mamatohaleybug Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 We just finished Bridge to Terabithia as a read aloud and it got me wondering. :) I'm not interested in published booklists and professional opinions for this list. I'm interested in your all-time favorite books for kids this age. Which books had a huge impact on you when you were that age? Which ones have had a huge impact on your children? I'd love to see your top 10 from your childhood and your top 10 from reading with your own children. Feel free to include why if you'd like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My3girls Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 For me, it was the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. I started them about about 8, but I was 9 or 10 by the time I finished them all. They turned me into an avid reader. Around 11 or 12, I adored A Wrinkle in Time. Unfortunately, I can't say any of my girls have a book(s) that has made a huge impact yet. I'm working on it. I think the TV and iPods are hard to compete with, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 Here's our Top 10 list (not in any particular order) Watership Down The Hobbit Holes Narnia Carry on Mr Boditch Tom Sawyer Call of the Wild Little House on the Prairie Sherlock Holmes The Mars Series by Burroughs (interesting, there are only 2 modern ones in there. Do you want modern books?) My ds(12) is an advanced reader, but his 2 all-time favourites books are Gormenghast and The Count of Monte Cristo. As for me, I could not read properly until I was 12. And the only novel I read before I turned 13 was the Hobbit. So I guess that would be my favourite. ;) Ruth in NZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 Swallows and Amazons; The Little White Horse. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MolleenCarie Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 When I was that age: Little House books Anne series The Secret Garden Where the Red Fern Grows Old Yeller Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry The Trumpet of the Swan Little Women The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman Judy Blume books My eldest son, age 11 (I asked him for input): Narnia series The Jungle Book Hobbit LOTR Tom Sawyer Huckleberry Finn City of Ember The Giver The Dangerous Book for Boys Diary of a Wimpy Kid series My daughter, age 9 (I am answering for her, as she is in another room): The Secret Garden Sarah, Plain and Tall The Hobbit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 double post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 Gosh, I'm really having to stretch my brain to remember what I read at that age. Let's see: Anne of Green Gables series- this was my very favorite for many years, and still is one of my favorites. The Secret Garden, I think around age 10 I remember being starry-eyed after reading this. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn around age 12 (though I think the content of this book is better left until more like 14, but my mom didn't pay attention to what I read.) Little Women My 11 yr old's favorites: the Percy Jackson series Om-Kas-Toe Naya Nuki Gone-Away Lake My Side of the Mountain the Narnia series Ella Enchanted A Wrinkle in Time and the others in the series Emily of New Moon series Guardians of Ga'hoole series Inkheart series and way more, but I'm going over ten... My 9 year old's favorites: Percy Jackson series Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Iron Thunder by Avi The Puzzling World of Winston Breen and other in the series Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Frindle The BFG Danny, the Champion of the World Narnia series Harry Potter (The first three books, he says, because that's all I've let him read so far.) My 12 year old is a reluctant reader, but one that he recently devoured is The Kite Fighters and he likes the Wimpy Kid series Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjlcc Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 The books I read as a child are, for the most part, not what I'd select for my children to read. However, several stick out as being worthwhile. The Little House on the Prairie series Swiss Family Robinson The Bible Smuggler Read-alouds we've all loved here: Narnia series The Princess and the Goblin Heidi My 10yo has his own personal favorites. Gentle Ben The Hobbit Little House on the Prairie series missionary biographies by Benge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixpence1978 Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 Some of my favorites from those years were: The Secret Garden The Lottery Rose (one of my favorites a long time ago) My Side of the Mountain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 Some of my children's favorites - Starry River of the Sky Five Children and It Harry Potter Half Magic The Twenty-One Balloons The Three Investigators Johnny Dixon Mysteries The Poppy series Follow My Leader Bambi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyJo Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 Narnia and From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. These were both childhood favorites of mine that my children have also enjoyed. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, and The Wind in the Willows are three of my personal favorites for classic children's literature that I never read until I was an adult. Yes, my children enjoyed them, too. :-) Harry Potter Holes Red Sails to Capri History and historical fiction my boys have loved: Sonlight's book called Incans, Aztecs, and Mayans. I consider it dry, but my three oldest boys have all absolutely loved this book. D'Aulaire's Book of Norse Myths The Bronze Bow The Golden Goblet The Boy and the Samurai The King's Shadow Adam of the Road The Shakespeare Stealer If All the Swords in England 12 yos loves a series called Crafts of the Ancient World. He's read Crafts and Culture of the Ancient Greeks and Crafts and Culture of the Vikings. He also loves Hiccup the Viking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sobeknofret Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 Oooh, for me it was: Little House The Anne books and the Emily books The Westing Game Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Jane Eyre Island of the Blue Dolphins, but much more especially the sequel, Zia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamatohaleybug Posted August 23, 2013 Author Share Posted August 23, 2013 Thanks for your wonderful lists! I'm enjoying them. