Joie de Vivre Magazine: Children's literature

Saturday, February 7, 2026

Read Books Written for Children like "All Around the Moon" by Jules Verne for FREE!

Do you enjoy reading children's books? I do.

I found an incredible treasure trove of historical children’s books at openculture.com, ALL digitized and free to read online. FREE!!

I know all about “Around the World in 80 Days”. But I never knew Jules Verne wrote a book titled “All Around the Moon”. Did you?

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Rediscovering Historical Children’s Books

There’s something magical about opening a children’s book from another era. The language, illustrations, and moral lessons offer a window into how past generations understood childhood, imagination, and education. These books aren’t just quaint artifacts—they reveal shifting cultural values, forgotten storytelling styles, and the evolution of what adults once believed children needed to learn.

Exploring historical children’s literature can deepen our understanding of social history, art, and even parenting trends. It’s also a reminder that stories have always shaped how young people see the world.

If you’re curious to explore this rich legacy, one of the best resources available is a remarkable digital archive hosted by Open Culture. They’ve gathered over 6,000 historical children’s books, all fully digitized and completely free to read. The collection spans centuries and genres, making it an invaluable resource for educators, researchers, parents, and anyone who loves the charm of vintage storytelling.

This site offers open access to rare materials that would otherwise be locked away in special collections. It’s a treasure trove of cultural history—beautiful, surprising, and endlessly inspiring.

Book Lovers Gifts for Bookworm/Reader/Librarian, Books Accessories

for Reading Lovers, Bookish Items for Book Club, Reading Accessories Blanket 60x50in

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The Space Novels of Jules Verne: From the Earth to the Moon, All Around the Moon

Monday, June 23, 2025

The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence is a Mystery Series Written for Children:

Do you enjoy mysteries? Are you fascinated by the history of ancient Rome?

Do you enjoy it when history is made interesting instead of just being tested on how well you can recall dates, events, and names of people and places?

Think you might like reading a historical mystery series?
(Written for young readers but nobody has to know you’re an adult. One of my guilty pleasures is reading children's books.)

Here is a recommendation. This series has won awards. It’s called The Roman Mysteries and was written by Caroline Lawrence. Her goal for undertaking this task was to entertain children while reading and educate them about this ancient civilization. She succeeded. In fact, her books received praise from teachers and parents, as well as awards and recognition. This is not the only mystery series she has written but since it deals with life in ancient Rome which is one of my favorite topics, it is being recommended for mystery lovers who also have an interest in the Roman Empire.

Set in 1^st century A.D., Book 1 of the series is titled “The Thieves of Ostia”. The last of the series, Book 17 is “Man from Pomegranate Street”. The reading material targets ages 10 through 14 and the novels are available in various formats: hard copy, audio, digital, etc.
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Here is the complete Roman Mysteries series:

The Thieves of Ostia (1)

The Secrets Of Vesuvius (2)

The Pirates Of Pompeii (3)

The Assassins Of Rome (4)

The Dolphins Of Laurentum (5)

The Twelve Tasks Of Flavia Gemina (6)

The Enemies Of Jupiter (7)

The Gladiators From Capua (8)

The Colossus Of Rhodes (9)

The Fugitive From Corinth (10)

The Sirens Of Surrentum (11)

The Charioteer Of Delphi (12)