Favorite childhood books...

[Fire Me Boy!]

A post I misread in another thread made me remember my favorite series of books as a youngster...


Not Quite Human (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_Quite_Human) tops my list. I loved those books. Then the TV series ruined it.

[crazycoffey]

The Narnia books, the Piers Anthony Xanth novels, I just looked them up to be correct, and I never knew he wrote so many in that series. I never got past 11, and the rest weren't written yet. (Man I'm getting skippish)

[Saulbadguy]

Shel Silverstein: Where the Sidewalk Ends

[crazycoffey]

Shel Silverstein: Where the Sidewalk Ends






A +

[TrickyNicky]

The Hatchet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatchet_%28novel%29) by Gary Paulsen. First book that I read that wasn't mostly illustrated and I wasn't forced to finish for school. Its sequels weren't very good.

[Saulbadguy]

I can't remember the authors and i'm too lazy to google it, but I enjoyed the Ramona books (Beverly Cleary?) and the "Fudge" books.

I also liked the Hatchet.

I'm having trouble remembering all of these books, I read a shitload of them when I was a child.

[Delano]

Goosebumps by R.L. Stine

[Baby Lee]

'Kid' kids books [ie, pic books], or youth books?

Of the former, my grandma read to me 1000 times at least, a story about a boy who was really noisy, yelling and stomping everywhere he went, so noisy that he made the chickens lay multicolored eggs. There was much consternation. He was taught to speak in a normal voice and the chickens went back to laying normal eggs.
No message there.
Of youth books, Madeline L'Engle [Wrinkle in Time etc.], Chronicles of Narnia, Encyclopedia Brown, Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, Shel Silverstein [Sidewalk, Attic], Hardy Boys [read everyone of the originals].
Also recall a book called 'Juggling' that was a teen targeted book about a soccer player, thing had some sex scenes explicit by even adult standards [where he stuck what, and how warm and inviting it was, etc.] Scandalous!!

[bsp4444]

Put Me in the Zoo, about the bear that can change the size and color of his spots. And then when I got older, the Narnia books. Now I read Put Me in the Zoo to my son.

[BucEyedPea]

Maurice Sendak's In the Night Kitchen

Also his Where the Wild Things Are!!

Beatrice Potter's Series...mostly about Peter Rabbit and the other bunnies

Any of the classic Grimm or Hans Christian Anderson fairy tales or especially anything that had to do with a Prince/Princess like The Prince and the Pea.

[Baby Lee]

Shel Silverstein: Where the Sidewalk Ends
Always fascinating (http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/show/32625-Sheldon-Allan-Silverstein-A-Boy-Named-Sue)

[burt]

I read a lot as a child....

Midworld by Alan Dean Foster

Stranger in a Strange Land-by Heinlein?

Dune-

[Jilly]

When i was tiny, Goodnight Moon. Oh hell, even now I love that book.

Where the Wild Things Are, definitely one of my favorites.

And now, my favorite children's book is called, The Old Turtle. If you have kids, get it..it's a beautiful book.

[noa]

Where the Red Fern Grows

[Jilly]

Where the Red Fern Grows

oh geez, that book was freaking sad....

[burt]

When i was tiny, Goodnight Moon. Oh hell, even now I love that book.

Where the Wild Things Are, definitely one of my favorites.

And now, my favorite children's book is called, The Old Turtle. If you have kids, get it..it's a beautiful book.

My wife talks about my "old turtle"...I wonder if she read this book......

[teedubya]

My favorites were the "Choose your Own Adventure" book series.

I'm adventurous... and choosy.

[rad]

Curious George.

[Fat Elvis]

Peter Potts, the Encyclopedia Brown and The Great Brain series were some of my favorites.....

http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/e1/1b/14a792c008a0c444b8f2c010._AA240_.L.jpg

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TuhaxEZZL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_OU01_AA240_SH20_.jpg

http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VM6ZNR7CL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_OU01_AA240_SH20_.jpg

[Wile_E_Coyote]

When we were kids we didn't have those fancy smancy books. We did't have time to learn to reeeeead. We were out in the fields thrashing grain as soon as we could walk. We would thrash grain all day & brew moonshine all night. And we LOVED IT!

