33 1953 children's books

Abeltje is a children's novel by celebrated Dutch author Annie M. G. Schmidt, originally published in 1953 by De Arbeiderspers. It was one of Annie M. G. Schmidt's first children's books, and such an instant success that it was already in its fourth edition when the sequel, De A van Abeltje, came out in 1955. Since 1988, the book has been published by Querido with illustrations by Thé Tjong-Khing.

All Alone is a children's book by Claire Huchet Bishop, published by Viking Press with illustrations by Feodor Rojankovsky in 1953. It was a runner-up for the annual Newbery Medal from the American Library Association, which recognizes the year's most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

...And Now Miguel is a novel by Joseph Krumgold that won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1954. It deals with the life of Miguel Chavez, a 12-year-old Hispanic-American shepherd from New Mexico. It is also the title of a 1953 documentary directed by Krumgold. In 1966, a feature film adaptation was directed by James B. Clark and starred Pat Cardi.

Australian Legendary Tales is a translated collection of stories told to K. Langloh Parker by Australian Aboriginal people.

Bill Bergson and the White Rose Rescue is the third and last novel about the Swedish "master detective" Kalle Blomkvist, written by Astrid Lindgren.

Brighty of the Grand Canyon is a 1953 children's novel by Marguerite Henry and a 1966 film of the same name based on the novel. They present a fictionalized account of a real-life burro named "Brighty", who lived in the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River from about 1892 to 1922.

The Clue of the Velvet Mask is the thirtieth volume in the original Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. It was Mildred Benson's final ghostwrite for the series. The plot and story take place largely in Nancy's hometown of River Heights. Nancy tries to solve a mystery about a gang of event thieves robbing homes during parties, lectures, musicals, and other social occasions planned or catered by Lightner's Entertainment Company. Much of the original story contains elements of dramatic crime dramas; the villains are darker in tone than many other entries in the series.

The Collected Poems of Freddy the Pig (1953) is the brief 21st book in the humorous American children's series Freddy the Pig. The entire series, which otherwise comprises 25 novels, was written by Walter R. Brooks, illustrated by Kurt Wiese, and published by Alfred A. Knopf. The Collected Poems is primarily a reissue of poems and songs that had appeared in the first 20 novels, although it contains some new poems by Brooks and new illustrations by Wiese. One cover notes, "If it seems a bit hammy in spots, that is to be expected." It was republished in 1962 by Random House, and again in 2001 by the Overlook Press.

The Crisscross Shadow is Volume 32 in the original The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories published by Grosset & Dunlap.

Nigel Molesworth is a fictional character, the supposed author of a series of books about life in an English prep school named St Custard's. The books were written by Geoffrey Willans, with cartoon illustrations by Ronald Searle.

For the post-punk band see Five Go Down to the Sea?

Good Luck to the Rider (1953) is the first children's book by Australian author Joan Phipson; it was illustrated by Margaret Horder. It was joint winner of the Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers in 1953.

Hurry Home, Candy by Meindert DeJong is a children's novel about a dog. Illustrated by Maurice Sendak, the book was first published in 1953 and was a Newbery Honor recipient in 1954. It regularly appears on public library and school reading lists.

King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table is a novel for children written by Roger Lancelyn Green. It was first published by Puffin Books in 1953 and has since been reprinted. In 2008 it was reissued in the Puffin Classics series with an introduction by David Almond, and the original illustrations by Lotte Reiniger.

The Little Red Caboose is a children's book by Marian Potter and illustrated by Tibor Gergely, first published by Little Golden Book in 1953. Hardcover book contains 24 pages.

Madeline's Rescue is a children's picture book by Ludwig Bemelmans, the second in the Madeline series. Released by Viking Press, it was the recipient of the Caldecott Medal for illustration in 1954.

Magic Maize is a children's novella written and illustrated by Mary and Conrad Buff. Set in contemporary Guatemala, it describes the life and adventures of a boy from a traditional Mayan Indian family. First published in 1953, it was a Newbery Honor recipient in 1954.

Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw is a historical fiction children's book. It follows Mara, a young Egyptian girl who takes up a dangerous job as a double spy between two different masters.

