Shannon in TN Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I'm just curious - there's no "hidden agenda" here - but what books did you read as a kid/teen that stuck with you or that you loved? I'll start: Summer of My German Soldier Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Where the Red Fern Grows Misty of Chincoteague The Black Stallion series Ratha's Creature Sweet Valley High (the early books) Follow the River This was just a list I came up with in under 30-45 seconds. If I took longer, the list would be a lot longer - I loved books as a kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tntgoodwin Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Bridge to Terabithea Maniac Magee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 A Little Princess CFA Dolley Madison book (read it over and over) Z for Zachariah Little House books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Picture Books Miss Suzy Miss Twiggley's Tree A Big Golden Book version of Robinson Crusoe Chapter Books Little House set Little Women The Secret Garden The Chronicles of Narnia Misc. our My Book House books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I read these over and over when I was young. Some of them are "adultish." My Side of the Mountain Cold River The Pink Motel Baby Island Lost Horizon Little Women and Little Men Miss Hickory The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler The Diary of Anne Frank Mary Stewart Books, especially Airs Above the Ground Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Five Little Peppers and How They Grew Heidi (and the sequels) What Katy Did (and the sequels) The Spartan Twins The Secret Garden Little House on the Prairie (whole series) Little Women (whole series) When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit The Twelth Day of July (whole Kevin & Sadie series - set in N. Ireland ) My Darling Villain Dear Comrade One More River I am starting to buy books I remember reading as a child for dd. It's funny - she is often resistant to reading something I suggest, but when I insist and make it "required reading" she ends up loving the same books I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southcarolinamom Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 The Hundred Dresses Christy The Little House on the Prarie Series And many of the above-listed books... this is a great thread! Thanks for posting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knittinfarmgirl Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 My fourth grade teacher read several to us. There are a couple that I remember so well. Wait for Me, Watch for Me, Eula Bee Where the Red Fern Grows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 (edited) Chronicles of Narnia The Hero from Otherwhere Anne of Green Gables (and its sequels) Zenna Henderson's "The People" stories Little Women Victoria (by Barbara Brooks Wallace) A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver Chronicles of Prydain (I might have loved these more than Narnia. My son loves them, too.) A Wrinkle in Time (and its sequels) Harriet the Spy (I know folks have issues with this one, and I haven't re-read it as an adult. But as a kid, it was the book that made me want to write.) Those are the ones I thought of immediately. They are ones I think about often and that I think had a real influence on me in some way. I read a lot of the others listed, too. Edited May 30, 2011 by Jenny in Florida Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lollie010 Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 My fourth grade teacher read several to us. There are a couple that I remember so well. Wait for Me, Watch for Me, Eula Bee Where the Red Fern Grows I don't remember anything from Elementary School. I can't remember teacher names, friends, what we learned, nothing...except that my fourth grade teacher read aloud to us for 1 hour each day after lunch. She turned the lights down and told us we could rest or listen. Whichever. She read picutre books, chapter books, novels that took weeks. The last fifteen minutes of her reading, one student would quietly hand out orange popsicles. That is one reason why I homeschool, because I want my kiddos to remember being read to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Little House books, Charlotte's Web, All Creatures Great and Small series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin The Hobbit Famous Five and Secret Seven series- Enid Blyton The Magic Faraway Tree series- Enid Blyton The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe The Phantom Tollbooth Charlottes Web The Nargun and the Stars Seven Little Australians The Waterbabies Dr Doolittle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 A Little Princess - profoundly affected the way I thought about enduring hardship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunD Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Lots that have been listed already. Alas, Babylon The Giver Island of the Blue Dolphins Julie of the Wolves Fahrenheit 451 1984 Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank) Emily books by L. M. Montgomery (I loved her so much more than Anne of Green Gables!) Number the Stars Shiloh The Time Machine To Kill a Mockingbird War of the Worlds Maybe not all children's books, but I read them all before I was 13, so they count as childhood memories for me. YMMV with this list, since my parents didn't censor my reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 The Phantom Tollbooth We read this in 10th grade English digging into the vocabulary related to all the people and place names. I remember it being a fun study, and that teacher had been one of my favorites. It's the only book I still have from my childhood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 (edited) The Endless Steppe Island of the Blue Dolphins The Betsy books by Carolyn Haywood The Ramona books by Beverly Cleary All-of-a-Kind Family ETA: Oh, and I forgot the Belgariad series by David Eddings. My cousin gave them to me when I was nine and they were my gold standard for