[phisherman]

superfudge, accept no substitute

[seclark]

anything by Dr. Seuss. i now read them to my grandkids.
sec

[Baby Lee]

Curious George.
Oohh, that unleashed a ton of recollections. . .

Babar
Berenstain Bears
Amelia Bedelia
The Littles
Wind in the Willows



Roald Dahl


Oh, what was the name of the little mice with the intricate illustrations, kind of 'where's Waldo,' level detail before 'where's Waldo?'

[Redrum_69]

Clifford

Frog and Toad

Richard Scarry books...the one with all the vehicles and animals driving them

Where the Wild Things Are

[Jenson71]

The Giver
Bridge to Terabethia
Tuck Everlasting

[seclark]

Babar

all my babar books were written in cursive...i couldn't read that sh@t till i was a teenager. interesting pics though.
sec

[DMAC]

Where the Red Fern Grows
Ditto.

Also, the Choose Your Own Adventure books.

http://www.thestencil.com/archives/images/yourdead.jpg

[Fire Me Boy!]

Tuck Everlasting
Never read the book.... freakin' AWFUL movie.

In six years reviewing films, Tuck Everlasting was the ONLY movie that ever garnered less than one star.

[Jenson71]

Never read the book.... freakin' AWFUL movie.

In six years reviewing films, Tuck Everlasting was the ONLY movie that ever garnered less than one star.

Really? I always wanted to see the movie. The young girl from Gilmore's Girls is in that, right?

That's too bad. Pretty good book though. What about Bridge to Terabethia, I liked that movie a lot.

[Fire Me Boy!]

Really? I always wanted to see the movie. The young girl from Gilmore's Girls is in that, right?

That's too bad. Pretty good book though. What about Bridge to Terabethia, I liked that movie a lot.
I was so disappointed by the movie. Good cast, (supposed) good book, and I loved the premise and the promise it showed. I even said in my review that I went in *wanting* to like the movie, but couldn't do it.

Never saw Bridge to Terebithia. I did, however, see Bridge on the River Kwai... does that count?

[Baby Lee]

Richard Scarry books...the one with all the vehicles and animals driving them
That's it!!

[CoMoChief]

Goosebumps by R.L. Stine

**** YEAH!!!!!

I had everyone one of them all through elementary school.

I also liked "The Outsiders" too.

Of Mice and Men was a good book.

And I hate to read.

[Adept Havelock]

Childhood favorites?

Call of the Wild- Jack London

Tom Sawyer- Mark Twain

Oliver Twist- Charles Dickens

Ransom of Red Chief- O. Henry

Lost Horizon- James Hilton

Hardy Boys/Bobbsey Twins series

Lord of the Rings- Tolkien

[BucEyedPea]

Geez Adept! Did you not start reading any books until age 10 or something?
Or at least have a children's book read to you? Or were you a prodigy?

Musta' been those mirrors that mesmerized you earlier, 'eh? :hmmm:

[trndobrd]

Horton Lays and Egg.

Everything else pales in comparison.

[Baby Lee]

Horton Lays and Egg.

Everything else pales in comparison.
Horton Hatches the Egg? or;

Horton Hears a Who?

[Adept Havelock]

Geez Adept! Did you not start reading any books until age 10 or something?
Or at least have a children's book read to you? Or were you a prodigy?


Maybe a bit, I guess. :shrug: The earliest books I really remember reading/being read to were kids "Big Book of Answer" type books about how things worked, why the sky was blue, etc. It was my parents way of dealing with my incessant "whys", I've been told.

I think I was in Kindergarten or First Grade when my Grandmother and I started reading Tom Sawyer together....After a while, I've been told I'd just bring the book in once in a while, ask "what's this word"...and go on. Never really thought much about it.

edit- Judging by my healthy fear of Oobleck, I was already a fan of Dr. Suess. I must have read those by that point, but I don't know when.

