Tayari's Blog: The Books You Read as A Kid
Posted by TayariJones on November 14, 2005 07:54 AM
Filed under
Bookshelf
Liam is guesting over at theoldhag, God bless him. Anyway, he's linked to an article about what writers read to their children. Well, being as I have no children to read to, I thought I would write an article about the books I read and loved as a young person.
As a really little kid:
1) The Witch and the Flying Saucer
2) Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears
3) The Monkey's Whiskers
When I got a little older:
1) Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry
2) Bridge to Terabithia
3) Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret
4) Philip Hall Likes Me, I Reckon, Maybe
5) The Pinballs.
And here, I have to tell you about my fifth grade teacher, Miss Thomasina Gaither. This lady was pretty mean, as teachers go, but she could really perform a book. When she wasn't reading, it seemed that she was thinking of new & interesting ways to torture innocent, but highly verbal, kids like me. But when she read books to us, it was like she inhabited the characters. Listening to her read the southern dialect in the books of Virginia Hamilton, I caught a glimse of the country girl, barefoot and intelligent, that she had once been.
Wherever you are, Miss Gaither, I want to thank you for touching me and helping me love books even more.
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There are 5 comments on "The Books You Read as A Kid". If you'd like to leave a comment, click here to jump down to the comments entry form.
Comment #1, by sherri
My list would include...
1) Any title in the Nancy Drew series prior to 1980 (the hardback books). I think there were 68 in the series then.
2)Harriet the Spy --
3) The Ramona the Brave books
4) Nobody's Family Is Going to Change (wasn't the play Tap Dance Kid based on this?)
5) Whistle for Willie( very young)
November 14, 2005 08:04 AM
Comment #2, by Ladylee
You brought back some memories, Sherri and Tayari :) !
I read the Ramona books over and over again. Are you there God, it's me Margaret was another favorite...
...and when I was really young, I thought the Dr. Suess books were the best things since water and dirt!
November 14, 2005 01:05 PM
Comment #3, by Tammee
I was more of a Trixie Belden girl, but I did enjoy Nancy and the Hardy Boys as well.
Loved, loved, loved, The 5 Chinese Brothers, The Story of Ferdinand, and Babar.
Devoured Madeleine L'Engle.
November 14, 2005 11:46 PM
Comment #4, by Chandra
I can hardly remember the children's books I read, but the YA fiction is still fresh in my mind. My favorites were:
1) The Long Summer (The Harriet the Spy sequel)
2)Island of the Blue Dolphins
3)From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
4)The Egypt Game
5) Anything by Judy Blume
November 16, 2005 05:57 PM
Comment #5, by Patty
When I taught 5th/6th grade, my absolute favorite book to teach was Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry. It's still one of my favorite books ever. An absolute gem.
As a kid, I also loved Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the Ramona books, and Harriet the Spy.
November 20, 2005 02:00 PM