I’ve always been a fan of Roald Dahl, for both his children’s books and his adult offerings. “The BFG” is one of his most charming books for children. The BFG (for Big Friendly Giant) is a giant who kidnaps a little orphan, Sophie, and takes her off to his cave. The BFG turns out not to be a bad sort, however — in part because he doesn’t share with his monstrous giant brothers “a most squackling whoppsy appetite” for eating children — and teams up with Sophie (and the Queen of England) to do battle against those evil brothers of his: Bloodbottler, Bonecruncher, Childchewer, Fleshlumpeater, Gizzardgulper, Maidmasher, Manhugger, Meatdripper, and Butcher Boy. The BFG’s creative use of language is the best part of the book, though Blake Quentin’s illustrations make a close second.

“The Forgotten Door,” by Alexander Key, introduces us to Little Jon, who falls through the old Door: “the Door that led to another place, the one that had been closed so long.” Jon is struck on the head, and when he awakens, he discovers that he’s lost his memory. But Jon is no ordinary boy. When he talks to animals, the animals actually listen (though I don’t recall Jon ever talking to a cat in the story); Jon in turn can read their thoughts. He has a few other mysterious abilities, which the family who finds him discovers as the story unfolds. It’s a classic theme: Jon needs to find his way back home. There’s also a striking current of distrust of big government that runs through the end of this 1965 book, adding an interesting contrast for the modern reader to consider.

Edith Nesbit wrote dozens of children’s stories in the late 1800s and early 1900s, among them “The Enchanted Castle” in 1907. I first read this book decades ago when I discovered it in one of the attic bedrooms of my grandparents’ house, and I found it irresistible. Four English children, three living with a French governess and the fourth the niece of the castle’s housekeeper, discover a magic ring and find out what it can do. The writing moves at a slower pace than modern children’s books, and the children sometimes don’t sound like children at all, but it’s all worthwhile. You’ll be reminded of Kenneth Grahame’s “The Wind in the Willows,” published just a year later, and you’ll understand why C.S. Lewis cites Nesbit as an influence on his “Narnia” novels. (Grahame and Lewis are worth reading as well, of course.) 

Philip Pullman’s trilogy, “His Dark Materials,” begins with “The Golden Compass” (titled “Northern Lights” in the UK). The most engaging conceit in these books is that, in the parallel-world setting of the story, people are accompanied by daemons, their souls embodied in the form of animals. Adult daemons take the form of animals that reflect their personalities: A servant might have a dog daemon, a scholar an owl or a raven daemon. Children’s daemons can change shape until the child reaches adolescence. Young Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon happen into a mystery that could affect not only their world but our earth as well, and even the afterlife. The promise of the first two books isn’t quite met in the last, but they’re all well worth reading (the second and third books are ”The Subtle Knife” and “The Amber Spyglass“). One of my favorite bits of Pullman’s writing, which helps establish the tone for the narration, is an early description of Lyra: “She was a coarse and greedy little savage, for the most part.” Lyra does grow up eventually, though it’s a long, hard journey.

Finally, I should mention Neil Gaiman’s work: “Coraline” is one of my favorites.

Many kids are ready and willing to read books intended for adults, but selecting books with both kid-friendly style and content can be time consuming. Here are the results I’ve compiled through a process of trial and error. I decided not to include authors who are generally accepted as appropriate for young readers (J. R. R. Tolkien, Sir Arthur Conant Doyle, Jules Verne).

“Animal Farm” by George Orwell

Age range: Middle grades to young adult

Not Orwell’s best (see “Down and Out in Paris and London”), but moving and clearly written. Plus, talking animals offer a sneaky way to spark discussions on morality and government. When I was teaching, I assigned “Animal Farm” to fourth and fifth graders and the entire class made it to the end without complaint.

