My children’s fiction reading this year has been influenced a lot by two projects: my project to read and evaluate current day middle grade fiction published in 2024 and my other project to read and evaluate the middle grade fiction of 60 years ago, published in 1964. I found more gold in ’64 than I did in 2024, but there were a few good ones from this past year. I also spent a lot of time with one particular children’s author from the past who deserved all of the awards he received. Links are to reviews of the books here at Semicolon or at Plumfield and Paideia.

• The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander (1964) (re-read)
• The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald (re-read)
• The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill (1964) (re-read)
• Ribsy by Beverly Cleary (1964) (re-read)
• Linnets and Valerians by Elizabeth Goudge (1964)
• Carolina’s Courage by Elizabeth Yates (1964)
• The Nickel-Plated Beauty by Patricia Beatty (1964)
• The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong
• Along Came a Dog by Meindert DeJong
• Shadrach by Meindert DeJong
• Hurry Home, Candy by Meindert DeJong
• Journey From Peppermint Street by Meindert DeJong
• Ferris by Kate DiCamillo (2024)

Indeed, it was the year of good books from 1964, and the year of Meindert DeJong. If you’ve not read any of DeJong’s award-winning books, and if you like animal stories, you should definitely try one of Mr. DeJong’s heart-warming tales.