fantasy series until I read Tolkien. :D Tara Edited May 30, 2011 by TaraTheLiberator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Off the top of my head For littles: One Horse Farm (which is coming back in print at Amazon!!!!) The Outside Cat For grade school: Indian Paint King of the Wind For teens: The Man Without A Face This Stranger, My Son (a "grown up" book simply written by a mother whose first born grows up schizophrenic, in the 50s. Non fiction) Anything by Kafka Kristen Lavransdattar The Alexandra Quartet Crime and Punishment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH The Hobbit The Cay From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler 101 Dalmations (Dodie Smith original, not Disney) Charlotte's Web Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 In elem: The Ramona books Charlotte's Web Little House books A little Princess The Secret Garden Robinson Crusoe Z is for Zaccariah Where the Red Fern Grows The Time Machine Diary of Anne Frank older: 1984 The Color Purple Sense and Sensibility The Jungle by Upton Sinclair ***and then I read a lot of garbage that I won't list, you know mind candy, and didn't get back to classics unless it was assigned or until after high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Elem: Noddy Secret Seven series Fabulous Five series (all of the above by Enid Blyton, my favorite children's author!) And then many of the same others have mentioned Middle School: Flowers in the Attic (all of them!) Everything Edgar Allen Po Several already mentioned I know there are more, but these are what immediately came to mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabi Sabi Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 As a younger child: All of the Little House series All of the Ramona books The Little Princess Anything by Frank McCloskey In the Night Kitchen As an older child: Summer of my German Soldier Sunshine by Norma Klein Fifteen by Judy Blume Go Ask Alice VC Andrews Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I don't remember anything from Elementary School. I can't remember teacher names, friends, what we learned, nothing...except that my fourth grade teacher read aloud to us for 1 hour each day after lunch. She turned the lights down and told us we could rest or listen. Whichever. She read picutre books, chapter books, novels that took weeks. The last fifteen minutes of her reading, one student would quietly hand out orange popsicles. That is one reason why I homeschool, because I want my kiddos to remember being read to. What a great experience! Mary Stewart Books, especially Airs Above the Ground One of my favorites that I still reread regularly is The Moonspinners. It was the only one of hers I read until I was an adult, though. I am starting to buy books I remember reading as a child for dd. It's funny - she is often resistant to reading something I suggest, but when I insist and make it "required reading" she ends up loving the same books I did. My Dd is the same way.:lol: In addition to The Moonspinners my list would include: Anne of Green Gables and all the sequels Down the Long Hills (my first Louis L'amour book) Safe as the Grave Where the Red Fern Grows Fur Trappers of the Old West While My Pretty One Sleeps Island of the Blue Dolphin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 For me it is picture books that I remember most: Miss Twiggley's Tree The Fourteen Bears in Summer and Winter The Spooky Old Tree Fables I also loved The Chronicles of Narnia, Encyclopedia Brown, The Indian in the Cupboard, and Dear Mr. Henshaw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 In no particular order: -Gus the Friendly Ghost, and the whole Gus series. I about cried when I saw an old beat up copy at the library. -Alex: The Life of a Child; I was probably too young when I read it but I will never forget it. I'm thinking of making DS read it when he complains about how hard his life is. -The Secret Garden -A Wrinkle in Time -Little Bunny Follows His Nose; I bought this for the kids, but really for me. -The Best Christmas Pageant Ever -Ramona series -Fudge series - A big book of original Grimm's Fairy Tales; I loved the scary endings. I guess I was weird but DS likes them too. -The Little House books -Black Beauty -The Black Stallion and series -Bobsey Twins -Bridge to Terabithia -A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court Those were mostly all books I read in elementary school or before. After elementary school, my memory gets fuzzier, probably because I started to read more fluff like Sweet Valley High, Babysitters Club, and true ghost stories and unsolved mysteries, and cheap romances. These are the few that stuck with me; -The Jungle; scary -Tess of the D'ubervilles - Death of a Salesman - A Separate Peace -Night -Endgame (Becket) - Oedipus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlaura Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Many already mentioned, and also: Tom Sawyer & Huck Finn Hitty short stories of Isaac Bashevis Singer To Kill a Mockingbird The picture books I remember most are the Beatrix Potter books, Blueberries for Sal, Ping, and The Monster at the End of the Book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kchara Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Anne of Green Gables and as a teen, VC Andrews. I also read a lot of thing like Goosebumps as a child and really scary stories later when I was a teen. When I was in elementary school, I got this book from a Scholastic book fair (or it might've been a Weekly Reader, I don't remember) that was called The White Stallion. It was maybe a 2nd grade book. I don't remember why I loved it so much, but I did. I kept it until I left for the military, and then my mom finally got rid of it. Wish I had it now to read to my DD who loves horses. I just found it on Amazon, though, so maybe I'll get it for her. ;-) It's below her reading level, but it is such a sweet story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I loved... The Black Stallion The Trixie Beldon series The Ghost of Dibble Hollow Old Bones The Five