Top Ten Tuesday

TTT – Bookish Memories

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Top Ten Tuesday used to be a weekly post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, but was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl. “It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.” This is definitely something I can understand and want to participate in.

This week’s prompt is: Bookish Memories (Share stories of your reading life as a child, events you’ve gone to, books that made an impression on you, noteworthy experiences with books, authors you’ve met, etc. Reminisce with me!)

I was one of those kids that started reading ridiculously early. My mother tells me that I asked too many questions, so she just taught me how to read when I was around 3. I’m the youngest, and my much older siblings talk about coming into the kitchen and finding me, at 4 years old, sitting at the breakfast table, reading the New York Times, and being able to explain exactly what I was reading. I can only imagine how strange that must have looked, but it was just the start of my journey as a book lover. Over the course of my life, there have been so many books that made an impression on me, so I chose to talk about some of my early influences. Here’s some of the highlights of my bibliophile life:

  1. My Magic Telephone by Daphne Doward Hogstrom — this was the very first book that I can remember absolutely loving. I read it so many times that it literally fell apart, and it’s all about using your imagination. When I found it recently, I duct taped it back together, and passed it down to my great-niece, who loves to read.
  2. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein — is there any kid that lived in the 80s and 90s that didn’t have a copy of this book? I’m definitely no exception. I read through this so many times, and it inspired me to write some poetry of my own, although I’m afraid that mine wasn’t very good.
  3. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White — another childhood favorite of mine, looking back, it challenged me to think outside the box. This book humanizes animals, and helps to build empathy and understanding in children, at a time when those are such important attributes to develop.
  4. Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary — I loved this series! Ramona was a total hot mess, but the books were funny and I loved seeing what kind of mess she would get into next. 
  5. Bunnicula by Deborah Howe — this was such a cute and funny story, with Halloween vibes that weren’t scary. I actually found my childhood copy in the basement, and now it has a place on my shelf with my other much-loved books.
  6. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell — I was certainly no exception to the horse-loving little girl trope, and this book was everything to me for so long! I still have a copy that is incredibly beat up from so many reads, 
  7. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh — I’m not ashamed to admit that after reading these books, I briefly carried a notebook everywhere to take notes on things. Although, unfortunately, I never did get anywhere in my short-lived goal as a spy.
  8. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg — although I remember loving this book so much as a kid, I barely remember what it’s about now. I desperately wanted to run away to a museum though, and now I’m curious about how this book would hold up to a reread!
  9. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume — I loved this book as I got older, and I was able to see myself in the pages of the story. It talked about so many things that made sense to me, that I didn’t really feel comfortable discussing with my parents or maybe even friends, and this was when I realized that books weren’t just an escape but a way to identify and even learn.
  10. The Baby-Sitter’s Club books by Ann M. Martin — I guess these (and the Sweet Valley High books were basically some of the only YA offerings available when I was younger. I was thrilled when I came across these books, especially because they inspired me to start my own babysitting business, although I did it all on my own.

What were some of your favorite books as a kid?

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25 replies »

    • I’ve never heard of any of those, but they sound kind of intriguing! It’s so interesting to see how childhood books change through the years, and I love seeing the explosion in books geared towards younger readers these days.

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  5. Great book choices! When my sister and I were young, my aunt bought us a copy of Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic. She wasn’t ever much of a reader, so I confiscated her book and have both still on my bookshelf. 🙂 You’re never too old for Shel Silverstein!

    Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!

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    • We’re close – I’m 41! Haha, I did ask a lot of questions, and she eventually got tired of defining words I didn’t know, so she made me look up all the words in a dictionary. It’s a habit I’ve never broken, although reading on a Kindle makes this a lot easier.

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