You Read to Me & I'll Read to You: 20th Century Stories to Share

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Ah, The Shrinking of Treehorn. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs! Flat Stanley. Even the beloved, silly The Piggy in the Puddle. Janet Schulman, editor of The 20th-Century Children's Book Treasury and longtime children's book editor and publisher extraordinaire, knows how to pick 'em. Here, she has lovingly gathered 26 more best-loved stories in one stout volume. Although You Read to Me & I'll Read to You functions as a companion to her earlier anthology, it is not, as Schulman says in the introduction, more of the same. These stories, from William Steig's Amos and Boris and Daniel Pinkwater's Blue Moose to Freckle Juice by Judy Blume and The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, were carefully selected based on their appropriateness for reading aloud. Storylines are more fully developed, with more words and fewer pictures. In short, these stories are just right for children in their first few years of school who can now read--but still love to be read to. This collection of absolute gems, including portions of longer chapter books, is sure to find a permanent, favored spot on young children's bedside tables, long after they've mastered reading skills. An index of titles, authors, and illustrators allows readers to find their all-time favorites--or explore a brand-new (to you) author's work. This excellent, positively historic collection of the crème de la crème of read-aloud stories belongs on every bookshelf. And, though hefty in size, remember that it's just one book to throw in the travel bag! (Ages 4 and older) --Emilie Coulter


From Publishers Weekly
A companion to Schulman's The 20th-Century Children's Book Treasury, this hefty anthology also has ample treasures to share. Aimed at a slightly older child than that earlier work, this volume collects 26 of last century's most memorable picture books and early chapter books (or parts thereof) and represents the works of a sterling cast of authors and artists. In her introductory note, Schulman urges parents and others to share these tales with youngsters: "It is certainly true that most children continue to enjoy being read to long after they have mastered the skill themselves." The stories span the century, from 1936 (Edward Ardizzone's Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain) to 2000 (Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard, illus. by E.B. Lewis), with a healthy portion of them hailing from the 1970s. Schulman balances the poignant (Judith Viorst's The Tenth Good Thing About Barney, illus. by Erik Blegvad) with the comical (Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs), the nonsensical (Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss) with the true-to-life (No One Is Going to Nashville by Mavis Jukes, illus. by Lloyd Bloom) and gems lesser known to today's readers such as Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown, illus. by Tomi Ungerer. It's easy to imagine entire families losing themselves in these pages for hours. Ages 5-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
K-Gr 3-Whereas Schulman's The 20th-Century Children's Book Treasury: Celebrated Picture Books and Stories to Read Aloud (Knopf, 1998) is for preschoolers, this compilation contains stories for parents "to share with children in the first few years of school, children who now can read." Based on the proven premise that those who are read to become better readers, the anthology offers tales with fewer illustrations and more words. Selections include humorous tales such as Flat Stanley, The Piggy in the Puddle, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, as well as thoughtful tales, such as The Tenth Good Thing About Barney and Wilma Unlimited. It's interesting to note that the introduction suggests readers begin with Maurice Sendak's Pierre, which is actually the last story in the volume. That quibble aside, the treasury offers stories, or parts of them, written by kid-tested authors, including William Steig, Dr. Seuss, Louis Sachar, Judy Blume, and Florence Parry Heide. There is at least one illustration on almost every page by the original artist; it will help hold the interest of the youngest readers, though the chosen stories should do that without any trouble. A great choice for family or classroom sharing.Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WICopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
An anthology with sure-fire appeal for children who are starting to read on their own but still enjoy being read to. This brilliant collection by the editor of The 20th Century Children’s Book Treasury contains 26 selections for parents and children to read aloud. Including works by such illustrious authors and artists as Maurice Sendak, James Marshall, Judy Blume, Ursula Le Guin, William Steig, and Roald Dahl, the selections range from the humorous to the magical to the contemporary to the just plain silly. The text of each selection is included in full. You Read to Me & I’ll Read to You is a must-have book for all families who want to inspire their children to develop a lifelong love of reading.


Card catalog description
A collection of stories by such authors as Maurice Sendak, Roald Dahl, and Astrid Lindgren.


From the Inside Flap
An anthology with sure-fire appeal for children who are starting to read on their own but still enjoy being read to. This brilliant collection by the editor of The 20th Century Children’s Book Treasury contains 26 selections for parents and children to read aloud. Including works by such illustrious authors and artists as Maurice Sendak, James Marshall, Judy Blume, Ursula Le Guin, William Steig, and Roald Dahl, the selections range from the humorous to the magical to the contemporary to the just plain silly. The text of each selection is included in full. You Read to Me & I’ll Read to You is a must-have book for all families who want to inspire their children to develop a lifelong love of reading.


About the Author
Janet Schulman is the former publisher of Random House Children’s Books.


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K-Gr 3-Whereas Schulman's The 20th-Century Children's Book Treasury: Celebrated Picture Books and Stories to Read Aloud (Knopf, 1998) is for preschoolers, this compilation contains stories for parents "to share with children in the first few years of school, children who now can read." Based on the proven premise that those who are read to become better readers, the anthology offers tales with fewer illustrations and more words. Selections include humorous tales such as Flat Stanley, The Piggy in the Puddle, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, as well as thoughtful tales, such as The Tenth Good Thing About Barney and Wilma Unlimited. It's interesting to note that the introduction suggests readers begin with Maurice Sendak's Pierre, which is actually the last story in the volume. That quibble aside, the treasury offers stories, or parts of them, written by kid-tested authors, including William Steig, Dr. Seuss, Louis Sachar, Judy Blume, and Florence Parry Heide. There is at least one illustration on almost every page by the original artist; it will help hold the interest of the youngest readers, though the chosen stories should do that without any trouble. A great choice for family or classroom sharing.- Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.


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