Little Peppers I'm sure there were more, but I read these books over and over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 The Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren Jennifer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 (edited) Little Women The Diary of Anne Frank A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (My mother had enjoyed this book as a child as well. When she saw I had it, she explained it's antisemitism. She skipped the condom rope Neely and Francie dangled out the window, as well as the molestation part; and let me just say those things went right over my head. It took me quite awhile to realize what touched her leg in the hallway was a male part. It took me years to figure out what Sissy made in the rubber factory.) From the Mixed-Up Files All -of-a Kind Family Little House books The Witch of Blackbird Pond A series of books about teenagers and college students in the 1920' that my grandmother had. I loved those books, and I still can't figure out what they were, and nobody saved them. The teens went to plays in NYC, they went on ski trips, visited each other at college, they had 'beaus', they took sleigh rides in the snow...loved them. lol As an oider child of 14, I could not get enough of To Kill a Mockingbird. I must have read that book 6 times that year. As a very little child: My mother was all about poetry, and mostly from The Childcraft encyclopedias we had. Before she read me books, she read me poetry. I still remember so many and I was very little. I didn't know Joyce Kilmer was a man, but I could recite his Trees poem. ;) My mother read me the entire Mary Poppins series. We loved that Mary was such a snit, and she was a wizard..queen of them. ;) When I've reread Mary Poppins, I've sometimes thought of Professor Mcgonagall. My favorite picture book was Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. I loved the description of the kids all warm and toasty in the school. :) Edited May 31, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Dup. Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 As a very young child, my favorite picture books: Each Peach, Pear Plum Leo and the Lion The Little House by Virginia L. Burton I can't remember the name, but there was one about a grandma shrinking and coming through the phone? Don't remember elementary. Middle school: Diary of Anne Frank I can't remember the name or author but the pre-teen books about people who were really sick and dying? I think they were love stories? They were really popular at the time. True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle The Face on the Milk Carton Island of the Blue Dolphins Anne of Green Gables books/movies High School: Lori Wick books Francine Rivers books, esp. The Scarlet Thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0mmaBuck Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 In elementary school I remember reading: Oliver Twist The Little House Series The Diary of Anne Frank Wind in the Willows A Cricket in Time Square The Rats of Nimh (or whatever that one was named... I remember the story!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinsfamily Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Anything by Beverly but especially Ramona Island of the Blue Dolphins Misty of Chincoteague Little Women (the whole series) Chronicles of Narnia Little House series Encyclopedia Brown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnthemLights Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I don't remember anything from Elementary School. I can't remember teacher names, friends, what we learned, nothing...except that my fourth grade teacher read aloud to us for 1 hour each day after lunch. She turned the lights down and told us we could rest or listen. Whichever. She read picutre books, chapter books, novels that took weeks. The last fifteen minutes of her reading, one student would quietly hand out orange popsicles. That is one reason why I homeschool, because I want my kiddos to remember being read to. What a great idea! A lot of those already listed. I'll add Sherlock Holmes, Jack London and Jim Kjelgaard. The book that I remember the best is "Justin Morgan had a Horse." I have loved horses all my life, but Morgans specifically. Someday, I am going to have a ranch and raise horses. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Mama Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I'm just curious - there's no "hidden agenda" here - but what books did you read as a kid/teen that stuck with you or that you loved? Anne of Green Gables (all) From the Mixed-Up Files... Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh Go Ask Alice Summer of My German Soldier Cold Sassy Tree Thursday's Child A Wrinkle in Time The Jungle Animal Farm Jacob Have I Loved Of Mice and Men I'm sure there are many more. Can't wait to read all the lists! ETA: I loved the Sweet Valley High books, too. Liz and... what was the other sister's name? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0mmaBuck Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Just thought of a few more: The Witch at Blackbird Pond Island of the Blue Dolphin The Adventures of Tom Sawyer The Adventures of Huck Finn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekmom Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Bridge to Terabithia I quickly got into books not really appropriate for my age (Stephen King and the like) But It stuck with me...shudders.... two picture books.... Nana Upstairs Teeny Tiny Witches Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southcarolinamom Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I'm so glad you started this thread! It reminded me of one of my children's favorite books - The Children's Book of Virtues - I pulled it off the shelf this morning, and flipped through the pages with my 17 year old son and 15 year old daughter. They each picked their favorite story, and I read it to them. Aloud. And they didn't care. They liked it! I had the book tucked away for about 5 years, thinking they had outgrown it. It was another sweet memory that we were able to enjoy, thanks to the Hive! Don'tcha just love quality books?