Friday, June 15, 2012

Childhood Books

There are very few books that defined me as a child. My children will remember Harry Potter, Fablehaven, Percy Jackson, and How to Train Your Dragon, but me? I don't remember reading many series.

I didn't read Anne of Green Gables until I was a young mother. Shocking, I know, since the miniseries most definitely shaped my young life. I didn't read Pride and Prejudice until college (or late high school?), and that REALLY shaped my life.

Anyway, here is the short list of books I read as a child/tween that really changed me forever:

Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards
The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye
The Bird's Christmas Carol by Kate Douglas Wiggin
Danny, the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

I've tried to get my girls to read these books, too, but it's interesting how mom's opinions are automatically "uncool." Luckily, they've relented most of the time and have admitted that, yes, mom knew what she was talking about.

I'm sure I could list hundreds, if not thousands of books that have shaped me for the better (or worse?), but let's focus on childhood. What books shaped your childhood? Do any stand out?

7 comments:

flip flop mama said...

I didn't read Anne of Green Gables either until a few years ago either. I read Old Yeller, Charlotte's Web, Wuthering Heights (in Middle School), and The Chronicles of Narnia series. Those are the ones I remember, but I'm sure there were others.

flip flop mama said...

Oh and Where the Red Fern Grows. LOVED that one.

Amanda D said...

Judy Blume books - the Fudge series, Are You There God, it's Me Margaret. I can't convince my kids to read them though. I also love the Indian in the Cupboard books. I read the Babysitter's Club series, and a lot of the RL Stine books. In HS, I love Where the Red Fern Grows.

I've never read the Anne books (although, like you the movies were very much a part of my life), and I read Pride and Prejudice once.

I just love books. I'm starting to see glimpses of my kids loving books too. It makes me SO happy!

WoozleMom said...

Umm, you probably shouldn't have asked this question. :) There are a LOT of books that shaped my childhood. I hope my kids love to read as much as I did -- I used to get grounded from books, I loved to read so much! I'm sure I'm forgetting some, but here's what I came up with off the top of my head.

Books I read in elementary school:
-The Secret Garden (this is the book that convinced me that reading is fun)
-Anne of Green Gables
-The Giver
-Number the Stars
-A Wrinkle in Time
-Charlotte's Web
-Alice in Wonderland
-The Chronicles of Narnia
-Where the Red Fern Grows
-Bridge to Terabithia
-Little Women

Books I read in middle school:
-Jane Eyre
-Ender's Game
-Heidi
-Harry Potter (I was in 7th grade when the first was released and 20 for the last)

-The Lord of the Rings
-Wuthering Heights
-Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Persuasion. I read others she wrote, but these are my favorites.)
-Other Ender books (Speaker for the Dead (my favorite), Xenocide, and Children of the Mind. I read the Shadow series, which is a companion series to the Ender books, in college.)

LDS:
-The Work and the Glory (I read them all in a period of two weeks at the age of 13)
-Fire of the Covenant
-Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites (this series still isn't over...)
-The Kaleidoscope Season (this one is about family history)

chercard said...

My kids also won't read the books I suggest.

Some books that shaped my childhood:

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle
Little House on the Prairie (my favorite series of all time)
A Wrinkle in Time
Narnia

That's all I can remember....my childhood was a LOOOONG time ago. LOL

Chantelle said...

I didn't jump onto the Harry Potter bandwagon until I was around 16 - so I guess they shaped some of my teenage years rather than my childhood ones! Still fantastic books, though. I cried when Dumbledore died. I admit it!! :-)

My favourite childhood books were The Chronicles of Narnia, Enid Blyton's Wishing Chair Adventures (along with a lot of other Enid Blyton story books!), Boy by Roald Dahl (read it when I was around 12 at school and LOVED it) and The Wind In The Willows.

Actually, you've just reminded me of an article I came across recently about someone changing names in Enid Blyton's books and things like that... Got my feathers all ruffled! But that's a story for another day :-)

Take care,
Chantelle

Chantelle said...

Oh! I can't believe I forgot... The Diary Of Anne Frank. I latched onto this book when I was about 9 years old and still love reading it now, even though I must have been through it at least 30 times!