I think I read the Bobbsey Twins series back in first grade. IIRC, my Grandparents usually gave me a new one in the series on Friday if I had a good report, and I was usually done with it by the end of the weekend.

I guess I've always been a bookworm....

Yep, I've still got issues with mirrors. Especially flat ones. :)

[QuikSsurfer]

My favorites were the "Choose your Own Adventure" book series.
i second that

i also used to love reading The Complete Scary Stories collection by Alvin Schwartz.
the art used to freak the hell out of me. - anyone remember these?

http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/aa/af/9b9a62e89da0e67f96c03110.L.jpg

[KcMizzou]

Shel Silverstein : Where the Sidewalk Ends.

(Loved a lot of what's been listed, esp. "choose your own adventure")

[KcMizzou]

i second that

i also used to love reading The Complete Scary Stories collection by Alvin Schwartz.
the art used to freak the hell out of me. - anyone remember these?

http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/aa/af/9b9a62e89da0e67f96c03110.L.jpg


Yep, I had that one. Same cover and everything.

Good thread.

[luv]

Shel Silverstein : Where the Sidewalk Ends.

(Loved a lot of what's been listed, esp. "choose your own adventure")
Also: A Light In The Attic.

[KCChiefsMan]

I remember reading Clifford (the big red dog), Dr Suess and many others which I cannot think of at this time

[KcMizzou]

"Where the Red Fern Grows" made be bawl every time I read it. (at least three or four times)

[Frazod]

Call of the Wild was the first one that came to mind.

[luv]

In elementary school, I liked Sweet Valley High and Nancy Drew. There's a Nancy Drew movie coming out later. I know it'll be a tween favorite, but I'll at least want to rent it.

[QuikSsurfer]

Call of the Wild was the first one that came to mind.
good read

[Baby Lee]

I remember reading Clifford (the big red dog), Dr Suess and many others which I cannot think of at this time
If you can't think of them how the heck do you remember them? :p

[Silock]

The Shannara series by Terry Brooks

[CoMoChief]

Call of the Wild

Balto

Oliver Twist

[JohninGpt]

Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, lots of history fiction and non-fiction.

[trndobrd]

Horton Hatches the Egg? or;

Horton Hears a Who?



Horton Hatches the Egg. Now that you mention it, the point of the story was that Horton, in fact, did not lay the egg. It has been several years since I read it.

[Adept Havelock]

Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, lots of history fiction and non-fiction.


Mmmm. History Fiction.

I have many fond memories of the "We were there" series of books. Kind of a kids printed version of Conkite's "You Are There" TV series, where kids were thrown into the middle of some epic event.

"We were there at Pearl Harbor"...I must have read that book a dozen times in Elementary School.

[KCChiefsMan]

If you can't think of them how the heck do you remember them? :p

I remember reading plenty of kids books when I was a kid, but can't remember exactly which ones. It was a good 20 years ago

[kstater]

Goosebumps by R.L. Stine


Mine to.

[KcMizzou]

The Shannara series by Terry BrooksI loved those. I was a little older though.. 12 or 13, probably.

Hell, I'd like to read 'em again now.

The Piers Anothony Xanth series too.

[Nzoner]

Here's one I don't recall seeing mentioned

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is a novel by E. L. Konigsburg that won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1968. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/From_the_Mixed-Up_Files_of_Mrs._Basil_E._Frankweiler)

[Nzoner]

Where the Red Fern Grows

:thumb:

[Rain Man]

The Mouse that Roared
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
The Freddy the Pig series (which I just mentioned the other day on here, and I can't remember why or where)
Caleb and Me
Harriet the Spy

[Hammock Parties]

man, theres a ton that i can think of off the top of my head. "where the wild things are." "Tailypo." "the ugly duckling." all of the goosebumps books, the one book that has a part that goes is your momma a llama, i asked my friend fred. man, i loved reading when i was a tiny little tike.

