We here at the Emerald City Zen Center are aware that ours are not the only books out there. In fact, there are like thousands of great reads out there and many of them are for children. Now, anytime a kid reads, great, but some books are like fast food for the developing brain - enjoyable but not really sustaining, and others are akin to the fully balanced breakfast they used to always go on about during the commercials between the Saturday morning cartoons. If you have already read A Zen Master In Oz and The Martian Invasion Of Oz to your offspring, here are some more excellent reads to share with them.
Little Kids -
Farmer Duck (1991) Written by Martin Waddell and Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
This little books tells the story of a fat human farmer who forces his duck to work as a virtual slave while he grows fat off of the little fowl's labor. Outraged by the farmer's treatment of the duck, the barnyard animals band together for a proletarian revolution. Fantastic stuff to teach your children about collective action, fairness and decency.
The Lorax (1971) Written and Illustrated by Dr. Seuss
The most genius work of the genius Theodore Geisel (AKA Dr. Seuss) lays out the horrors of unchecked capitalism and pollution in a rather grim tale of what happens when people put profit before anything else. While the book seems to end in a quite desolate place, this little subversive tome ends with hope in the hands of a child - demonstrating that our hope for a better tomorrow lies literally in the hands of the next generation. Empowering, silly and a bit revolutionary.
The Paper Bag Princess (1980) Written by Robert Munsch and Illustrated by Michael Martchenko
This gently feminist story turns the princess stereotype on its head. Princess Elizabeth looses everything, including her clothes, when a dragon destroys her kingdom and steals her prince. It is up to Elizabeth, dressed in a paper bag, to rescue the vain and stupid Prince Ronald by using her wits to outsmart the dragon.
Big Kids -
His Dark Materials Written by Phillip Pullman
Vol 1: The Northern Lights (1995)
Vol 2: The Subtle Knife (1997)
Vol 3: The Amber Spyglass (2000)
This series directly challenges the patriarchal, Christian version of the fantasy novel as developed by Tolkien and C.S. Lewis by presenting a story spanning multiple realities in which humanity's freedom is threatened by a God, who is not a creator but a kind of conqueror that uses the Church as the mechanism to control His empire. The fate of sentient beings on countless realities rests on the shoulders of a plucky twelve year old orphan named Lyra. This series does not just challenge the well worn tropes of the fantasy adventure genre, it goes on challenges some of the most damaging heterodoxies of Christianity (such Original Sin) while telling a story filled with witches, proud polar bear kingdoms, intelligent roller skating elephant creatures, angels and so much more. A rather weak big budget film version of the first book was released a few years back. It failed at the box office and may have turned people off to the series. Please, don't let the movie paint what is one of the finest series for any age group ever written.
Little Kids -
Farmer Duck (1991) Written by Martin Waddell and Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
This little books tells the story of a fat human farmer who forces his duck to work as a virtual slave while he grows fat off of the little fowl's labor. Outraged by the farmer's treatment of the duck, the barnyard animals band together for a proletarian revolution. Fantastic stuff to teach your children about collective action, fairness and decency.
The Lorax (1971) Written and Illustrated by Dr. Seuss
The most genius work of the genius Theodore Geisel (AKA Dr. Seuss) lays out the horrors of unchecked capitalism and pollution in a rather grim tale of what happens when people put profit before anything else. While the book seems to end in a quite desolate place, this little subversive tome ends with hope in the hands of a child - demonstrating that our hope for a better tomorrow lies literally in the hands of the next generation. Empowering, silly and a bit revolutionary.
The Paper Bag Princess (1980) Written by Robert Munsch and Illustrated by Michael Martchenko
Big Kids -
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His Dark Materials Written by Phillip Pullman
Vol 1: The Northern Lights (1995)
Vol 2: The Subtle Knife (1997)
Vol 3: The Amber Spyglass (2000)
This series directly challenges the patriarchal, Christian version of the fantasy novel as developed by Tolkien and C.S. Lewis by presenting a story spanning multiple realities in which humanity's freedom is threatened by a God, who is not a creator but a kind of conqueror that uses the Church as the mechanism to control His empire. The fate of sentient beings on countless realities rests on the shoulders of a plucky twelve year old orphan named Lyra. This series does not just challenge the well worn tropes of the fantasy adventure genre, it goes on challenges some of the most damaging heterodoxies of Christianity (such Original Sin) while telling a story filled with witches, proud polar bear kingdoms, intelligent roller skating elephant creatures, angels and so much more. A rather weak big budget film version of the first book was released a few years back. It failed at the box office and may have turned people off to the series. Please, don't let the movie paint what is one of the finest series for any age group ever written.
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