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Weekly Geeks # 3


The WG challenge for this week is to talk about fond memories of childhood books. Oh, my goodness. Where do I begin? I had to go back to my books on Shelfari.com to see what my favorites were—though pretty much everything is a favorite, to be honest.

I have to say that I was a huge fan of series books—the Babysitter’s Club, Cam Jansen, Little House on the Prairie, A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the Harriet the Spy books, Little Women, anything by Zilpha Keating Snyder (especially The Egypt Game), Judy Blume’s books, Enid Blyton, the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary, Roald Dahl, Eleanor Estes’s The Hundred Dresses, the Nancy Drew series, the Bobbsey Twins, Madeleine L’Engle, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Anne of Green Gables, A Cricket in Times Square, E. Nesbit, The Borrowers, The Westing Game, the Boxcar Kids, Ann Rinaldi’s books, Sideways Stories From Wayside School, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Noel Streatfield’s Dancing Shoes series, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, Tuck, Everlasting, I, Juan de Pareja, Cynthia Voight, Charlotte’s Web, The Pigman.

Whew. I think I read all of these when I was under 12, though I certainly re-read many along the way. I remember reading Roald Dahl in school; the teacher would read various of his books outloud. Ann Rinaldi's books got me hooked on hisotrical fiction, as did A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver. I believe I've read nearly every book in the Babysitter's Club series, as I have with the Nancy Drews. I read The Westing Game at age 10 at overnight camp. The Cam Jansen books were the first books that I read to myself. I read Harriet the Spy at age 8, and for that whole summer, I ran around with a notebook, taking cryptic notes about people. When I was nine, I tried to make a "book on tape" of myself reading Sideways Stories From Wayside School. I got hooked on Enid Blyton's books when I went to England at age 10.

Comments

Terri B. said…
So far you are the only other one that has mentioned The Witch of Blackbird Pond. The Cricket in Times Square is still one of my faves and I visit it once in awhile :o)
Anonymous said…
I loved the Cricket in Times Square too. Also, I created a meme for participants:
http://beastmomma.squarespace.com/from-shelf-to-hand
twiga92 said…
Oh, yes, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle! Those were such great stories!
Juli said…
I forgot about the Bobbsey Twins and The Cricket in Times Square. Thanks for the memory! We share the Rats of NIMH
Ooh, I forgot all about The Cricket in Times Square! I LOVED that book. Thanks for the memories. :) Feel free to check out my list ... I finally forced myself to stop adding to it!
my list
Megan said…
Ann Rinaldi's books got me hooked on historical fiction, too. I can still remember reading "A Break With Charity" for the first time, and loving it. They don't have quite the same appeal for me now as they did then - but I read a *ton* of her books in middle school.

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