“Lost Horizon” by James Hilton

Age range: Advanced middle grades to young adult

When a small craft is hijacked and goes down in the Himalayas, four travelers stumble upon paradise on earth. Written and set in the 1930s, “Lost Horizon” belongs more in the realm of adventure fiction in than the hallowed halls of serious literature. That said, it’s not without deeper meaning, and the writing is great: spare, witty, and very much a product of the era. Popular usage of the term Shangri-La stems from this novel, which was widely read at the time it was published. Some racial terms common to the era (such as Oriental) may require a context-based explanation.

“The Red Pony” by John Steinbeck

Age range: Middle grades to young adult.

Kid protagonist? Check. Animals? Check. Clear writing? Check. Kid appropriate themes? Check. Steinbeck’s bittersweet novel about a pony and his boy is an easy-to-read introduction to serious literature. To be honest, my 10-year-old students didn’t love this book, but it did elicit some thoughtful responses.

“The Flame Trees of Thika” by Elspeth Huxley

Age range: Middle grades to young adult

This memoir of growing up in Kenya comes alive with the steady voice of a curious and isolated only child. Huxley’s prose sings with the wild lands, the wild animals, and the wild, sometimes ruthless characters who fight for survival during the last days of British Colonial rule. Not a difficult read, but some themes may be disturbing to younger readers — Huxley writes frankly about hunting and race relations and mentions (not explicitly) an extramarital affair.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

Age range: Advanced middle grades to young adult

Pretty much a given. Lee’s book is already assigned at the early high school level, but I’m including it because the story can’t be beat for its combination of serious writing, a likeable child protagonist, humor, and (predominantly) kid-accessible subject matter. Speaking of subject matter… the references to rape can, of course, be disturbing. My 11-year-old students liked this book, but I cleared it with parents first.

“Gentlemen of the Road” by Michael Chabon

Age range: Young adult

A pulpy yet beautifully written adventure story about two itinerant swindlers. Swashbuckling action is delivered via gorgeously constructed sentences, making this book a good choice for the more reluctant reader. Violence (cartoonish) and references to rape and sex (not explicit) limit the age range to older kids.

“Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold” by C.S. Lewis

Age range: Advanced middle grades to young adult

A retelling of the story of Cupid and Psyche, “Till We Have Faces” is written in musical prose, and despite the mythical setting, characters emerge as startlingly real and human, and morality is depicted in shades of grey. Lewis explores trust, jealousy, the meaning of love, and the significance of beauty. Not difficult to read, but perhaps a bit dark and dense for some younger readers.

“The Mysterious Stranger” by Mark Twain

Age range: Advanced middle grades to young adult

Length (short) and humor (wicked) fall in favor of this novella about the devil visiting a small town in sixteenth century Austria. Because of the sometimes convoluted sentence structure, I read this one aloud to my 10-year-old students, who loved Twain’s mischievous and evocative depictions of magic. Not necessarily appropriate for children with strong Christian beliefs.

“Talking to Strange Men” by Ruth Rendell

Age range: Young adult

British school kids develop an elaborate network of spies, but their game turns dangerous when they inadvertently allow an adult to join their ranks. Rendell’s prose is crisp and brilliant, as usual. I read (and loved) this thriller when I was 12, and it certainly didn’t scar me for life. That said, it does contain some scary scenes.

“Bless Me, Ultima” by Rudolfo Anaya

Age range: Advanced middle grades to young adult

An evocative coming-of-age story about growing up in New Mexico in the 1940s. The seven-year-old protagonist’s friendship with an elderly curandera (healer) leads him to question his religion and the values of his parents and neighbors. Contains references to sex (not explicit) and some profanity. Not necessarily appropriate for children with strong Christian beliefs.

This beautiful book of photographs and cultural anthropology is a fascinating exploration of how families live around the world. In 1994, the U.N.-sponsored International Year of the Family, photojournalist Peter Menzel conceived of this project to capture the lives of typical families in 30 nations across the globe. In each vignette, he and his collaborators photographed families posing in front of their homes and literally alongside all their world possessions. The photographers spent a week living with a “statistically average” family in each country and interviewed them about their lives, their work and their attitudes toward their possessions. The stark visual contrast between the portrait of the average family in Texas with their multiple televisions versus the family living in a dirt house in Mali is enlightening and thought-provoking. Sometimes a picture truly can say a thousand words.  The book also includes statistics on numbers of toilets and televisions, and GDP to further illuminate the disparities. 

