Classic 20th Century Books From Before the 1970s

Oh, there were some beautiful books written in the early and mid 20th Century. You may remember them from your own childhood … for many of us, some of them would have been considered classics even then. You may have read some of these to your own children – some of these are on quite a few recommended book lists. Most of these books can be found in local libraries or ordered in on loan.

It isn’t that I think these older books are better. For example, the only two of these stories that even feature a main non-white character are the books by Ezra Jack Keats ( he has several more worth finding). Use of colour, art and writing styles and ideas has developed a great deal since many of them were published. There have been many fantastic picture books written in the last 50 years, with some true gems currently coming out. However, these older books do represent different art and writing styles and slower time periods. There is something neat about sharing books with kids from the eras of their parents and grandparents.

Something to consider along with reading these books, is finding out more about the authors and illustrators. There are some really interesting things to find out here and there. Many of them wrote other books – these were just our favourite or most memorable from each author. So, in case you don’t enjoy researching stories as much as I do ;), here are some ideas of books to have a look for.

I’m sure you remember several of these. Do you remember one in particular? Favourites? You may have already read some of these to your children …