Julie from A Small Accomplishment has created a new blog feature. It's called Listful Mondays and the idea is to make a list around the theme she comes up with... or not. It's whatever you feel like she says. I'm hoping this will get me going on my Suey's Top Ten idea I had awhile back, but have slacked off in doing, because I'm sure some of these lists will go hand in hand with that. This theme for this first one is:
Books suggested/given to you. Books from your formative years.
Once upon a time, when I was about 12 years old or so, I went to a family reunion. While there, my dad introduced me to his cousin who was a librarian I think. He told his cousin, "This kids likes to read. Can you give her a list of some good books?" So he wrote me a list, a piece of paper that I cherished for years, but have since lost I'm sure. Many of those books were current Newbery winners (we're talking the 70's here!). But whenever I come across them even now, I think about that list. I'm pretty sure I read every single book on the list, and they opened up a whole new world of "good" books.
Here's what I can remember from that list:
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Julie of the Wolves
From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
A Wrinkle in Time
A Cricket in Times Square
.... and I wish I could remember more! I wonder where that paper ended up! It's probably still at my parent's home, stashed in some memento box.
Other books I remember reading around this time:
The Riddle Master of Hed
Pollyanna
Mandy
Lilies of the Field
How to Eat Fried Worms
What do you remember reading from when you around 12 years old? Make your list and share!
You are such a good friend! Thank you for playing! And that is a great memory. I hope you find your list someday.
ReplyDeleteOf your first list I have read, now own, and always loved 4 of the the 5. (I've never heard of the Mrs. Basil one!) Of your second list I've read the Riddle Master one, but I don't remember a thing. I guess I need to read it again!
BTW, I am keeping a master list of ideas for lists so I don't hit a slump some random Monday, so throw any cool ideas my way! I hope it does help you with your top 10 lists. :)
The Mary Poppins series
ReplyDeleteThe Dr. Doolittle series
The Anne of Green Gables series
The Emily Starr series
Follow My Leader
Mine For Keeps
Sand in Her Shoes
Lovely memories, thank you!
Julie: Sure thing!
ReplyDeleteCaroline: Ah, Follow My Leader. LOVED that book! The Anne series I didn't read until later, more like late junior high into high school.
When I was 12 it was 1965 and that's along time ago to remember what I read. But I do remember reading lots of poetry books back then and I think S. Plath's Ariel just came out that year. I remember Christy by Catherine Marshall, Up the Down Staircase by Bel Kaufman and Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl. I was reading just about anything I could get my hands on, including non-fiction books, one by John Lennon but I can't remember the name of it. We were reading classics in school.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea - I know I was reading lots of adult books at the time as my mom let me check out "adult books" with my library card. I felt SO grown up not being confined to the children's books at the library!! I don't think I ever abused it and read anything naughty until The Valley of the Dolls which was ever so wicked at the time. (Mom had a copy that she kept at home in some cupboard!! I would sneak in and read it when she was gone.)
ReplyDeleteI loved Castaways in Lilliput and Nancy Drew and then I decided to get more sophisticated... no true classics but I ventured into reading Ray Bradbury, Mary Stewart and The Crystal Cave. My tween years were a growing time for me book-wise but nothing like the lucky kids today.