[Adept Havelock]

The Mouse that Roared


The Duchy of Grand Fenwick. ROFL

Haven't read that in years. Great series of books. Decent Peter Sellers flick as well.

[Rain Man]

The Duchy of Grand Fenwick. ROFL

Haven't read that in years. Great series of books. Decent Peter Sellers flick as well.

I vaguely remember seeing the movie, but yeah, great books.

Oh, here's another one. Encyclopedia Brown. I wouldn't say that I loved them as much as some of the others, but I definitely read every one I could lay my hands on.

[Mosbonian]

My favorites:


Everything by Mark Twain (Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, etc)
Johnny Tremain
The Narnia Series
The Hardy Boys
The Bronc Burnett series
Alfred Hitchcock & The 3 Investigators
Encyclopedia Brown
Call of The Wild and White Fang
Old Yeller
Last of the Mohicans
Daniel Boone

and many more....but the above were the one's that I remember reading time and time again because I liked them so much.

mmaddog
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[Silock]

Totally forgot about Choose Your Own Adventure books.

[QuikSsurfer]

Totally forgot about Choose Your Own Adventure books.
this one still sits on my bookshelf
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/510GX36SSYL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_OU01_AA240_SH20_.jpg

[Adept Havelock]

Oh, here's another one. Encyclopedia Brown. I wouldn't say that I loved them as much as some of the others, but I definitely read every one I could lay my hands on.


25 Cents a day...plus expenses.

[big nasty kcnut]

Encyclopedia Brown yes me too rain man i loved the books.

[Rain Man]

this one still sits on my bookshelf
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/510GX36SSYL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_OU01_AA240_SH20_.jpg


Keep plugging. You'll finish it someday.

[Redrum_69]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choose_Your_Own_Adventure

[Ceej]

Where the Wild Things Are, hands down.

I also enjoyed Shel Silverstein's A Light in the Attic.

[Ecto-I]

Let's see..

Where the Red Fern Grows
The Hatchet
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Number the Stars
James and the Giant Peach

[Reaper16]

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech was a fantastic youth novel.

[siberian khatru]

Alfred Hitchcock & The 3 Investigators
Encyclopedia Brown


Yep, I loved all those. Much more than the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew.

I also like "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH."

Plus, although it's not a children's book, I read and loved "Watership Down" when I was a kid.

Of course, I also read stuff like "The Best and the Brightest" and "Born on the Fourth of July" and lots of adult sci-fi.

[Megbert]

The Giant Jam Sandwich - picture book. Many of those lil golden books. Monster at the end of this book - sesame street book with Grover.

The Westing Game.

[Dartgod]

I too loved the Encyclopedia Brown books.

Also anything from MAD Magazine.

Hmmmm, now that I think about it, Roger Kaputnik would make a fine logon name here.

http://www.collectmad.com/britishcovers/db_peopl.jpg

[QuikSsurfer]

Keep plugging. You'll finish it someday.
lol i meant i still own it
i finished it the christmas i got it.. i haven't read all 42 endings though.

[Nzoner]

Of course, I also read stuff like "The Best and the Brightest" and "Born on the Fourth of July" and lots of adult sci-fi.

I read The Godfather in the 5th grade for a Summer library program but the librarian didn't believe me,that is until I started giving a report on it and her jaw about hit the desk.

[Frazod]

I read The Godfather in the 5th grade for a Summer library program but the librarian didn't believe me,that is until I started giving a report on it and her jaw about hit the desk.

I read the novel Jaws the year the movie came out, when I was in 5th grade. The book is quite different from the movie (Hooper is a weasel and nails Brody's wife, the mayor is in bed with the mob, among other things). I remember some of the sex stuff being pretty graphic, and probably not terribly appropriate for a 10 year old.

[Nzoner]

I read the novel Jaws the year the movie came out, when I was in 5th grade. The book is quite different from the movie (Hooper is a weasel and nails Brody's wife, the mayor is in bed with the mob, among other things). I remember some of the sex stuff being pretty graphic, and probably not terribly appropriate for a 10 year old.