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 For impact: Carry On, Mr. Bowditch Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm Swiss Family Robinson Amos Fortune, Free Man Around the World in Eighty Days The Door in the Wall The Little Princess Anne of Green Gables The Secret Garden Where the Red Fern Grows Lots, lots, lots to discuss in those. :) These are from my dc's childhood, not mine. I spent all my time at the library, but no one thought enough to direct me past science fiction and Choose-Your-Own -Adventure books. :( I have had to make up for it as an adult. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 I don't remember many of the books that I read as a child. The ones that stand out are the Bevely Cleary books and the Little House on the Prairie books. Our top 10 read alouds are: Little Britches Where the Mountain Meets the Moon A Wrinkle Against Time The Giver Number the Stars The BFG Little Princess Winnie the Pooh Understanding Betsy The Hobbit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristi26 Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 For me, my favorites and the ones that really made me learn to LOVE reading were all the Roald Dahl books. I also remember reading and enjoying Hatchet. Other than that, nothing really stands out. Some books we are enjoying here: Leminy Snicket series (DS10) Percy Jackson series (DS13) The Bible Smuggler (all) Charlotte's Web (all) I'm sure there are more, I just can't think of them right now! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenjenn Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 I'm going to give you my 10-year-old's picks, which are not all going to be amazing works of literature. She is a voracious, independent reader,and these are HER favorites. The stuff I MAKE her read for school include some of the above classics, and she likes some of them, but they are distant behind her true favorites. 1. Harry Potter (entire series) 2. Fablehaven (entire series) 3. Percy Jackson (entire series) and Riordan's derivative other work (the Egypt and Roman books.) 4. The Books of Elsewhere (entire series) 5. The Lemonade War (entire series) 6. The City of Ember (she has read the first 2 books, but I suspect 'entire series' will be the case here, too.) 7. The Egypt Game 8. The Hunger Games Trilogy (I know this is controversial to let kids read, but I recently let her read it. She is almost 11.) 9. The Graveyard Book 10. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 The top three, good for readers of all ages: The Chestry Oak, by Kate Seredy The Little White Horse, by Elizabeth Goudge Understood Betsy, by Dorothy Canfield Fisher All the rest: The Secret Garden Hurry Home, Candy (I cry like a baby at the end of this. No, not like a baby...the ugly cry. OMG.) Chronicles of Narnia The Incredible Journey The 101 Dalmations Little Women The Summer of My German Soldier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Me as a child: Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself Tuck Everlasting The Westing Game Baby Island the first few Oz books, especially Ozma of Oz the Little House on the Prairie series Ballet Shoes Understood Betsy Anne of Green Gables Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales For DD, so far: The Invention of Hugo Cabret The Mysterious Benedict Society A Stranger at Green Knowe (and the rest of the Green Knowe series, but especially this one) Little House on the Prairie series Bambi Mio, My Son Understood Betsy Black Beauty The Thirteen Clocks Because of Winn-Dixie The Little Prince Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Enchanted Forest Chronicles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 I'm going to let my kids pick. The books with stars are the ones I really enjoyed reading out loud. My oldest ds's picks. Harry Potter Coraline James and the Giant Peach* Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory* Charlotte's Web* The Hobbit* Wind in the Willows* Tale of Despereaux* Just So Stories* The Family Under the Bridge* My 6 year old ds's picks Peter Pan* Winnie the Pooh* Stuart Little Trumpet of the Swan* Henry Huggins and Ramona Quimby books Pinocchio Wizard of Oz Matilda Raggedy Ann and Andy Alice in Wonderland* Books that were my best friends as a child. My parents did NOT read aloud to me and I owned few chapter books, but these are some that I remember having a special place in my room growing up or I recall reading in school and loving. Some of these actual books I still own. The starred books are books that we read from that were mine as a child. Alice in Wonderland Winnie the Pooh* The Hobbit and LOTR* The Princess and The Goblin* The Light Princess* Johnathan Livingston Seagull* Where the Red Fern Grows Little Women The Prince and the Pauper The Little Prince* And somewhere around 7th grade I became obsessed with the Jane Austin section of my local library. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julikins Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 My favorites I remember growing up were Anne of Green Gables Series Where the Red Fern Grows The Bronze Bow We've enjoyed several of the books mentioned above but really loved 21 Balloons--even my husband would listen in. I'm looking forward to reading lots more with my kids and this is the motivation I needed to get things going again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 What I'd plan for 9-12 would depend entirely on what had been read in the years before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 What I'd plan for 9-12 would depend entirely on what had been read in the years before. Well the OP just wanted a list of people's favorite books, especially from their own childhoods. Not necessarily what books to read. The books I listed aren't necessarily what gets read in the 9-12 year range. My oldest is only 10 so we haven't really read very many of the chapter books appropriate for that range yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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