Wow. I am so moved by the comments in the last post. I didn't want to show up here yesterday lest they stop coming in (as tends to happen when a new post goes up), because — what a beautiful booklist is there. Thank you for sharing your special childhood books, and memories of childhood reading (and adulthood reading of childhood books :-). So much beauty and wonder and peace there. Immediately my little brain started thinking of fun ways to turn your suggestions into a printed list, like the summer-reading logs we used to get at the River Forest Public Library. It would have to have stickers, for each book finished. . . .
I loved summer reading lists and trying to read the most books to earn prizes!! Great memories~
Bring on the lists! Bring on the stickers!
oh how fun!! what a great idea! :D
*sniff*
I think this is a great idea. Found my copy of Little House
in the Big Woods when I was sorting out our books and dusting the shelves. Bring on the summer reading booklist!!!
Something about your previous post that just fills my heart with happiness. I'm going to go pick me up a good book now.
Thanks for the inspiration.
a few more to add (they're both good for youngn's, and also for older youngn's (like yourself) to revisit:
The Lorax, Dr. Seuss
The Missing Piece, Shel Silverstein
The Missing Piece Meets the Big O, Shel again.
I still have my childhood summer book program lists from the public library in a scrapbook. There was nothing more satisfying than seeing that star get stamped by each book I read.
So yeah, stickers, totally. Star-shaped ones, please.
(p.s. Did you ever read "Mimi the Merry-Go-Round Cat" when you were little? It was my FAVORITE book. So sweet. I still have it on the bookshelf next to "Too Many Kittens," "Snow White and Rose Red," and of course, the "Little House" books (all of them) ).
I meant to write this in the other post (which I loved, by the way), but a favorite childhood picture book was Little Miss Suzy, about a little squirrel who fights for her perfect little house high in the acorn tree. I think it is just up your alley. I heart Miss Suzy.
Oh, this has been so wonderful! Thank you. Here is only a small part of a longer poem by Strickland Gillian:
You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be--
I had a Mother who read to me.
How about "The Box Car Children"? I loved those. They are out again with a differect cover and in a series. No outspace people or robotics.....I hope the present generation will take a look. Aren't the old ones the best?
Oh, say, let's see that cute green dress hanging there in the picture!
what a great idea- I would totally participate in a summer reading program of all my favorites! I too, wish I had a list of all the wonderful books I read as a child-- I only wish I had thought to write them all down. I can picture the plot of one of my favorites so vividly, but I have no idea of the title or author... a little girl travels through her dog's house (the dog was named Mignonette) into a magical world where fairies and elves painted the flowers, plants, and she and the dog had adventures there. It's been more than 30 years, and to this day, I remember it so well, except for the most important part- the title!
Another favorite of mine is "Two Are Better Than One" by Carol Ryrie Brink (out of print now, I think), about best friends who get into scrapes, have adventures, and write a novel together.
Oh, for fun! My 25-year old son was just telling someone about the "reading charts" that I would make for him and his brother each summer with stickers and rewards at the completion. I was curious to hear his adult perspective on them, and he was quite complimentary about it. Made me feel good.
Forgot to list my all-time favorite kid's books yesterday!
Mercer Mayer's 'One Monster After Another'... there's so much going on in his wonderful illustrations. There are lots of little details you find in the artwork each time you leaf through the pages.
N.M. Bodecker's 'Miss Jaster's Garden'... another writer/illustrator's book with wonderful artwork showing the life of a little hedgehog living in Miss Jaster's English garden by the sea.
I have to admit I had to buy a copy of 'Miss Jaster's' on ebay last year because I was yearning to see those watercolored pages and dancing hedgehog again.
Oh! And when she's older she MUST read all about Trixie Belden's antics!
hi there, i just adore your site! especially these past couple posts on books...i had been hoping to start a collection of old favorites and reading through everyone's lists is making me want to go out and find every single one now! my memories include caddie woodlawn, miracles on maple hill, where the red fern grows, little lord fauntleroy....
I forgot to add a comment, but I had been thinking about it....my grandma always told me growing up, 'keep a list of everything you read, you'll appreciate it when you get older.' I ignored her for a good long time but finally decided to late in high school. I kept the lists on the back of paper bookmarks. While I have missed a few years worth of books in the middle, I have a small stack of bookmarks filled with lists of books. It's great to have because I would never remember what I read otherwise!
p.s I have found out that baby #3 is a girl, so keep up the little girl sewing inspiration :)
I know most of the books others have listed are for younger kids but mine loved My Side of the Mountain (probably because their dad is a falconer), Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys, Boxcar Children, and Richard Peck's books-A Long Way from Chicago, A Year from Home(?), Fairweather, The Teacher is Dead and Here Lies the Librarian.
Now I'll have to go upstairs and dig them out and reread all of them since all my little ones are now big ones. Sigh. I really miss the summer reading program especially the picnic on the library lawn at the end of the summer.
Just a reading suggestion for the last post - see tricked ya, you're still getting comments on that post! My suggestion is The Little Prince by Antoine de Ste Exupery. If you haven't read this book YOU MUST!! And you can read it to little ones, too, as it's actually a book for children, despite it's insightfullness. Enjoy!
Ooooo, a summer reading list! I like this idea, especially if it includes stickers!
I never really did reading lists as a child. I just picked up whatever I wanted to read but, I think I may have missed out on some good books.
My imaginary library just got bigger. *smiles*
Yesterday I started reading my way through my beloved Edward Eager books again: Half Magic, Magic By The Lake, The Thyme Garden, Magic or Not?, The Well Wishers and Knight's Castle. These go very well with a porch swing and some raspberry lemonade.
A couple of my childhood favorites that I love and recently re-read are "Understood Betsy" by Dorothy Canfield Fisher and The Wind in the Willows.
A couple picture-book favorites at our house right now are "Goodnight Goon" (no, that g isn't a typo) and "Mama, Do You Love Me?"
Great idea. It might force me to take time and read again. It's been months and I keep deciding I have a million other things to do but if there are stickers and gold stars involved, well.....
I love your blog.it's so nice.