This is not a children’s book, per se, but I would recommend it for all ages. This book is sure to engage a reader of any age, and lead to discussions about wealth and materialism. It might even make the average American child realize just how lucky he is.

2. “Mama and Papa Have a Store” by Amelia Lau Carling, ages 4-8

A storybook with beautiful, colorful illustrations, “Mama and Papa Have a Store” depicts the mundane daily life of a typical preschooler. She happens to be of Chinese descent growing up in Guatemala with her family, but her story will be familiar to any young child: going to school, eating with her family, playing and observing her parents working in her family’s general store. This is a very special cross-cultural story, involving Chinese, Guatemalan and Mayan traditions: “They call [Mama] doña Graciela. But in Chinese her name means Lady Who Lives in the Moon. [Papa] is don Rodolfo in Spanish, and in Chinese his name means Fragrant Pond.”

What Do People Eat Around the World?

3. “What the World Eats” by Faith D’Aluisio and Peter Menzel, all ages

This is another beautiful and intriguing volume by the author who wrote “Material World,” in conjunction with his wife. In a follow-up to his first book about how the average family lives around the world, this book looks at and visually describes what the average family eats. Using the same format as in “Material World,” the authors of this book depict a week’s groceries for typical families across the globe. The authors spent time with 25 families in 21 different countries to provide this comparative international portrait. Cost and calories are included, but it takes only a glance at the photos to see the shocking differences between the pizza-eating and soda-drinking American families (six gallons a week!) and the families with vegetable-based diets in many other countries. Some of the interesting statistics provided for comparison include number of McDonald’s, and the prevalence of obesity and diabetes. In addition to being a launching pad for kids to consider how much or little families live on in other countries, this book is a great pictorial representation of why obesity and diabetes are epidemic in some countries, and not in others (yet).

4. “Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats” by Nina Simonds, Leslie Swartz and the Children’s Museum, Boston. Illustrations by Meilo So, ages 9-12

Chinese food and culture expert Nina Simonds created this book for children to understand five major Chinese festivals, highlighted through tales, recipes and activities. She offers festival lore and folk tales that will be unfamiliar to non-Chinese readers. She tempts with mouth-watering yet simple recipes for dumplings and moon cakes. Also included are instructions for engaging activities to do with kids, such as building a kite at Qing Ming or a miniature dragon boat for the Dragon Boat Festival.

5. “Too Many Tamales” by Gary Soto, ages 4-8

This is the story of Maria, a little girl who is excited to help out with her family’s Christmas tradition of making tamales. She is even more excited by the idea of trying on her mother’s diamond ring, which her mother takes off to knead the masa. Maria surreptitiously tries on the ring, and then forgets about it. Any kid who has ever done something in secret will relate to the terror Maria feels later when she can’t remember what happened to the ring, and will share her relief when it is found, and she is ultimately forgiven. Along the way, you’ll enjoy illustrations so warm and vivid with the colors of Christmas, you can almost taste the tamales.

Why Does Our Food Look Different from Everyone Else’s?

6. “The Ugly Vegetables” by Grace Lin, ages 4-8

The young girl who narrates this story is upset that her Chinese immigrant family grows vegetables instead of pretty flowers in their yard, like everyone else. She thinks the vegetables are ugly: ”The wind always smelled sweet, and butterflies and bees flew everywhere. Everyone’s garden was beautiful, except for ours.”

When the veggies are ready for harvesting and go into a soup whose aroma entices the entire neighborhood, she has a new perspective on those “ugly vegetables,” and a new appreciation for her family and culture. Written and adorned with lovely illustrations by the author, this is one of my favorite books to introduce acceptance of cultural differences. I also learned the names of some Chinese greens I previously didn’t know. A recipe for Ugly Vegetables soup is included.

