Thanks to everyone for their own unique take on Pottermania. I agree with Heather’s comment — it’s amazing to see how many different opinions there are on one book and one writer. If you need any reminder regarding the subjectivity of the reading experience, just take a gander at the wide variety of opinions on a book that just sold, according to my exclusive and completely verifiable accounting, 78 bazillion copies in the last 72 hours.
Now lots of kids (of all ages) have officially grown up on Harry Potter, and as we all know, the books you read as a kid can have a profound effect on young and impressionable minds (children’s book writers everywhere just uttered a collective “Bwa ha ha!!”). Books open up new worlds to children and make some of them want to go on to become writers.
Little Nathan Bransford’s favorite books tended to involve a child living on their own or at war. I don’t know what that says about Little Nathan Bransford (or his grown up version). So my favorites included ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS by Scott O’Dell, RIFLES FOR WATIE by Harold Keith and especially MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN by Jean Craighead George (who is a longtime Curtis Brown client, and who I actually had the honor and pleasure of working with when I was an assistant in New York. There’s nothing quite like talking with someone you idolized as a child!)
So you tell me — what was your favorite book as a child?
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Jenny says
I notice a lot of people mentioning the Little House books which I loved when I was in elementary school. But my favorite childhood “chapter” books were historical novels. In sixth grade, my favorite was MARA, DAUGHTER OF THE NILE, which a quick check of Amazon shows is still in print fifty years later.
I devoured the works of Rosemary Sutcliffe set in Roman and Saxon Britain, such as THE EAGLES OF THE NINTH, THE LANTERN BEARERS, WARRIOR SCARLET, and THE OUTCAST.
All these books had in common that the heros or heroines were lowly slaves or outcasts who had to triumph over some inner fear or disability to be able to save the very people who initially rejected them.
Finally, as I moved into junior high, there were Robert Heinlein’s “boys” books which I read, rather defiantly, even though I was a girl and Heinlein made it clear he didn’t have a whole lot of use for girls except as sex objects.
Nevertheless, I dreamed of becoming the First Girl on Mars and showing Mr. Heinlein that girls could replace the burnt out vacuum tubes in the broken space drive just as well as the boys could!
ello says
I love this question! Especially because I love children’s books and devoured them as a child. I loved Island of the Blue Dolphins – first book to make me cry. I also loved A Wrinkle in Time, The Hobbit, and Matilda and so many other books that deserve to be mentioned but can’t fit here. But the book that made me want to become a writer when I was a kid was The Count of Monte Christo. It is still to this day one of my favorite books.
Other Lisa says
My mother has a photo of me at the age of three reading “Lady Chatterly’s Lover.”
Of course I was reading it upsidedown.
Tsana says
I’m very surprised that only one person’s mentioned Enid Blyton.
THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE and the FAMOUS FIVE books were probably the most memorable but I remember loving THE NAUGHTIEST GIRL IN THE SCHOOL and a bunch of others too.
SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS was probably one of the few “mainstream” (ie not SFF) kiddie books that I liked. I always found LITTLE WOMEN and all that other stuff terribly boring. Never have liked classics.
Oh, and a bit later on there was Tamora Pierce’s WILD MAGIC books, which were great. A good bridge between kiddie and grown up fantasy books.
Stephen Parrish says
Haven’t seen it named yet:
Rascal, by Sterling North
Determinist says
I AM DAVID is one of my favorites.
Sara says
Meredith Ann Pierce’s The Darkangel.
Edding’s The Belgariad.
Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings
/Sara
Swede says
The Wind in the Willows
Becky says
What’s really fun is getting to hand down your most loved books to your kids. I too loved the Little House books and HARRIET THE SPY and THE BORROWERS. My three have enjoyed those, but they’ve also introduced me to some great new authors…I am in awe of Christopher Paul Curtis (of BUD, NOT BUDDY and THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM.) I’ve also become a huge fan of Barbara Parks–her Junie B. Jones books are hilarious.
Kim Stagliano says
Mr. Pudgins, by Ruth Christopher. I scoured the used bookstores for years and finally found it when the Internet expanded my search. Mr. Pudgins was a magical babysitter who taught kids lessons via disastrous and hilarious babysitting adventures. I have my copy in my bookshelf right next to my first grade reader, “Tip” from 1969.
Tammie says
Wow lot of great books listed.
I’d have to say the Laura Ingals, Little House series, Nancy Drew and later Judy Blume.
However as a teen I remember Gone with the Wind was the first book that actually made cry.
Welshcake says
The Winter of Enchantment by Victoria Walker and Hans Christian Anderson’s Fairy Tales.
Subservient No More says
I loved the Anne of Green Gables series, and when I was a bit younger, James and the Giant Peach was my favorite. I still love the part where Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker get squished by the peach.
