5 Favorite books from childhood

Feb 21 2010

I give my parents a lot of credit for encouraging me to read at an early age. They also taught by example – reading every night before bed. That early habit my parents instilled in me continues to this day. I have a hard time falling asleep if I can’t read for a good 15 minutes before lights out.

Reading during those early years must have made a big impression on me, as I can vividly remember a lot of the books I’d read multiple times. By contrast, I remember few, if any, television shows. So I thought it’d be fun to list some of my favorite childhood books here. After all, those books were the foundation for my love of literature today.

Boris and the Monsters by Elaine Macmann Willoughby: I was stunned and saddened to learn that this book is no longer in print. The book chronicles a young child with an intense fear of monsters in the bedroom at night. It isn’t until he gets a little puppy that he’s able to overcome his fears. Although I never feared monsters myself (a nighttime home invasion was my biggest fear), I read this book more than I could remember.

Best Nest by P.D. Eastman: This might have been one of the first books I ever read. While I don’t remember specifics, my parents tell me I wouldn’t put this book down.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown: Another book I vaguely remember reading, probably one of the first. This book is a classic as I see it prominently displayed in the kid’s section at my local bookstore.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume: I read this book many times. I was fascinated by Peter’s pet turtle, Dribble and it made me want my own turtle.

Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater: I think I read this book once, and then in the fifth grade I picked up again because I got a goldfish in school. Somehow getting a goldfish made me want to read about penguins. This was one of those books I was able to read fairly fast and get a good laugh out of it.

There are many more books I read growing up, but the ones listed above are the books I remember most. It’s funny that I read a lot of books over and over again when I was young, but today I read a book once and it stays collects dust on the shelf. I guess back then I was just easier to entertain.

What books do you remember reading from your childhood? Which ones were your favorite? Leave a comment below and share your answers.

3 Responses

1. The Boxcar Children Series

2. The Railway Children

3. The Berenstain Bears Series

4. Narnia

5. The Baby-Sitters Club
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Hilary 2/22/2010 12:35 am
Hi Hilary, thank you for your comment!

I totally forgot about The Berenstain Bears. They were another childhood favorite. I remember checking those books out from the school library on a regular basis. Sometimes at the bookstore I might flip through a book or two from the Berenstain Bears series, just for old time’s sake.

Brad Vertrees 2/22/2010 8:51 am
Oh dear, there were so many. Charlotte’s Web, the Little House series, A Wrinkle in Time, Narnia, anything by Judy Blume or Zilpha Keatley Snyder. Of course, Dr. Suess and Shel Silverstein! That’s more than five, so I better stop now Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
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Melissa Donovan 2/22/2010 8:16 pm