Cerritos College

Celebrating Children's Book Week!

Library Staff Share their Favorite Children's Books

Brighty of the Grand Canyon

Long ago, a lone little burro roamed the high cliffs of the Grand Canyon and touched the hearts of all who knew him: a grizzled old miner, a big-game hunter, even President Teddy Roosevelt. Named Brighty by the prospector who befriended him, he remained a free spirit at heart. But when a ruthless claim-jumper murdered the prospector, loyal Brighty risked everything to bring the killer to justice. Brighty's adventures have delighted generations of readers, and he has become the symbol of a joyous way of life. Some people say that you can still see his spirit roaming the canyon on moonlit nights - forever wild, forever free. From the publisher’ website.

Marguerite Henry wrote this book in 1953 and based it on the day-to-day life of a Grand Canyon burro. Reading this story as a child in far away New Jersey, I fell in love with burros then and there because of the wonderful illustrations of Brighty – he was just so cute! I also knew then that one day I too would visit the Grand Canyon and hike the very same trails that Brighty roamed. Today, the Grand Canyon is my favorite place in the world!

Recommended by: Lorraine Gersitz

Charlotte’s Web

Charlotte’s Web is a classic!

Reading this book during my childhood made me realize how valuable friendships can brighten one’s life. The story describes how Wilbur, a little underestimated pig, was saved by his wise friend Charlotte, the spider. Everyday Charlotte gave Wilbur words of encouragement to help him overcome his fears. Wilbur lived in a farm with many other interesting animals with different characters.

Charlotte’s Web is cute, heartfelt, and inspiring! Make sure to include it on your “must-read” list as this one pleases all audiences.

Recommended by: Paula Pereira

Library Location:
Children's Literature Section: White, E. B

Chicken Sunday

My son Joseph and I saw the book “Chicken Sunday” by Patricia Polacco previewed by LaVar Burton on the PBS program Reading Rainbow in 1992. It became an immediate favorite of Joseph. It was truly inspiring to see a true story that portrayed the humanity and friendship expressed by each of the characters, who represented different ethnic and religious traditions.

Recommended by: Nick Metz

The Hobbit

When I was a child, my mind was always wrapped in a world of dragons, knights, and magic. So it is of little wonder to say that one of the first novels I would ever pick up in sixth grade was, “The Hobbit”, by J.R.R. Tolkien. Though when got the book, it was difficult for me to understand it, I still was able to appreciate the idea of this story which tells of the tale of Bilbo Baggins, a character who is small, underestimated, and seen as an outcast, as he is thrust into the middle of his own life-changing adventure; a little like how I felt in middle school. The course of his tale is littered with dangerous goblins, treacherous landscapes, and even a fire-breathing dragon, but through all of these situations, Bilbo comes out on top by always finding the smarter route. It was no wonder I loved this book as a child, because it gave me the courage to challenge the world and to realize that no matter how small I am compared to its grandeur, there is always a way to succeed.

Recommended by: John Luna

Library Location:
By Author – Ask the Librarian

The Little Engine That Could

One of my favorite books as a young child was The Little Engine That Could. I continued to read it as an adult and shared it with both my children and grandchildren. My daughter recently found this oversize copy which belongs to my grandson Jaden. We share it occasionally and talk about how work hard and doing our best helps us to make it up hills and down.

Recommended by: Lynda Sampson

Library Location:
Children's Literature Section: Piper, W.

Pete & Pickles

Berkeley Breathed is the creator of the Bloom County and Opus comic strips which I really enjoyed for their content and their look. He has also written a number of children’s books. Pete & Pickles is his latest. It is a sweet story with great art work. The library has ordered a copy.

Recommended by: Deb Moore

Library Location:
Children's Literature Section: PZ7 .B7393 PET 2008

The Pop-Up Biggest Book

The Pop-Up Biggest Book was a favorite of mine when I was growing up. It has pictures and pop-up pages about the biggest things: birds, animals, trees, insects, and buildings. When I was little, the Empire State Building in New York City was the tallest building in the world and the World Trade Center was just being built. I grew up in New Jersey and I’ve always liked going to the top of tall buildings. I’ve been to the top of the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center several times – the last time was December, 2000.

Recommended by: Deb Moore

Wild About Books

Wild About Books by Judy Sierra was always a favorite title to read to my grandson Jaden. He loves books almost as much as his Yaabie does. At ALA last year I was able to get a signed copy of Judy Sierra’s newest book Born to Read for him. And as the author states: “Yes, readers can go anyplace!”

Recommended by: Lynda Sampson

Library Location:
Children's Literature Section: PZ8.3.S577 WI 2004