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 The Wolves of Willoughby Chase The Boxcar Children (series) Enclyclopedia Brown (series) Nancy Drew (series) The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew Little Woman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocelotmom Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I am starting to buy books I remember reading as a child for dd. It's funny - she is often resistant to reading something I suggest, but when I insist and make it "required reading" she ends up loving the same books I did. I was the same way as a kid when my mom recommended books to me. I'm starting to look at the books I refused to read now for my kids, though! One of the things I like about homeschooling is the excuse to revisit all the books I loved when I was a kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 (edited) Picture books for little ones: Mrs. Duck's Lovely Day (My parents say I requested this one so much as a toddler that they actually memorized it, and I did too. I found a vintage copy and read it to my own children so much that it fell apart. It was their favorite too. I have no idea why we liked it so much.) 10 Rabbits (also published as Nine Rabbits and Another) (My mom says I actually "stole" this book from the store when I was a toddler, and she didn't realize I had it until we were on the way home, and we had to turn around and go back to the store to pay for it.) The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes (I remember that this book was so sweet it made me cry. The country bunny was so sweet and giving!) My sister hated to read as much as I loved it, so to encourage her, our parents signed her up for a book club that mailed out a book per month. Of course, I read the books too. My favorites were: Miss Suzy (I wanted a tree house like Miss Suzy's.) The Wisest Man in the World (I loved the part about the bee.) Old Black Witch![/URL] (I wanted to open a tearoom!) Chapter Books for older kids/teens/adults: The ones that would be familiar to most people: The Secret Garden (I read this one boring summer that I spent at my grandparents' house.) From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (It got me interested in Renaissance art.) The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (I became fascinated with Narnia.) A Wrinkle in Time (This was my introduction to sci-fi, and I've loved it ever since.) Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder (As a youngster, I was entranced by all things pioneer, and this series was among the many, many books I read about pioneer days.) The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings (I read these in middle school and was hooked.) The ones you've probably never heard of: Earthfasts by William Mayne (I was fascinated by the idea of time travel.) The Secret Pencil by Anna Ward (also published as The Silver Pencil) (I loved the idea of interpreting clues to find treasure.) Manhattan is Missing by E.W. Hildick (It piqued an interest in Siamese cats, and mysteries too.) Missing Melinda by Jacqueline Jackson (The twins' names got me curious about Shakespeare.) Goodbye, My Lady by James Street (I cry every time I read it. It's got to be one of the sweetest stories ever.) Edited May 31, 2011 by ereks mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbie in OR Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 The Endless Steppe really affected me. Still haunts me today. Can't wait for my kids to read it. Also, Where the Red Fern Grows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Little House books Ramona books Betsy books by Haywood Betsy-Tacy books Katie John books All of a Kind Family books A Little Princess On Thin Ice & Dead Birds Singing Only My Mouth is Smiling and Crazy Quilt Embarrassing to admit, but I did read ONE Lurlene McDaniel series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missiemick Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 The Hiding Place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Island of the Blue Dolphins. We used to hike around cliffs and coves to get to my dad's fishing spot. He'd wonder off, and everyone else would crash out. It was very secluded. I used to play for hours alone in the tide pools and caves. I would pretend I was her... mmmm those are great memories! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 An elderly friend of my Mom's gave her some books when I was in grade school. My Mom read aloud to us a book about a little girl who looses her doll. Eventually she gets sick and her parents find a replacement doll and try to ding it up a bit to make her think it is her doll. It was a huge book with lots of pictures. I think it was called the Lost Doll, but I am not sure. Wonderful memories. I think it was set during the Victorian era. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalmia Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm by Alice and Martin Provensen The Year at Maple Hill Farm by Alice and Martin Provensen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tntgoodwin Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Oh, I forgot some: The Giver Bridge To Terabithea Maniac Magee My Side of the Mountain 1984 Fahrenheit 451 The Count of Monte Cristo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinsfamily Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm by Alice and Martin ProvensenThe Year at Maple Hill Farm by Alice and Martin Provensen I 'found' these a couple of years ago through SL and love them! My dc have already started designating which books they'll take with them when they leave home (yes, they are only 7 & 5 LOL) and I anticipate a big fight in about 10 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shannon in TN Posted May 30, 2011 Author Share Posted May 30, 2011 Wow! I'm loving these lists! Bumping it back to the front page to see if we can get more lists! Thanks everyone!! :thumbup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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