrie - 1906
    Barrie. Peter Pan, the boy who refused to grow up, is one of the immortals of children's literature. J.M. Barrie first created Peter Pan as a baby, living in secret with the birds and fairies in the middle of London, but as the children for whom he invented the stories grew older, so too did Peter, reappearing in Neverland, where he was aided in his epic battles with Red Indians and pirates by the motherly and resourceful Wendy Darling. With their contrary lures of home and escape, childhood and maturity, safety and high adventure, these unforgettable tales are equally popular with children and adults.

I Was a Rat!


Philip Pullman - 1999
    Maybe it’s true. But what is he now? A terrifying monster running wild in the sewers? The Daily Scourge is sure of it. A victim of “Rodent Delusion”? The hospital nurse says yes. A lucrative fairground freak? He is to Mr. Tapscrew. A champion wriggler and a budding thief? That’s what Billy thinks. Or just an ordinary small boy, though a little ratty in his habits? Only three people believe this version of the story. And it may take a royal intervention—and a bit of magic—to convince the rest of the world.Set against the backdrop of a Royal Wedding—and a playful parody of the press, I Was a Rat! is a magical weaving of humor, fairy tale, and adventure.

Nurk: The Strange, Surprising Adventures of a (Somewhat) Brave Shrew


Ursula Vernon - 2008
    But when a mysterious plea for help arrives in the mail, he invokes the spirit of his fearless warrior-shrew grandmother, Surka, and sets off to find the sender. It seems the prince of the dragonflies has been kidnapped, and Nurk is his last hope for rescue. Such a mission would be daunting for even the biggest, baddest, and bravest of shrews, and Nurk is neither big nor bad, and only a little brave. But he does his very best--and hopes his grandmother would be proud.      Nurk is a warm, wonderful, and hilarious illustrated adventure about courage, family legacies, and friendships of a most unusual nature.

The Adventures of Reddy Fox


Thornton W. Burgess - 1991
    Fortunately, Reddy has wise Granny Fox on his side and, with some timely help from other woodland friends, manages to avoid an unhappy ending.As this timeless fable unfolds, children will delight in Reddy's risky antics and the commotion his behavior causes among Johnny Chuck, Drummer the Woodpecker, Peter Rabbit, and the other inhabitants of the Green Forest. Thornton W. Burgess, author of Old Mother West Wind and many other children's classics, was a master at telling a good story that holds a child's attention while instilling an important lesson in the most painless and enjoyable fashion. First published in 1913, The Adventures of Reddy Fox was one of his finest efforts. In this inexpensive Dover edition, newly reset in large, easy-to-read type, it will delight children (and adults) today, just as it did their grandparents.

Only You Can Save Mankind


Terry Pratchett - 1992
    . . isn't it?The alien spaceship is in his sights. His finger is on the Fire button. Johnny Maxwell is about to set the new high score on the computer game Only You Can Save Mankind.Suddenly, a message appears:We wish to talk. We surrender.But the aliens aren't supposed to surrender—they're supposed to die!

The Magician's Nephew


C.S. Lewis - 1955
    Their lives burst into adventure when Digory's Uncle Andrew, who thinks he is a magician, sends them hurtling to...somewhere else. They find their way to Narnia, newborn from the Lion's song, and encounter the evil sorceress Jadis before they finally return home.

The Bat-Poet


Randall Jarrell - 1964
    Before long he began to see things differently from the other bats who from dawn to sunset never opened their eyes. The Bat-Poet is the story of how he tried to make the other bats see the world his way.With illustrations by Maurice Sendak, The Bat-Poet—a New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book selection—is a collection of the bat's own poems and the bat's own world: the owl who almost eats him; the mockingbird whose irritable genius almost overpowers him; the chipmunk who loves his poems, and the bats who can't make heads or tails of them; the cardinals, blue jays, chickadees, and sparrows who fly in and out of Randall Jarrell's funny, lovable, truthful fable.

The World of Christopher Robin: The Complete When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six


A.A. Milne - 1958
    It is a world in which Christopher Robin and Alice watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, and where James James Morrison Morrison Weatherby George Dupree takes great care of his Mother, though he is only three. In this timeless wonderland, the Little Black Hen is much too busy to lay eggs for anyone (except Christopher Robin), and the three little foxes play in the forest, keeping their handkerchiefs in cardboard boxes. The King plaintively asks for butter for the Royal slice of bread. And at the end of an active day, a little boy kneels at the foot of his bed: Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares! Christopher Robin is saying his prayers. Here in one irresistible volume you will find When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six, the two collections of verses which A. A. Milne wrote for his only son-verses that are cherished by everyone who has had the good fortune to become acquainted with them. To add to the excitement, Ernest Shepard, whose beloved black-and-white drawings in the original books have delighted millions of children, contributed endpapers and eight full-page illustrations, all in full color. Of course, Pooh, that remarkable bear, refuses to stay out of these pages, even though he has two books of his own. But his appearance here should cause no surprise. After all, he belongs. For as Christopher Robin is fond of saying, Wherever I am, there's always Pooh, There's always Pooh and Me.

Roverandom


J.R.R. Tolkien - 1998
    His punishment was to be transformed into a toy, and now he is forced to track down the magician so he can be returned to normal. His adventures will take him to the moon and under the sea, introducing him to many fabulous - and dangerous - creatures.Inspired by the loss of his own child's favourite toy, this charming tale was written by J.R.R. Tolkien long before The Hobbit, yet remained unpublished for more than 70 years. This new paperback edition includes a full introduction and detailed notes about the story.This is an old-fashioned story, yet it still speaks freshly today... would leap to life when read aloud to a child. - INDEPENDENTLord of the Rings buffs will enjoy picking out bits of Nordic mythology and will relish Tolkien's fabulous sense of landscape - THE TIMESCover illustration by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Wind in the Willows


Kenneth Grahame - 1908
    Toad, Badger, and Ratty--have enchanted children of all ages. Whether the four friends are setting forth on an exciting adventure, engaging in a comic caper, or simply relaxing by the River Thames, their stories are among the most charming in all English literature.

Little Lord Fauntleroy


Frances Hodgson Burnett - 1886
    Cedric Errol is a generous, kind, and exemplary middle-class American boy who is suddenly found to be the heir of the Earl of Dorincourt. Saying loving goodbyes to his working-class friends, Cedric goes to England together with his mother to embrace his new fortune. His grandfather, the old earl, is a bitter old man ridden with gout and a foul temper, trusting no one. However the angelic boy elicits a profound transformation in the grandfather, which not only benefits the castle household but the whole populace of the earldom. If only the old man's heart would soften toward Cedric's estranged mother, the family would be healed at last. And when another potential heir to the earldom makes a claim, it seems that everything is lost.... But all things are possible through a child's innocent trust, true friendship, and unconditional love.

Aesop's Fables


Aesop
    Aesop was reputedly a tongue-tied slave who miraculously received the power of speech; from his legendary storytelling came the collections of prose and verse fables scattered throughout Greek and Roman literature. First published in English by Caxton in 1484, the fables and their morals continue to charm modern readers: who does not know the story of the tortoise and the hare, or the boy who cried wolf?