Does the Tooth Fairy Fly International? 

7) “Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions From Around the World” by Selby Beeler and G. Brian Karas, ages 4-8

Do you know a 6- or 7-year-old with a gap-toothed smile? If they still believe in the Tooth Fairy, they might assume that she, or her representatives, visit children all around the world. Not so! In many cultures, it’s a rodent, not a pretty and ethereal fairy, who manages children’s lost teeth. This is a great book that describes tooth traditions from around the world. Fun for kids, and informative for the rest of us.

And now for our list:

“Frog and Toad Are Friends” by Arnold Lobel (Ages 4-8)

The thing about Lobel’s Frog and Toad — see also the equally wonderful “Days With Frog and Toad,” “Frog and Toad All Year” and “Frog and Toad Together” — is that, despite the whole amphibian thing, they’re so damn human. Toad is crabby, self-doubting and, let’s face it, somewhat prone to depression. Frog has a sunny, can-do disposition. And they may be an odd couple, of the Oscar and Felix variety, but they are also kind, supportive, considerate, loving friends. And though these stories are, of course, beloved by children of both sexes, the way these two very different fellows take care of each other — and delight in each other’s company — seems like a particularly valuable example for young boys.

“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” by Jeff Kinney (Ages 9-12)

Kinney’s “Wimpy Kid” series may not be writing at its finest, but it has struck a major chord with boys, capturing the attention of even the most reluctant readers. Described as “a novel in cartoons” — with lots of drawn illustrations, a lined-paper format and a font that looks like handwriting — it has an undeniable charm, evoking the misery that is middle school in spare, deft strokes. Its beleaguered narrator, Greg Heffley, isn’t the most sympathetic character, selling out his best friend Rowley when the occasion suits him, but he has a keen eye for demoralizing details. Like the cheese that lies rotting and repulsive on his school blacktop, spawning the terrors of “Cheese Touch.” “It’s basically like the Cooties,” Greg explains. “If you get the Cheese Touch, you’re stuck with it until you pass it on to someone else. The only way to protect yourself from the Cheese Touch is to cross your fingers.” If that doesn’t take you right back to middle school, well, you’re luckier than some of us.

“Danny the Champion of the World” by Roald Dahl (Ages 9-12)

If there is a more moving depiction of the relationship between a son and his father in all of literature than the one in this rollicking adventure tale, we’d sure like to know about it. “It is impossible to tell you how much I loved my father,” Dahl’s narrator, Danny, tells us. “When he was sitting close to me on my bunk I would reach out and slide my hand into his, and then he would fold his long fingers around my fist, holding it tight.” But Danny’s love for his dad — a filling station owner and widower who is raising his only child in a gypsy caravan — is apparent in every line, every moment of this story. Danny’s dad, he tells us, is an “eye-smiler,” whose eyes flash and twinkle when he is amused, but who never much moves his mouth. “I was glad my father was an eye-smiler,” Danny writes, “because it is impossible to make your eyes twinkle if you aren’t feeling twinkly yourself.” This gentle, funny, genuinely wonderful book will leave boys (and their parents) eye-smiling and deliciously amused.

“The Lightning Thief” by Rick Riordan (Ages 9-12)

Start your son on this first book in Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and watch him read away his summer. When we first meet Percy, he just seems like a troubled kid on the verge of getting kicked out of yet another school. In fact, he’s gone through six schools in six years: Bad things just seem to keep happening to him. It isn’t long before Percy (short for Perseus), and we, learn that those strange things he thinks he’s been hallucinating are actually real. Mythological monsters and gods — satyrs, minotaurs, centaurs — really are populating his life and he himself is a half-blood: His father, whom he never knew and had been told had been “lost at sea,” is, in fact, Poseidon. This popular series is a great read for any myth-minded kid who cut his teeth on “D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths.” Come to think of it, it’s a great read for any kid. Come to think of it again, it’s just a great read.

