Good books for bad children ... In memory of Ursula Nordstrom.

 This web page is dedicated to the memory of Ursula Nordstrom. She served as editor in chief for Harper's children's books from 1940 - 1973. In this time - she transformed the face of children's literature, printing books no other publisher would touch. Prior to this time children's books were written to teach children proper behaviour.  I have no problem with morality books if they are fun to read - but too many of them were not. Ursula published books that broke all the rules - and had ever so much fun in doing so. Among her most famous is "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak, but she is also responsible for the publication of Charlotte's Web, The Giving Tree and Harriet the Spy.  She was also the editor for Curious George. Quite frankly, without this lovely lady ever so many of our very best books would not exist.

The title for this blog is in fact a quote from Ursula Nordstrom given after it was suggested that since she had done so well publishing children's books, she might now move on to adult books with assumption that this would be a promotion to more important works. She replied "I almost pushed the luncheon table into the lap of the pompous gentleman opposite me and then explained kindly that publishing children’s books was what I did, that I couldn't possibly be interested in books for dead dull finished adults, and thank you very much but I had to get back to my desk to publish some more good books for bad children".

This quote is taken from Dear Genius - The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom.

This page is a celebration of books that make children want to read. I will be reviewing good books for bad children, and bad books for good children. This will have the scariest children's stories - because some children to delight in a deliciously frightening tale, the goriest, and simply the naughtiest.  I will be reviewing books about naughty children - and ones in which the children triumph. If a book has been banned or challenged - it belongs here. But most of all - if a book has been well loved by children - if it is the type of book that makes children beg "read it again please" or pushes them to stretch their minds and learn to read themselves, then it belongs on this page.