I still remember to this day page 26 of The Godfather is where Sonny is nailing the bridesmaid upstairs.I must've read that page 100 times or more. :D

As for Jaws I couldn't believe Benchley's ending,I was like wtf?

[TinyEvel]

My dad gave me The Shining to read when I was 8. Read it in about a week during summer vacation. My mom worked in a hospital and took me to work because I didn't have camp that week, so I read it in a spare operating room with most of the lights out. That's about as creepy as you could get, I guess.

[Nzoner]

My dad gave me The Shining to read when I was 8. Read it in about a week during summer vacation. My mom worked in a hospital and took me to work because I didn't have camp that week, so I read it in a spare operating room with most of the lights out. That's about as creepy as you could get, I guess.

I read alot of King as a kid/teenager,Salem's Lot will always be my fave.

[Frazod]

I still remember to this day page 26 of The Godfather is where Sonny is nailing the bridesmaid upstairs.I must've read that page 100 times or more. :D

As for Jaws I couldn't believe Benchley's ending,I was like wtf?

I remember reading that Benchley had to be forcibly removed from the set because he was so pissed about the movie ending (Brody blowing up the oxygen bottle).

You must admit, while the shark exploding was cool, it was also really stupid (the shark would have simply swallowed the tank and Brody would have been screwed). The book ending, where the shark simply succumbed to its injuries and died, made much more sense.

[Fish]

I was on a huge horror kick when I was 7 or 8. And I didn't read any cheesy kids books, I didn't like them. My parents told me if I "proved" to them I was mature enough to handle the scary books, then I could read them. The librarian at Lincoln elementary helped me with all the difficult words I didn't know(I miss her..). I read a few that absolutely scared me shitless. I'll be damned if I ever let my parents know though... I went through quit a few of the classic horror books at a really young age... I tore through the Louis L'Amour collection pretty quickly too. Then went on to scifi stuff..... my parents were pissed when the found I had read most of Heinlein's books, they thought he was evil... I was really hooked on Isaac Asimov's collection too.....

BookIt was my bitch.... I got so many of those f'n personal pan pizzas I got sick of them.....

[Nzoner]

I remember reading that Benchley had to be forcibly removed from the set because he was so pissed about the movie ending (Brody blowing up the oxygen bottle).

You must admit, while the shark exploding was cool, it was also really stupid (the shark would have simply swallowed the tank and Brody would have been screwed). The book ending, where the shark simply succumbed to its injuries and died, made much more sense.

Yeah but it was one of the only times I recall liking the movie ending better,must've been that last line,"Smile you sonofabitch"

[Nzoner]

I was on a huge horror kick when I was 7 or 8. And I didn't read any cheesy kids books, I didn't like them. My parents told me if I "proved" to them I was mature enough to handle the scary books, then I could read them. The librarian at Lincoln elementary helped me with all the difficult words I didn't know(I miss her..). I read a few that absolutely scared me shitless. I'll be damned if I ever let my parents know though... I went through quit a few of the classic horror books at a really young age... I tore through the Louis L'Amour collection pretty quickly too. Then went on to scifi stuff..... my parents were pissed when the found I had read most of Heinlein's books, they thought he was evil... I was really hooked on Isaac Asimov's collection too.....

BookIt was my bitch.... I got so many of those f'n personal pan pizzas I got sick of them.....


I was on an Executioner kick,a series about a guy who had a personal vedetta against the mob and went from city to city kicking the crap out of them.

[Fish]

I was on an Executioner kick,a series about a guy who had a personal vedetta against the mob and went from city to city kicking the crap out of them.

Wow... I remember that... Mack Bolan.... I read a few of those. I had completely forgotten about that..

Phoenix Force was like the A-Team without a black dude....

[Mosbonian]

Yep, I loved all those. Much more than the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew.

I always thought the premise of 3 guys who had a secret lab underneath a junkyard was a pretty cool idea.

mmaddog
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