Welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl)! Today’s topic is childhood favorites. That can encompass a long period of time, so I’m just going to throw out anything I can think of between elementary school and high school.
I don’t remember a lot of books from when I was really little, but I do remember Are You My Mother? It’s a cute little book where a little bird tries to go find it’s mother.
When I first heard about this challenge, I remembered something about the Berenstain Bears and it was a scary book (well, it was scary at the time, at least). Not remembering the book in the least, I decided to do an internet search. I knew it when I saw it. The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree was a book that I really liked when I was little.
I’ve been reading books for as long as I can remember. Well, for as long as I’ve been able to read, at least. I don’t remember a lot of the books that I read when I was really young though. I do remember reading the Ramona Quimby books. In particular, I read Ramona Quimby, Age 8 when I was 8 years old.
When I was in fourth grade, my teacher was Ms. Cherin. She was an awesome teacher. One thing I remember her doing was reading to us. I don’t know if it was every day or once a week, but it was a regular thing. One of the books she read was Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. I don’t recall much from the book anymore, other than they lived near a park, he had an annoying older brother, and somewhere in this series he had an annoying baby brother too.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was another book that was read to us in class, again, I think, by Ms. Cherin. It was a magical book to me. Even though I really liked the book, I’ve never been particularly fond of the movie(s). The books just seem way more magical in my head. Especially the part with the elevator at the end.
I must have read the Little House on the Prairie set by Laura Ingalls Wilder perhaps about a bajillion times. I had the little blue boxed set (which my kids ended up destroying… oops). Anyway, I don’t think this set was what inspired me to become a writer (I remember a story I wrote about the Care Bears from 2nd Grade) but I think this set made me want to write my autobiography someday. I haven’t done that, but maybe someday. In the meantime, I have this blog.
My grandma let me borrow a lot of her books when I was a kid. One of the books that I borrowed was the Anne of Green Gables set. I borrowed that set more than once. When she died, I ended up inheriting that set. I was fortunate in that the one thing I really wanted from her was some of her books, and nobody else really did… so I ended up with a whole box full of them (which I mailed home using media mail).
Another book I read a lot of in school was Sweet Valley High. I have all of the first umpteen books of this series. I could tell you about all of the characters in the series, and even recognized plot holes and inconsistencies with this series, because I read it so much.
I remember reading a lot of the Nancy Drew books, although I can’t really remember how old I was when I read them. I think they were my mom’s. A lot of books I read when I was a kid belonged to my mom (and a lot of them I don’t remember).
I almost gave up thinking of a tenth book that I read as a kid, until I did a google search. How could I forget Choose Your Own Adventure books! I can’t tell you which Choose Your Own Adventure books I read (not even sure if I’ve read the ones pictured), but I checked these out of the library a lot. These still seem to be pretty popular; my boy used to like getting these from the library, although they’re almost always checked out, so I think he gave up looking for them.
So that’s this week’s Top Ten Tuesday. Which books did you like when you were a kid? Next week is a character freebie, and in honor of Call of the Horizon Day, I’m going to list characters that like to travel or who went on a long journey.
Choose Your Own Adventure books were the best!
I’d love to see more like them come out.
I love a lot of the Seuss stuff. And Nancy Drew was fun.
The Little House books were pretty amazing too. And yes to Choose Your Own Adventure- I loved those!
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I saw that you had the Nancy Drew books too. I’m surprised at how many people read them!
Lovely list! Charlie and the Chocolate Factory made it to my list as well. I actually never got to Read Anne of Green Gables as a kid but I hear it’s great.
Marti recently posted…TTT: Favorite Childhood Reads
I think they might be due for a reread with me at some point (the Anne books). I remember crying so hard at the end of Rilla of Ingleside. It’s been so long since I’ve read them I could probably do book reviews on them because it’s almost like reading them for the first time.
Spooky Old Tree was one of my favorites! I used to get it out of the library all the time!
I’m sure I read that one a lot too.
Spooky Old Tree!!! I read that book like 999 times to my kid. He loved it. “One with a light, One with a stick, and One with the SHIVERS!!!”
SVH books were my jam as a teen. I loved Lila. And unfortunately Jessica. I reread some of them as an adult and realized that Jessica is a sadist, and I in fact DO NOT want to join the Unicorn Club as previously thought.
Awesome list!!
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Thank you! Perhaps I should go check that book out of the library because even though I remember reading it a lot… and that it was scary… I don’t remember much about it.
I read so many Choose Your Own Adventure books. What a great series that was.
My TTT.
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People still love them! My boy wants to make one, Susan Dennard is making a Twitter Choose your own adventure… don’t know why they don’t still make them.
Yes, The Spooky Old Tree was very scary when I was younger. Are You My Mother was one I had on my shelves as well. Great list!
Thanks!
Great list! I’ve seen Anne of Green Gables on so many lists this week, I need to check it out!
Jess @ Jessticulates recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday | The best books of 2019 (so far!)
You should! I think I want to reread it again at some point.
Great list! The Little House series, Anne of Green Gables, and Nancy Drew made my list too. I remember reading Choose Your Own Adventure books! They were a lot of fun. My kids love The Spooky Old Tree! Here is my Top Ten Tuesday.
So many of us liked some of the same books!
Whoo Hoo for Little House and Nancy Drew. I adored those books as a kids. So good. I think I read Anne in my teens after seeing an adaptation.
The adaptations never seemed to go past the first two books, but I think I loved the latter books more than the first ones!
Choose your own adventure books were great. They do a more recent version with the Oregon Trail.
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http://www.thehauntedgravebooks.com/2019/07/top-ten-tuesday-child-hood-unfavorites.html
Oooh that sounds really good!
I remember raiding the Choose Your Own Adventure rack at the library so hard! I spent so much time trying to read all the paths.
Shon @ Books and Bugs recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Childhood Favorites
Those are still really popular at my library!
Awww Are you my mother <3 I remember that one!
Leelynn @ Sometimes Leelynn Reads recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Childhood Favorites
🙂
I completely forgot about Little House on the Prairie! I’m sure I’ve read at least a few books, but I can’t remember anything about it at all.
Marina recently posted…3 Book Series that Rank as my Childhood Favorites (and One I Wish I’d Read)
That’s how I feel about some of these books!
All the Berenstain Bears were fun. Are You My Mother? is such a sweet classic. Great list!
Thanks! I know I read some of the other Berenstain Bears books, but The Spooky Old Tree was the one that stood out to me.
Yasss to Nancy Drew! I loved those when I was a kid; I used to read my aunts’ old copies. I actually never read Anne of Green Gables, I feel like I should!
They’ve both been around forever! No wonder they’ve been on so many lists!
So many great books on your list! I can’t believe I forgot Dr. Seuss, lol! Little House and the Berenstain Bears were much loved favorites of mine, too. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by my TTT!
Lee @ Rally the Readers recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Childhood Favorites
It’s been difficult to remember, but it’s nice to see everybody’s lists!
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, such a childhood classic 🙂
Definitely.