Storied City: New York

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"To some people," sighs the worldly, wisecracking 12-year-old Peter Hatcher of Judy Blume's Superfudge, "there's no place like Nu Yuk. And I guess I'm one of them." As America's real-life Oz, "Cross-roads of the World," and publishing epicenter, New York City remains an enduring source of inspiration for authors of books for children and teens.

Mark Twain, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Ludwig Bemelmans, H. A. and Margret Rey, Langston Hughes, Robert McCloskey, Roald Dahl, Maurice Sendak, and Blume herself all called New York home at one time or another. Providing more than mere residency, however, New York and its culture of superlatives—its tall tale-ish appetite for newests, biggests, and bests—has made it a natural backdrop for the exploits of colorful characters, from Eloise and Harriet the Spy to Lyle Crocodile.

In the same spirit, writers and artists have celebrated the city's iconic landmarks; chronicled its historic role as a seaport, arts mecca, and immigrant destination; and zoomed in tightly on its endlessly evolving honeycomb of culturally diverse neighborhoods. New York's openness to change is doubtless the main reason it has inspired its own flourishing subgenre of young people's literature, with stories to tell about growing up, venturing out, and becoming one's own person.


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Little Toot

Written and illustrated by Hardie Gramatky

1939

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Sunshine: A Story About the City of New York

Written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans

1950

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All-of-a-Kind Family

Written by Sydney Taylor

Illustration by Helen John

1951

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Eloise

Written by Kay Thompson

Illustrated by Hilary Knight

1955

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The Cricket in Times Square

Written by George Selden

Illustrated by Garth Williams

1960

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James and the Giant Peach

Written by Roald Dahl

Illustrated by Nancy Ekholm Burkert

1961

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The Snowy Day

Written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats

1962

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Harriet the Spy

Written and illustrated by Louise Fitzhugh

1964

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The Pigman

Written and illustrated by Paul Zindel

1968

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In the Night Kitchen

Written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak

1970

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Tar Beach

Written and illustrated by Faith Ringgold

1991

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The Block

Written by Langston Hughes

Illustrated by Romare Bearden

1995

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145th Street: Short Stories

Written by Walter Dean Meyers

2000

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Madlenka

Written and illustrated by Peter Sis

2000

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Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale

Written and illustrated by Mo Willems

2004

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Henry and the Kite Dragon

Written by Bruce Edward Hall

Illustrated by William Low

2004

Storied City: New York