Children's Books Too Cool for School

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia Maclachlan (A "Top 50 Post")

I'm always afraid Sarah, Plain and Tall gets read for all the wrong reasons, namely that it is Newbery, Simple and Short.

But it really is a beautiful tale about family and love that is told in an authentic child's voice. Sarah, much to the interest of my younger self, is a mail-order bride. She may be plain and tall, but like the prairie that surrounds her, there is great strength and depth to her character. There isn't much to the story: It is mostly the tale of two motherless children, a sweet father, and a loving woman who get to know, and then love, each other.

It may be the only "quiet book" I've ever really loved.