The Marlows and the Traitor is the second in the series of novels about the Marlow family by Antonia Forest, first published in 1953. The story is set during the Easter holidays in a small fishing village on the South Coast. It is the first in the series to feature sailing and the first to have a major male character. In fact there are two significant male characters, Peter Marlow and the traitor. This story, more than most in the series, focuses on the younger members of the family. In the introduction to the Girls Gone By edition of The Marlows and the Traitor, Forest admits she never intended to write a series of books about the Marlows. At the time of writing the Nuremberg Trials were happening and Forest decided to write a book about a traitor. Only then did it occur to her to use the Marlows in the book.

Miffy is a small female rabbit in a series of picture books drawn and written by Dutch artist Dick Bruna. The original Dutch name, "Nijntje", is a shortening of the diminutive konijntje, "little rabbit".

The Mystery of Holly Lane is a 1953 mystery novel by English author, Enid Blyton and the eleventh book in Enid Blyton's Mystery Series featuring the Five Find-Outers.

Otis Spofford is a 1953 children's novel by Beverly Cleary.

Ring Out Bow Bells! is a children's historical novel by Cynthia Harnett. It was first published in London in 1953, and in New York as The Drawbridge Gate in 1954. In 1984 a US edition was published under the title of The Sign of the Green Falcon. It is the story of an apprentice in the time of Henry V, when Dick Whittington was Lord Mayor of London.

The Ringmaster's Secret is the thirty-first volume in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. It was first published in late 1953 under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. The actual author was ghostwriter Harriet Stratemeyer Adams.

Scuppers The Sailor Dog is a children's book written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Garth Williams.

Scrambled Eggs Super! is a 1953 book by American children's author Dr. Seuss. The story is told from the point of view of a boy named Peter T. Hooper, who makes scrambled eggs prepared from eggs belonging to various exotic birds.

Shadrach by Meindert DeJong is a children's novel about a small boy and his pet rabbit. The novel, illustrated by Maurice Sendak, was first published in 1953 and was a Newbery Honor recipient in 1954.

The Silver Chair is a children's fantasy novel by C. S. Lewis, published by Geoffrey Bles in 1953. It was the fourth published of seven novels in The Chronicles of Narnia (1950–1956); it is volume six in recent editions, which are sequenced according to Narnian history. Like the others, it was illustrated by Pauline Baynes and her work has been retained in many later editions.

Simon is a children's historical novel written by Rosemary Sutcliff, first published in 1953. It is set during the First English Civil War, primarily focusing on the final campaign of 1645-1646 in the West Country and shows the effect of the conflict on two friends, who find themselves on opposite sides.

Space Tug is a young adult science fiction novel by author Murray Leinster. It was published in 1953 by Shasta Publishers in an edition of 5,000 copies. It is the second novel in the author's Joe Kenmore series. Groff Conklin gave it a mixed review in Galaxy, noting that it held "plenty of excitement though not much maturity." Boucher and McComas preferred it to the series's initial volume, but still found it "quite a notch below ... Leinster's adult work." P. Schuyler Miller reported the novel was marked by "the fastest kind of action" and "the feeling of technical authenticity."

Theodore Roosevelt, Fighting Patriot is a children's book by Clara Ingram Judson, about Theodore Roosevelt.

A Valley Grows Up is a history book for children, written and illustrated by Edward Osmond and published by Oxford University Press in 1953. It features an imaginary English valley over the course of seven thousand years, from 5000 BCE to 1900. Osmond won the annual Carnegie Medal, recognising the year's best children's book by a British subject. In more than seventy years only a handful of nonfiction books have been so honoured.

A Very Special House, written by Ruth Krauss and illustrated by Maurice Sendak, is a 1953 picture book published by HarperCollins. A Very Special House was a Caldecott Medal Honor Book for 1954 and was Sendak's first Caldecott Honor Medal of a total of seven during his career. Sendak won the Caldecott Medal in 1964 for Where the Wild Things Are, which he both authored and Illustrated. A Very Special House was re-issued by HarperCollins in 2001 in hardcover format as part of a project to re-issue 22 Sendak works including several authored by Ruth Krauss.