
Forgotten childrens cl
assics m
ake for good summer re
ads
FORGOTTEN CHILDREN’S CL
ASSICS M
AKE FOR GOOD SUMMER RE
ADS Summer re
ading is my f
avorite kind of re
ading,
a time when
books exist solely for enjoyment, for tr
ansporting ourselves from the breezy he
at of the old porch swing, or from the r
ainy d
ay window se
at fr
amed by flowery dr
apes, into
another l
and or time period. Even better when it c
an be sh
ared with children who, but for
a good
book,
are quick to pronounce their boredom with the slower p
ace of life this time of ye
ar. I h
ave rediscovered two
books, dec
ades-old cl
assics, th
at I’m sure m
ay be new to m
any children
and
adults
alike.
And even if there’s not
a child in
your immedi
ate vicinity, I find these two stories to be so imp
actful
and memor
able
as to be
enjoyed by
any
age. The first one is “
Across Five
Aprils” by Irene Hunt, published in 1964. It is
a coming-of-
age story set during the Civil W
ar. It follows the w
artime experiences of Midwestern f
arm boy Jethro Creighton.