This summer, young Greenbelters can take part in the Greenbelt Legacy 80th Anniversary celebration by reading some of the terriffic books that enthralled Greenbelt youngsters during the town’s first years. To launch the kids of today on their time-traveling adventure, the Recreation Department’s Creative Kids Camp has published an anniversary reading list called Best of Yesterday, which features all of the Newbery Award-winning books of the 1930s, along with other significant children’s books of the time.
The list is a treasure trove for young readers: a mixture of golden classics and rare gems awaiting rediscovery. Beloved fictional characters who made their debut in the 1930s include Babar, Madeline, Mary Poppins and the indefatigable sleuth, Nancy Drew. The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder first appeared during the decade, along with the first works by Dr. Seuss. In 1937, the year Greenbelt was founded, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit was published. The poet W.H. Auden called it one of the best children’s stories of the century.
Some enchanting, lesser-known titles on the list include Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome, which chronicles the summer sailing adventures of four children who pretend to be pirates, and Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater, which describes the Popper family’s efforts to accommodate a dozen penguins in their small home.
Read more about the summer reading program in the July 6 News Review.
