Top Ten Tuesday

Children’s Books Written Before 1970

Children's Books Written Before 1970
Reading Time: 2 minutes
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We had quite a bit of fun compiling a list of children’s books written before 1970, the date of which is totally serendipitous and has nothing to do with our ages.

We decided to take a different approach to the original theme: Books That Written Before We Were Born because we don’t want to date ourselves, and we thought it would be fun—and it was!

Archie Comics

Over the last twenty years, Archie Comics has changed its comics to represent its more diverse audience. They have also expanded their products to include TV shows and Graphic novels.

Archie Comics

Nancy Drew

By Carolyn Keene

What was interesting to learn was that a great deal of the series was effectively ghostwritten and published collectively under the name Carolyn Keene. It has allowed this series to continue in various intonations with the same great characters and mysteries.

Nancy Drew Mystery Series

Hardy Boys

By Franklin W. Dixon

Neither of us has ever read any of the Hardy Boys series, but we learned that it is actually set up the same way as Nancy Drew. The stories are ghostwritten and then published under a single author’s pseudonym.

The Hardy Boys

Anne of Green Gables

By Lucy Maud Montgomery

Though Lucy Maud Montgomery is known for her characters and stories set in P.E.I, she lived her later life in Ontario. And unlike Anne may have been deeply unhappy in her marriage. She also wrote the Smily of New Moon series, among other stories and poetry.

Anne of Green Gables

Charlotte’s Web

By E.B White

E.B White didn’t actually grow up on a farm though he did own one later. Apparently, there is a bible allegory. Wilbur is meant to signify Christ, born in a barn, and the animals who recognized him before the three Wise men.

Charlotte's Web

James and the Giant Peach

By Roald Dahl

James and the Giant Peach was Roald Dahl’s first children’s book; he had never written books for children before.

James and the Giant Peach

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

By C.S. Lewis

C.S Lewis uses his knowledge of medieval literature and Christianity to position The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as a text that teaches young readers about Christianity.

The Lion, the With and the Wardrobe

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

By Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl has an interesting connection to E.M Barrie. When one of his sons was a baby, he was injured, and Dahl worked with an engineer and neurosurgeon from Great Ormond Street Hospital to create a shunt valve.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Pippi Longstocking

By Astrid Lindgren

Our recollection of Pippi Longstocking is based on the cartoon that we watched as children. However, we think that Pippi is a kick-ass character who we can’t wait to read.

Pippi Longstocking

Peter Pan

By E.M Barrie

While working on an essay, Carmen got caught in a tangent and discovered a really cool thing about Peter Pan’s copyright. According to British copyright law, all the royalties from the sales of Peter Pan in Britain go to Great Ormond Street Hospital for the rest of the time.

Peter Pan

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Join us every Tuesday to see MBJ’s Top Ten Listicles!

Have you read any of these children's books written before 1970_
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8 Comments

  • Reply
    RS/The Idealistic Daydream
    February 5, 2021 at 22:39

    Most of the fun facts you’ve included are brand new to me and very fascinating, especially the Dahl/Barrie collection and the in-perpetuity beneficiary of Peter Pan. And I…definitely did not ever consider the Biblical analogy prospect of Charlotte’s Web; interesting.

    That & Charlie are my favorites in this list, but you have truly picked a great selection of children’s classics here (Archie comics might be stretching that definition a bit, but definitely impactful, at least! I actually didn’t know, until my husband informed me last week during my delighted discovery of the 1996 movie, that Sabrina the Teenage Witch is from them too).

    –RS

    • Reply
      My Book Jar
      February 6, 2021 at 14:44

      The biblical allegory in Charlotte’s Web was news to me the first time I heard it, but it doesn’t not make sense. I think it is meant to be incredibly subtle, so most people don’t pick up on it. I loved finding out about the Peter Pan copyright, and Roald Dahl’s fact was fascinating as well. We decided to include Archie comics because Sash and I both read them as kids from a very young age and have quite the collection. They have definitely become more gown up in past years, but the comics were very G-rated when we were kids.

      We’re glad to hear that you liked our list. Your list is fantastic. I loved Misty of Chincoteague when I was a kid.
      -Carmen

  • Reply
    Jo
    February 2, 2021 at 09:46

    Charlotte’s Web was on my list this week too!
    My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2021/02/02/top-ten-tuesday-301/

    • Reply
      My Book Jar
      February 2, 2021 at 17:05

      I love Charlotte’s Web it was one of my favourites growing up, I had to read it for a children’s literature course and it was just as good.
      -Carmen

  • Reply
    Lydia
    February 2, 2021 at 08:12

    The Chronicles of Narnia books were on my list, too!

    My post.

    • Reply
      My Book Jar
      February 2, 2021 at 16:56

      Yeah, they are basically a staple of children’s literature.

  • Reply
    Colletta
    February 2, 2021 at 04:07

    I’ve read quite a few of these books! I hope you can stop by:

    https://collettaskitchensink.blogspot.com/2021/02/top-ten-books-written-before-1978-222021.html

    Colletta

    • Reply
      My Book Jar
      February 2, 2021 at 16:53

      That’s great to hear. You read a lot more than I did as a kid
      -Carmen

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