The mail must go through!
May 17, 2014 11:12 AM Subscribe
Do you know of any children's books featuring mail? As in, a penpal or mailing letters. Specifically for an eight year old girl but I'm open to all suggestions!
For the past year, my niece and I have been exchanging cards and letters and to my delight she has gotten really into it! I am sending her a correspondence kit with all kinds of fun stuff for her birthday and I would like to include a related book, fiction or nonfiction. (Because I always include a book in all gifts to children - I'm a book pusher.)
For the past year, my niece and I have been exchanging cards and letters and to my delight she has gotten really into it! I am sending her a correspondence kit with all kinds of fun stuff for her birthday and I would like to include a related book, fiction or nonfiction. (Because I always include a book in all gifts to children - I'm a book pusher.)
Sophie's World, though probably for kids a little older.
posted by alexei at 11:18 AM on May 17, 2014
posted by alexei at 11:18 AM on May 17, 2014
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
posted by xsquared-1 at 11:30 AM on May 17, 2014 [9 favorites]
posted by xsquared-1 at 11:30 AM on May 17, 2014 [9 favorites]
This might be a bit old for her but it's an old fashioned story so maybe it would work Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster, in which an orphan writes to her benefactor who is paying for her college education. Also made into a movie with Fred astaire and Audrey Hepburn if I'm not mistaken.
If she's old enough for the Anne of Green Gables series, one of those, maybe Anne of Ingleside is all letters.
posted by janey47 at 11:30 AM on May 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
If she's old enough for the Anne of Green Gables series, one of those, maybe Anne of Ingleside is all letters.
posted by janey47 at 11:30 AM on May 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
I don't know if its age appropriate but Griffin and Sabine is about two pen pals and comes with beautiful artwork and pull out letters and postcards.
posted by SpaceWarp13 at 11:33 AM on May 17, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by SpaceWarp13 at 11:33 AM on May 17, 2014 [5 favorites]
Owney the Mail-Pouch Pooch comes to mind but it might be more suitable for younger children since it's an illustrated book (Amazon says 5-8 years old). But it's a good (and true) story.
posted by Dansaman at 11:34 AM on May 17, 2014
posted by Dansaman at 11:34 AM on May 17, 2014
Seconding The Jolly Postman - it was beloved by both of my children. Every other page is an actual envelope with a letter inside, sent to various characters invited to a party. It's very charming and interactive.
posted by the webmistress at 11:36 AM on May 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by the webmistress at 11:36 AM on May 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
It's the wrong time of year, but J. R. R. Tolkien wrote letters to his kids from Father Christmas.
posted by lharmon at 11:41 AM on May 17, 2014
posted by lharmon at 11:41 AM on May 17, 2014
Stringbean's Trip to the Shining Sea is all postcards.
posted by missmary6 at 11:43 AM on May 17, 2014
posted by missmary6 at 11:43 AM on May 17, 2014
Maybe slightly too old for her unless she is mature for her age but I'm a letter-writing fiend and I thoroughly enjoyed Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty. I read it when I was 14 or 15 and it was a bit young for me. Highly entertaining!
posted by gursky at 11:44 AM on May 17, 2014
posted by gursky at 11:44 AM on May 17, 2014
Another for the Christmas season, Santa Calls is a tale of Christmas adventure prompted by a little girl's correspondence with Santa. (The letters are included in the book.)
posted by warm_planet at 11:46 AM on May 17, 2014
posted by warm_planet at 11:46 AM on May 17, 2014
One Monster After Another. Probably too easy for an 8 year old but the illustrations are great.
posted by curious nu at 11:56 AM on May 17, 2014
posted by curious nu at 11:56 AM on May 17, 2014
Best answer: P.S Longer Letter Later by Paula Danziger and Ann M. Martin
posted by ichomp at 12:03 PM on May 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by ichomp at 12:03 PM on May 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
Any of the earlier reprint collections of Peanuts comic strips will have a few of Charlie Brown writing to his Pen- or Pencil Pal. Even more occasionally, the other characters write letters (sometimes to Santa Claus).
posted by Rash at 2:27 PM on May 17, 2014
posted by Rash at 2:27 PM on May 17, 2014
One of the stories in Free to be You and Me is a boy and girl exchanging notes about her getting on his baseball team.
posted by brujita at 2:56 PM on May 17, 2014
posted by brujita at 2:56 PM on May 17, 2014
I read Letters to Lesley when I was a 9 or 10 year old girl. It is about a boy who gets a pen pal as part of English class.
posted by Trivia Newton John at 3:42 PM on May 17, 2014
posted by Trivia Newton John at 3:42 PM on May 17, 2014
Letters From Felix series! Seems to be out of print now, but maybe could be found used or at the library.
posted by dire at 3:17 PM on May 18, 2014
posted by dire at 3:17 PM on May 18, 2014
Mailing May is one of the long-term favorites in our house. It's about a frontier girl whose family can't afford to send her to visit her grandmother until they realize that they can mail her there. She ends up traveling by train with her uncle, who works for the postal service. They travel in the mail-sorting car, and her uncle sorts the mail while she admires the view. Of course, she has sufficient postage on the back of her coat, based on her weight.
It's based on a true story and is told very sweetly with great illustrations. It really takes you back to that time.
posted by alms at 8:30 AM on May 19, 2014
It's based on a true story and is told very sweetly with great illustrations. It really takes you back to that time.
posted by alms at 8:30 AM on May 19, 2014
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posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 11:15 AM on May 17, 2014 [8 favorites]