“The Giver” by Lois Lowry (Young Adult)

This book about a futuristic world that initially seems utopian (no crime, no poverty, no illness, abundantly good manners), but, as it turns out, is less than ideal (no color, no music, no sunshine), is creepy yet altogether compelling. As it begins, 11-year-old Jonas is apprehensively anticipating his Ceremony of Twelve, when he will receive his adult Assignment from the Committee of Elders. Will he be a Nurturer or a judge, like the parents who are raising him? Will be a Caretaker of the Old, like his friend Fiona? But Jonas does not receive a conventional assignment: He is selected to become the community’s next Receiver of Memory, tasked absorbing the collective recollection of pain and pleasure, which the community has long since eschewed in pursuit of comfort, stability and Sameness. Jonas meets daily with the previous Receiver, now the Giver, and learns to appreciate a world with choice and compassion — and love.

DeFelice teaches her reader that the inequalities in labor and wealth distribution are almost impossible to remedy as long as the societal structures support them; and that, ultimately, when the standard ones fall short, people have to live by their own laws.

Racism and Apartheid

2. Beverley Naidoo’s “Chain of Fire” (for ages 11 and up)

In “Chain of Fire,” Naledi and her friend Taolo protest the injustice of apartheid in their South African community. Taolo perfectly captures the arbitrary nature of racism in the following speech on apartheid: “They take six pieces of land … Then they say, ‘These pieces aren’t South Africa anymore’ …  Any fool can see how they want to split us up … keeping us apart so they can control us! Divide and rule!”

In the end, Taolo and Naledi reveal that a combination of making people aware of prejudice, and showing them that it’s their responsibility to do something about it, is the strongest means of effecting social change.

Censorship

3. Nat Hentoff’s “The Day They Came to Arrest the Book” (for ages 13 and up)

In “The Day They Came to Arrest the Book,” Hentoff explores the tension between freedom of expression and the consideration of personal feeling. The debate breaks into two groups — those who want to take “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” off the curriculum because they find it racist and sexist, and those who want to keep it in because they believe that censorship is wrong.

As a result of Hentoff’s multifaceted treatment of the debate, there is no absolute sense of right or wrong in the book. Although the issue is a complicated one, the novel implies that it is not the role of educators to cut their students off from knowledge, but rather to guide them through all sides of an issue and help them formulate their own opinions.

Multiculturalism

4. Randa Abdel-Fattah’s “Does My Head Look Big in This?” (for ages 13 and up)

In “Does My Head Look Big in This?,” Abdel-Fattah argues for the acceptance of different cultural/religious practices. Her protagonist, Amal, describes herself as “An Australian-Muslim-Palestinian … whacked with some seriously confusing identity hyphens.” A very mature young lady, Amal deals with her mixed cultural heritage with humor and dignity. She also makes the life-changing decision to wear the hijab (a head scarf worn by Muslim females) to her predominantly white prep school where it’s frowned upon.

Abdel-Fattah does an excellent job of debunking many of the misconceptions surrounding Muslim women. Contrary to what others might think, for Amal the hijab is not an oppressive symbol, but a liberating one. Abdel-Fattah examines the challenges that arise when a woman doesn’t want to be saved from those who misunderstand her condition. Interestingly, Amal’s quest to get in touch with her religious and cultural roots leads her to feel increasingly comfortable with her hybrid cultural identity.

Feminism

5. L.M. Montgomery’s “Anne of Green Gables” (for ages 9 and up)

L.M. Montgomery’s Anne embodies an interesting brand of feminism that teaches young women that they don’t have to change to fit a world that doesn’t accept them, or even just wait for that world to change — they can reconfigure it themselves. Through her powers of imaginative transformation, Anne creates the world in which she has always longed to live.

Yet the book’s characters are not the only ones whose outlook Anne changes. Anne’s attitude is so infectious that it reaches even her readers — reminding them that they, too, can change the world around them.