For this week’s seven quick takes, I thought I’d try something a little different. There are certain books that when I see them (and snatch them up as quickly as possible) at yard sales, they give me warm fuzzies from my childhood. I don’t actually remember sitting and reading with my mom, but I know we did, because I remember the books. It makes me wonder which books my kids will remember.
1
One I hope they remember is The Berenstein Bears and The Spooky Old Tree. I love this book. And, I love hearing my mom read it to my kids. Even better is hearing my girls read it to me the same way my mom reads it to them.
2
Harry the Dirty Dog is another great one. I have yet to find this one at a yard sale. But my mom has it, so we read it when we go there.
3
I’ve always wondered how the little bird knew his mom when he saw her if he didn’t know the others weren’t his mother.
4
We got this for the kids for Christmas. I don’t really get the story, but I totally remember the pictures from when I was young.
5
My sisters don’t remember this book. I called both of them the day I scored it for a quarter at a yard sale. Both Amy and Johanna were like, “Huh? Joe who?” I totally remember it. I have to be honest though, my girls aren’t that into it.
6
From when I was a little older, probably 4-6th grades, I love the Mandie series about an orphan with a Native American Uncle who lives in the woods. Love this series. I will be buying them for Natalie and Ainsley.
7
I’m guessing I’m not alone here…. Nancy Drew was a must in 6th grade. I think I read my weight in Nancy Drew books that year.
What are your favorite childhood books?
(c) 2016 Leighann Marquiss
Comments (18)
“Are you my mother”!!!! One of my favorites!!!
There is a tot pack on 1+1+1 you can make from that book.
Also my brother use to read “The Monster At The End Of This Book”, by none other than Grover. I loved the way he read it to me it still makes me smile!
Kelly K
#4…Love this one! I refer to myself and to Polly as the Pokey little puppy all the time. We kindof run on our own schedule.:)
#6…I loved the Mandie series too! She had some cool adventures!
I remember this book my Grandma Loomis had called “The Little Boy from Shickshinny”. About a little boy who was grouchy and had to go do his chores on the farm, and when he got to the old cow sleeping in the field and told her to get up, she didn’t move. So in his grouchiness, he kicked the cow, which turned out to be a BEAR! Kinda funny.
Love ya! Richelle
I also loved The Spooky Old Tree! I think my kids have a glow in the dark version of it! I also loved Where the Wild Things Are. There are so many I can’t think of any more right now! But if you get me in a bookstore or the Book Fair at the kids’ school I am ALL OVER those books! I LOVE them! I wish I were rich so I could buy them all! We don’t get any at the book fair though. Too expensive! I like your idea of finding them at garage sales and even Half Price Books!
The Boxcar Children!
I will always love The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Are You My Mother, Is your mama a llama, a bad case of the stripes, cloudy with a chance of meatballs, caps for sale, green eggs and ham, chica chica boom boom
I spent a lot of time this summer reading to my campers (I work at a special needs summer camp) so the back of my car is covered in books!
I remember all those books you listed! My favorites (and this is more from late elementary school and middle school) were: The Black Stallion series, The Silver Brumby series (from Australia) and any book by Enid Blyton (a British author who wrote in the 1950’s). I was so excited when my oldest daughter was old enough to start reading the Blyton books. Everytime my Mom would go to Scotland, I would have her pick up a few and I would buy them off of British book stores on-line. Sadly, she didn’t like them that much. I was bummed. I am holding out hope for my youngest now!! =)
I loved the Mandie and Nancy Drew books, too, but my all time favorite were the Trixie Belden books.
Harry the Dirty Dog is one of my favorites too. I didn’t read it as a child, but I discovered it in the school library one year and read it to my class. It has been a must read every year since then. The kids go crazy over it when I put it on the bookshelf. Think I’ll check it out from the public library for my kids next week.
I LOVE “are you my mother?”! i just saw it at marshall’s the other day when i was shopping with my friend and her 5 month old daughter. i read it to little sofia right there in the store and she loved it too! i also loved nancy drew books. i also read a bunch of alfred hitchcock books in 6th grade. also, there’s a book about a fire station cat that i read all by myself in 1st grade that i’ll never forget. ah, books…. good post beeb.
love, katie
Ferdinand the Bull- one of my favs..
-cousin kelly
Harry the Dirty Dog….love, love, love that story….and the message that in the end home is where we belong and we are loved.
The Little Red Hen…again, the message, everyone needs to do their part, that the reward comes with work.
And anything Beatrix Potter, darling books that entertained me as a child and still give me great joy today. I collect anything Beatrix Potter, that is how big an impression those books made on me!
i don’t usually comment, but i had to tell you how much i LOVED mandie!!! such wonderful books!
Spooky Old Tree was and is one of my favorite. Another one is A Fish Out oF Water. Remember otto? “now when you feed a fish, never feed him a lot, or something may happen, you never know what.” Another favorite is THe Best Nest when Mrs Bird wanted a new nest. Remember mom put a tune to her little song. I still sing the same tune to that little song to my kids.
Alysa LOVES the Mandy series. I get them cheap at a used bookstore.
Oh my goodness, the memories that your list brought back, I Loved all the Mystry books, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Trixi Beldon. The Box Car children. Tawney Scrawney Lion. I LOVED reading as a child, I still love to read just don’t get to read as much as I did before all the kids.
You named quite a few of my favorites!! I also loved the Babysitters Club series, also the spinoff with Karen – I forget what it was called though.
And the Little Critter books. Also Dr. Seuss of course.
Melissa H.
I absolutely loved Nancy Drew books! And we too have fond memories of Are You My Mother? There was a series called Sweet Pickles I got through the mail. When I asked my mom, who has saved most of our books, where they were, she doesn’t remember them at all and can’t find them.
Heidi
Talking about books, it will be yard sale season soon. Can you write a post about where to find yard sale, what will be considered good deals, and any tips?
Thanks.
I have been trying to find out the name of my favorite mystery book as a kid for several years. It’s driving me nuts. The problem is, I read so voraciously as a child that I could possibly be blending many stories together. But I know that there were several kids in a family that moved to a new house and they found a treasure map on the inside of a window shade. I am going to go to the bookstore to see if it is one of the Boxcar Children books.
When I saw “Big Joe’s Trailer Truck” on your list I couldn’t believe it. I have never heard of it, but it is my husband’s favorite childhood book (I thought he was the only one who ever read it!) As a gift for our baby shower my brother got us framed prints from each of our favorite childhood books. So, Big Joe plays a prominent role in our Ryan’s nursery.