Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Memory Lane

While checking out BookLust I discovered a link to a meme created by Kate at Kate’s Book Blog on the topic of childhood reading habits. I don’t have time to complete the meme (I’m way behind with my self-imposed writing schedule) but both posts jogged my memory as to some of my beloved childhood books. It was a sweet trip down memory lane. Thinking of one book led to another and another. I could actually see some of them shelved in the library I “haunted” as a kid. By the age of eleven I’d done the Children’s Room and needed parental permission to move on to the Adult Section where I was under the strict supervision of the librarians. (It was years before I was able to take home Valley of the Dolls.)

God, I love reading. Glad I started early.

Here’s the list. It’s in no particular order and by no means complete.

The Borrowers (Afield, Afloat, Aloft) — Mary Norton.
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew — Margaret Sidney.
Little House on the Prairie (all of them) — Laura Ingalls Wilder
Anne of Green Gables (the series plus her other books) — L.M. Montgomery.
(I still remember a line from Rilla of Ingleside. At the very end, her beau Ken said, “Is it Rilla-my-Rilla?” Can you swoon at age ten???)
The Secret Island (plus the others) – Enid Blyton.
The Narnia Series — C.S. Lewis.
(I loved Aslan — and this was before I learned he was meant to be a Christ-like figure.)
The Bobbsey Twins — Laura Lee Hope.
(Nan and Bert, Freddie and Flossie — Back then, I thought having twins would be wonderful. Not so much now…glad I had my kids one at a time.)
Heidi — Johanna Spyri.
Little Women, Little Men (and all the rest) — Louisa May Alcott.
Eight Cousins, Rose in Bloom — Louisa May Alcott.
The Tuckers — author??
Peter Pan — J. m. Barrie.
Mary Poppins (the series) — L. P. Travers.
Nancy Drew books — Carolyn Keene.
Trixie Belden books — Kathryn Kenny

I also remember two fairytales that absolutely terrified me — The Snow Queen (what did that boy Kay think he was doing?) and Bluebeard (you know, with the forbidden room that held the dead bodies of his former wives). Fairytales – scary stuff for kids. I wasn’t too wild about Hansel and Gretel either.

If anyone cares to add to pipe in with their own childhood favorites, please do. I know I read tons more. I’d love to have my (failing) memory jogged yet again.

And, hey, would anyone like me to list the contents of my paper doll collection? Huh? Huh? Maybe not. But it’s a classic (includes Patty Duke, The Lennon Sisters, Dr. Kildare, Little Women, Jackie Kennedy). And, yes, I still have it. I’m waiting for a granddaughter.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wasn't into horses (Flicka) but thanks for reminding me of The Island of the Blue Dolphins - another classic.

Anonymous said...

Oh I love that you remember that line, "Is this Rilla-my-Rilla?"

And do you remember her answer?

When I read that last line of Rilla of Inglside book the first time, I cried deep romantic tears. I had a lisp for a while, and had to go to a speech therapist in grade school, so the ending was that much more poignant for me.

Anonymous said...

Patricia,

"Yeth" - I do remember.
And what a great book for a little girl with a lisp.