Peter Pan by Sir J. M. Barrie, art compiled by Cooper Edens (Chronicle Books)

This gorgeous edition of Peter Pan is truly a delight. I love the old art by some famous illustrators such as Arthur Rackham. The text is so charming, particularly to the parent who is reading it aloud. I love, for example, this portion from early on in the story:
Mrs. Darling first heard of Peter Pan when she was tidying up her children's minds. It is the nightly custom of every good mother after her children are asleep to rummage in their minds and put things straight for next morning....
Above all, I must say that I love the feel of the author's evident love of children that is so prominent in the story--his appreciation of imagination, and the need for mothers and adventure and happy times. I don't know much about Sir Barrie, but I can imagine that he most have adored his children, if he had them!
If you love Peter Pan, I believe you will love another of my favorites, Linnets and Valerians by Elizabeth Goudge. She, too, must love children as you feel it in her story.

Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by N.C. Wyeth

We finished! It has taken us a couple of months and lots of detour reading along the way, but it has been a fun adventure. This book surely has a high lexile rating, but I never mind reading books whose vocabulary exceeds the "just right" levels of the listeners (such as 4 and 6 year olds!) because they get a taste of prose and style and enjoy the adventure without understanding everything. The bonus is that they can enjoy re-reading it in the future and feel less daunted by "a classic."

In some ways, Kidnapped is a coming-of-age story about a young man whose parents die, and being poor, leave him no temporal means to survive. He seeks his fortune, not knowing the adventures that lie ahead: nearly escaping murder; being kidnapped; getting tossed into the ocean during a storm; witnessing a murder...oh, the tale is full of twists and turns to please many a listener!

Kidnapped is also a tale about friendship, forgiveness, and loyalty. Good things here. I especially enjoyed reading it in my infamous Scottish accent!

Now Peter and I will rent the Disney version of the story and watch it together this weekend!

The Rattlebang Picnic by Margaret Mahy, ill. by Steven Kellogg

One of my all-time favorite read alouds! Jack McTavish marries Marion McGillicuddy, and they decide to have 7 children over buying a "wonderful, speedy car." They go adventuring in their family jalopy, along with Grandma and her shark-teeth-breaking pizzas. How her pizzas rescue their family from an erupting volcano is the highlight of this hilarious story! (New York: Puffin Books, 1994)