The last couple of weeks I have been binge reading children’s books – specifically, older children’s books, and by older I mean not modern. I was in a place where I wanted some comfort reads, and for me sometimes that means falling back into nostalgia and slow, gentle reads and children’s books can be perfect for that. I usually will reread old favorites from my childhood, like The Little House series, but this time, I read books that I never read as a kid growing up. I am going to have to do this again, because I really enjoyed it.

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Winter Cottage by Carol Ryrie Brink: In this heartwarming tale by the author of Caddie Woodlawn, a family of two dreamers, the father and the youngest sister, and one down-to-earth older sister, and their dog, find themselves stranded in the country en route to live with a dreaded aunt during the Great Depression. The aunt was not particularly enthusiastic about taking them in, but they had no other options. Without a car or the monetary means to fix the car or continue on their journey in another way, they take shelter for the winter in an empty summer home. They rationalize their decision by saying they will pay “rent” in the spring when they move on, after hopefully being able to raise some cash and fix the car. They of course will take good care of the cottage and not abuse it, and the oldest sister dreams of meeting the little girl whose family owns it, romanticizing her into a benevolent creature. She is worried though, being the only practical member of her family. Her dad has the spirit of a poet, and not necessarily the skills to keep a steady job, but he does spend the winter trying to win contests to raise money. This is a very sweet story with elements of found family, although it does contain some outdated language and problematic attitudes toward the Indigenous people of that area. This chapter can be used though as a teachable moment, opening discussions with children.

Kildee House by Rutherford Montgomery: I had never even heard of this book before I picked it up at a used book sale. I grabbed it because the illustrations are by Barbara Cooney, whom I love, and I am glad that I did because I loved this book. Jerome Kildee decides, very Thoreau -like, to move to the woods to live alone. He builds his little house, and lives a very quiet life (although not escaping one of quiet desperation – however now that I think about it.. maybe he did). He had previously had a career that was full of sadness and this was a respite for him. Over time he finds himself with a house full of beloved woodland animals, and a new friend, a young girl who is a force of nature herself. This is a sweet story of living in conjunction with the natural world, protecting and cherishing all lives, yet with a tinge of reality. There are some situations that include animal deaths by violence, and a sort of confusingly cavalier attitude about the hunting of cats by dogs (was this a thing?) which may be upsetting for some readers. These scenes are not graphic, more matter of a fact and are only a sentence or two, and they do include dealing with the grief of them as well.

Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorenson: Another beautiful story. I checked this out from the library but I am planning on adding it to our home library as I would love to return to this story again, and have it available to Wyatt as well. It is quaint and old-fashioned, and revolves around a family who are trying to find their footing again when the father comes home from war a changed man. He had been in a POW camp, and has PTSD but of course it was not called that at the time of this book’s writing. Things were not going smoothly at their home in the city, and they decide that the dad will move to the country and rehab their grandma’s old house in the woods. Then the family will visit on weekends and spend the summer there. They of course meet their neighbors who are old family friends, including Mr. Chris who is one of those characters everyone loves. Marly, the main character and whose eyes we view everything through, loves to learn about the plants and wild things in the woods, and is enchanted by this new world of everything outdoors. This is a lovely story of community, friendship, and the healing powers of nature.

All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor: This is a light-hearted look into the life a Jewish family with five little girls, that are “all-of-a-kind” as they all dress the same, living in New York at the turn of the century. Their faith is not the main focus of the story which was at heart about the little adventures and mishaps the children find themselves in, but it was just a natural part of the story of this family as they observe their religious holidays. The explanations were more in depth than I have read in a children’s book and I found it to be very enlightening myself. I am not sure of the accuracy of it today but I am assuming that it was accurate for the time during which the book is set.

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner: I am pretty sure I am the last person on earth to read this book. I don’t know how I missed this series as a child because I would have eaten them up. This is a very cute story of a family of children who lose their parents and are on the run, living off their own wits and hard work. They are trying to avoid being caught and sent to live with their grandfather, who they assume to be a not very nice man even though they have never met him. These children are very industrious, ingenuitive, and take wonderful care of each other as they set up housekeeping in an old boxcar together.