Astrid Lindgren at Top Ten Books

Astrid Ericsson Lindgren
(1907-2002)

Astrid Anna Emilia Ericsson was born November 14, 1907 on her parents farm in Vimmerby, Sweden. She later moved to Stockholm and married. Astrid Ericsson Lindgren would tell her children stories and at the age of 37 began writing of Pippi, a name invented by her daughter. Her book, Pippi Langstrump, proved a critical success in 1945.

Pippi Longstocking became her most famous character. Pippi is a peculiar girl with red hair sticking straight out from either side of her head in tight braids. She wears mismatched brown and black stockings. Pippi has all sorts of adventures. She doesn't have a mother and her father has been lost at sea. Pippi believes he has washed up on some distant southern shore becoming the "king of all the cannibals". She lives with a monkey and a pony, financed by a large chest of gold coins to fulfill all her wishes. Pippi is fearless, ageless and outrageously rude.

Ms. Lindgren based Pippi Longstocking on her own childhood in Sweden. In 1973, she wrote "Rocks and trees were as close to us as living beings, and nature protected and nurtured our playing and our dreaming. Whatever our imagination could call forth was enacted in the land around us - all fairy tales, all adventures we invented or read about or heard about, all of it happened there. Even our songs and prayers had their places in surrounding nature."

Astrid Lindgren won almost every literary prize possible for children's books. She won the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for her contribution to children's literature. Astrid Ericsson Lindgren was so popular in her native Sweden that her picture adorns a postage stamp.

Astrid Lindgren was active in tax reform and in improving conditions for farm animals. She was a political power as well as a loved cultural institution in Sweden. "Perhaps this is because in Stockholm, drunks come up to hug me all the time. And I cannot be that impressed with anyone, except for God."

Pippi Longstocking

Astrid Lindgren

Pippi Longstocking (Puffin Modern Classics) by Astrid Lindgren - Tommy and his sister Annika have a new neighbor, and her name is Pippi Longstocking. She has crazy red pigtails, no parents to tell her what to do, a horse that lives on her porch, and a flair for the outrageous that seems to lead to one adventure after another!Pippi is an irrepressible, irreverent, and irrefutably delightful girl who lives alone (with a monkey) in her wacky house, Villa Villekulla. When she's not dancing with the burglars who were just trying to rob her house, she's attempting to learn the "pluttification" tables at school; fighting Adolf, the strongest man in the world at the circus; or playing tag with police officers. Pippi's high-spirited, good-natured hijinks cause as much trouble as fun, but a more generous child you won't find anywhere. Astrid Lindgren has created a unique and lovable character, inspiring generations of children to want to be Pippi. More than anything, Pippi makes reading a pleasure; no child will welcome the end of the book, and many will return to Pippi Longstocking again and again. Simply put, Pippi is irresistible. (Ages 9 to 12) List Price: $5.99 Our Price: $2.47 More Info!

The Adventures of Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, Michael Chesworth - An enticing, newly illustrated collection of the enduringly popular Pippi stories. Since Pippi Longstocking was first published in 1950, the escapades of the incomparable Pippi,the girl with upside-down braids and no parents to tell her what to do, have delighted boys and girls alike. Now, for the first time, Pippi Longstocking, Pippi Goes on Board, and Pippi in the South Seas are all together in one bumper volume, with new illustrations in full-color and black-and-white. The collection is an ideal introduction for anyone discovering Pippi for the first time, while confirmed fans will enjoy revisiting their favorite episodes and recalling some they've forgotten. Her admirers will also find fascinating new biographical information about author Astrid Lindgren and the origin of the Pippi stories. Astrid Lindgren was awarded the 1958 Hans Christian Andersen Medal for her contribution to international children's literature.Pippi is an irrepressible, irreverent, and irrefutably delightful nine-year-old girl who lives alone (with a monkey) in her wacky house, Villa Villekulla. When she's not dancing with the burglars who were just trying to rob her house, she's attempting to learn the "pluttification" tables at school; fighting Adolf, the strongest man in the world at the circus; or playing tag with police officers. Pippi's high-spirited, good-natured hijinks cause as much trouble as fun, but a more generous child you won't find anywhere. Astrid Lindgren has created a unique and lovable carrot-topped character, inspiring generations of children to want to be Pippi. The first Pippi Longstocking was published in America in 1950, and this fine, newly illustrated collection includes Pippi Goes on Board and Pippi in the South Seas. Pippi makes reading pure pleasure. (Ages 7 to 10) List Price: $30.00 Our Price: $16.26 More Info!

The Children of Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren - A charming story about the everyday life of six children living on the three neighboring farms that everybody calls "noisy village" because of its "high spirits." Line illustrations. List Price: $5.99 Our Price: $3.03 More Info!

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren - In 1950, Viking published the original English version of Pippi Longstocking, the story of an irrepressible red-haired, freckle-faced girl who lived with a monkey and a horse, slept with her feet on the pillow, and found her way into the hearts of children all over the world. Now, Astrid Lindgren’s best-selling book has been given a sparkling new translation by the awardwinning Tiina Nunnally and delightful full-color illustrations by the critically acclaimed Lauren Child. This large-format gift book is sure to become the definitive edition of a favorite classic. List Price: $25.00 Our Price: $8.23 More Info!

Ronia, the Robber's Daughter by Astrid Lindgren - Ronia, who lives with her father and his band of robbers in a castle in the woods, causes trouble when she befriends the son of a rival robber chieftain. List Price: $5.99 Our Price: $2.00 More Info!

The Tomten by Astrid Lindgren - This outstanding book by the author of Pippi Longstocking--and winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award--has been called a "picture book of rare distinction" by the Chicago Tribune. Full color. List Price: $6.99 Our Price: $3.15 More Info!

Pippi in the South Seas by Astrid Lindgren - The adventures of the strongest girl in the world, who takes her two friends with her when she travels from Sweden to visit her father, king of an island in the South Seas. List Price: $5.99 Our Price: $1.79 More Info!

Karlson on the Roof by Astrid Lindgren - Imagine Smidge's delight when, one day, a little man with a propeller on his back appears hovering at the window! It's Karlson and he lives in a house on the roof. Soon Smidge and Karlson are sharing all sorts of adventures, from tackling thieves and playing tricks to looping the loop and running across the rooftops. Fun and chaos burst from these charming, classic stories. List Price: $6.56 Our Price: $3.13 More Info!

Pippi Goes on Board (Pippi Longstocking) by Astrid Lindgren - The further adventures of Pippi and her friends Tommy and Annika. List Price: $5.99 Our Price: $1.95 More Info!

The Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren - There's no one Karl Lion loves more than his older brother, Jonathan, who is brave, strong, and handsome - everything Karl believes he is not. Karl never wants to be parted from him. But Karl is sick, and knows he's going to die. To comfort him, Jonathan tells him stories of Nangiyala, the wonderful place he'll be going to when he dies, and where he will wait until Jonathan is ready to join him there. Then the unthinkable happens ...Jonathan is killed in an accident. Heartbroken, Karl longs for the day he'll be reunited with his brother. When the time comes, he finds Nangiyala just as wonderful as he'd imagined. However, Nangiyala is under threat. A cruel tyrant is determined to claim it as his own, and at his command is a terrible beast that is feared throughout the land. Karl must summon all of his courage to help his brother prepare for the battle that lies ahead ...'I adored Astrid Lindgren as a child' Francesca Simon, author of the 'Horrid Henry' books. List Price: $9.85 Our Price: $8.86 More Info!