The Children of Noisy Village
Recommended. Age: 8+. A Catholic review of this book for parents.
Our review
This is childhood as it should be: brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers close by, chores, feasts, and long days outdoors. Nobody learns a lesson on purpose, yet the children are loyal and kind. A boy wins a mistreated dog by patient kindness. The one reservation is that Christmas and Easter appear as happy customs, and no source shows any faith behind them.
For parents
Read aloud from 5, independent reading from 7 or 8. One chapter has a shoemaker who beats his dog; the boy rescues it. Ask why the dog came to trust Olle. At the Christmas chapters, ask what the feast is for, since the book mostly shows the baking and the tree.