Stories for Seven Year Olds (Kingfisher Treasury of Stories) [Paperback]

Edward Blishen (Compiler), Nancy Blishen (Compiler), Patricia Ludlow (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: Kingfisher Treasury of Stories

This enchanting treasury includes a rich array of traditional folktales and contemporary classics from favorite authors such as Rudyard Kipling and James Reeves.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Children's Literature

Usually, books of this quality are heavy hard covers with gilt edges that are tough to prop up while reading in bed...Detailed black and white illustrations on just about every other page are charming. The entire format is friendly and appealing, making the book wonderfully accessible for young children.

About the Author

Edward Blishen won the Carnegie Medal with Leon Garfield for the God Beneath the Sea (1970). For Kingfisher he has compiled several collections in the Treasury of Stories series and Children's Classics to Read Aloud.

Patricia Ludlow has illustrated many children's books, including several on fairies and dragons, as well as the Fantasy Encyclopedia.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 156 pages
• Publisher: Kingfisher (June 10, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075345713X
• ISBN-13: 978-0753457139
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,022,382 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Sensitive Children Beware, September 4, 2007

By 

Greg Kramer (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stories for Seven Year Olds (Kingfisher Treasury of Stories) (Paperback)

This is an anthology which includes 19 stories from countries around the world. I thought because of the small print and density of text (lots of words on a page and few pictures) that it would be a book for us to read to our 7 year old, rather than a book she'd read on her own. She got a hold of it at bedtime and read it herself. About half way through the book she read a story in which a beautiful, smart, nice child (who is called "Little Stupid") is taken into the woods and killed by her two older sisters. I found the violent details of the murder and all of the events that follow the death extremely (and eerily) graphic for a child.

This was not even the story in the anthology by the Brothers Grimm--the only one I was really worried about her reading alone.

I know some parents have no problem exposing their children to stories like these, and don't like the "sugar coated" endings of some modernized fairy tales, but I MUST tell you that this story caused my daughter a great deal of distress--sleepless and tearful nights. I would not recommend this "Stories for 7 Year Olds" for a seven year old, and if you do read it, I'd highly recommend reading it together and talking about the stories as you go. I could suggest an alternate title for the book: "Stories for 7 year olds who want to grow up to be sociopaths." Really, Blishen, what WERE you thinking?!?

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great collection, almost . . ., September 27, 2008

By 

Another reviewer (Near Seattle, Washington United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stories for Seven Year Olds (Kingfisher Treasury of Stories) (Paperback)

I bought this book yesterday for an upcoming trip, thinking it would be a space-saver with 19 stories in one small paperback. (We read to our kiddos before bedtime every night, even when we travel.) Then I read the previous review today. The reviewer was right on. The story in the middle of the book, The Tale of the Silver Saucer and the Transparent Apple by Arthur Ransome, is much too graphic and frightening for almost any seven year old. Let's put it this way: I would be worried if a child wasn't upset by this story. It's too bad, because most of the rest of the book is excellent, (although I admit that I haven't yet read the Bros. Grimm tale -- I generally find them either too frightening or too downright depressing for my taste). I still gave it 4 stars because I think most of the collection is very good and it includes many stories we have not read before, but we will be reading these aloud and not let our daughter, the voracious reader in family, get her hands on it. Thanks to the previous reviewer for the heads-up.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars On the other hand, June 1, 2010

By 

S. Jones - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stories for Seven Year Olds (Kingfisher Treasury of Stories) (Paperback)

On the other hand, when I was a little boy "The Silver Saucer and the Transparent Apple" was one of my very, very favourite stories. So there you go.