The Broke and the Bookish have a fun topic this week for Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Childhood Faves. Here are mine: (Click on the images to buy the books and The Scarlet Letter will receive a small commission).
10. Daniel Pinkwater: He's so zany. My favorite was probably
The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death.
9. R.L. Stine,
The Babysitter (and many others): And Christopher Pike actually. This was the field of YA literature for me. No sophisticated dystopians or contemporaries addressing issues. I had the literary equivalent of slasher films, and they were good.
8. Noel Streatfeld,
Ballet Shoes: The cover I had as a kid was so much more lovely. This one is a little teeny bopper, but it is a beautiful book. They talk about it in
You've Got Mail.
7. C.S. Lewis,
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe: Turkish Delight and snow, and kids out on their own living in a magical world? Yes, please.
6. Lynne Reid Banks,
The Indian in the Cupboard: This is my generation's version of Toy Story. This is one that really got my imagination going as a kid. I loved it.
5. Lurlene McDaniel,
Don't Die My Love (and others): I have no idea how I got into these books, seriously. They are mainly about coping with grief, but I think that they explain a lot about my adult self, and perhaps my liking of Jodi Picoult.
4. Frances Hodgson Burnett,
The Secret Garden: Not much to say that I haven't already said in these lists before, except that I wish I had this copy when I was a kid.
3. Gertrude C. Warner,
The Boxcar Children: I was really into kids surviving on their own, or maybe survival stories in general (see Gary Paulsen,
Hatchet). I actually tried to run away from school once in imitation of this series.
2. Ann M. Martin,
The Babysitter's Club: I kind of like these new covers. I was a big fan of Claudia, because she was artsy, but I could relate most to Mary Anne (you know...shy and bookish).
1. Madeline L'Engle,
A Wrinkle in Time: I've mentioned this many times as well, and it is awesome.
There are so many more. Like many of you I'm sure, I was a voracious reader as a kid. I mean, these aren't even picture books. What were some of your favorites?
So many of these are on my list too! I can't believe that I left Daniel Pinkwater off my list! I loved The Snark-out Boys. There was something so believable/unbelievable about boys who were able to sneak out after dark and have all these adventures.
ReplyDeleteDespite fact that we must be of slightly different generations, we share many faves, L. Time to put a Pinkwater on hold at my library, I suspect. I too adored A Wrinkle in Time: outstanding!
ReplyDeleteHope you're well and happy in this dark-yet-festive season.
Man, so many great books in there. I'd forgotten about Pinkwater and the Indian in the Cupboard books, but I read and reread those when I was growing up.
ReplyDelete-- Ellen
Ooh, I forgot about The Secret Garden! Great list, brings me back memories...
ReplyDeleteI forgot about The Indian in the Cupboard! Such a weird book. Maybe I need to start re-reading some of those weird children's books again for a walk down memory lane!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog. I have The Secret Garden on my TBR Mtn...I have got to read that one! I remember reading many of these as well!
ReplyDeleteI remember reading so many of those R.L. Stein/Christopher Pike slasher books, where the killer was always the absolute last person you'd suspect (and after reading a couple made them the first person you'd suspect, which was an interesting spiral). Nice list!
ReplyDeleteI loved the Narnia series and The Wrinkle in Time. I was also a big fan of Nancy Drew. I couldn't get enough of Judy Blume's books- and read them all in 4th and 5th grade. I also became obsessed with V.C. Andrews's books for a while. Excellent list. I adore the cover for The Secret Garden!
ReplyDelete~Jess
http://thesecretdmsfilesoffairdaymorrow.blogspot.com
I feel like I read The Indian in the Cupboard and liked it as a child, but I don't remember much about the plot. I really wish I could have experience The Secret Garden in my youth!
ReplyDelete