Lauren says
Hey cate —
I loved the Ramona books too! I can’t believe I forgot to mention those in my original response. My favorite was RAMONA AND HER FATHER. What a wonderful, touching, yet very very funny book. But I had all of them up through RAMONA FOREVER and read them over and over. I KNOW we weren’t the only ones. Most of my friends at school had read the Ramona books, too.
I was very much into contemporary, realistic stuff as a kid. Still am. I feel like I’m in the minority here for not wanting to spend my reading time in fantasy worlds. My favorite thing about reading was getting to meet and empathize with kid characters who could have easily lived on my street and been my friends.
Kristen says
I checked out five Nancy Drews every time I went to the library.
Ten because it was the limit.
Kristen says
I mean, five.
Maya Reynolds says
The Black Stallion and Island Stallion books by Walter Farley
Mara, Daughter of the Nile
By the time I was ten, I was reading the Perry Mason books, which scared my mother, who re-directed me to Agatha Christie and Mary Roberts Rinehart, thus starting my love for mysteries and thrillers.
takoda says
Hi, To the poster who likes Zilpha–she has a new book out called “The Treasures of Weatherby.”
“My Side of the Mountain?” I’m going to politely disagree. I just read it recently, then “Hatchet” right after. No comparison. “My Side” read like a flat non-fiction book. “Hatchet” had the spark, emotion, and depth that “My Side” lacked. Both survival tales in the woods. One with a character I could care less about. The other with a character I became emotionally involved with from the very first page. IMHO!
cyn says
island of the blue dolphins by o’dell
a little princess by burnett
dancing shoes and ballet shoes by streatfield
a wrinkle in time by l’engle
all read many many times. as an adult, i almost NEVER reread a book. even when i like it loads. and i just read all the books above to my daughter, too.
Anonymous says
Jonathon Livingston Seagull and Illusions – loved them both and still read them over and over.
And everything by Beverly Cleary.
Anonymous says
Nathan,
What is the difference between a literary agent and a literary agent associate? I’m confused.
pixy says
Oh, good question…
I really earned my love for reading about 5th grade. That year I read a lot of books that impacted me:
BRIDGE TO TEREBITHIA<--I actually hated this book after I read it because it was so sad, but it really impacted me, so I'll add it as a favorite.
JACOB HAVE I LOVED
WRINKLE IN TIME and WIND IN THE DOOR
ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGRET<--This book taught me a lot. š
Roxan says
Baby Island. I know, you’ve probably never heard of it. LOL
A Paperback Writer says
Thanks, takoda. I’ll look up the new book.
Roxan, I read BABY ISLAND, too!! Oh my heck! I’d totally forgotten about that.
Quick! must get to Amazon and see if I can find it!
wow. that’s a bizarre memory!
mkcbunny says
Island of the Blue Dolphins made me cry, too.
Hands down, my favorites were anything Oz. I read the Baum books countless times, as well as Ruth Plumly Thompson and other post-Baum authors. Kept doing so into my twenties and still have several hardbound early editions.
Watership Down, Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, and Lord of the Rings were favorites, as well.
La Gringa says
It depends on where in my childhood I was When I was first learning to read, it was WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. I was an advanced reader for my age however, so I was reading on about a high-school junior level when I was in third grade. At that point, my favorite book was a science fiction book called THE REVOLVING BOY by Gertrude Friedberg (sp?) which I believe is long out of print.
I tended to love authors more than single novels. I really liked Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke and Ray Bradbury. I must have read MARTIAN CHRONICLES about a hundred times.
I now have favorite childrens books that I read as an adult. Probably my favorite is THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH. Brilliant book!
xengab says
I loved everything Enid Blyton, especially the Folk of the Faraway Tree.
Ruth Parks Playing Beatie Bow.
Robin Kleins Half way across the galaxy and turn left. Plus Penny Pollards diaries.
As a teen I loved Piers Anthony, Terry Pratchett and Robert Rankin. (and still do)
And now I am a fantasy writer and I KNOW its because of my reading of Enid Blytons works
MountainPowerLineman says
I was fortunate to have a mother that loved the library, and worked to instill a love of reading in my life.
I remember loving several books.
Tom’s Midnight Garden
And Then There Was Light
All of the Narnia books
The Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books
Dragon’s Blood
Heart’s Blood
A Sending of Dragons
Anything by John Bellairs
Hatchet
The list goes on and on. I hope that my daughter will love reading as much as my wife and I do.
Sara says
As a girl I remember enjoying reading esp. the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Three Investigator series. My dad once caught me reading a book as I pretended to study :o).
Also love the Famous Five, Secret Seven series and other books by Enid Blyton. And how can I forget all the Archie comics as well as the Indian mythological comics I read ?!
Makes me nostalgic immediately. Reminds me of the summer holiday afternoons we used to go to the library.
Would like to add though that I discovered books by Roald Dahl when I started working at a bookstore and loved all his childrens poetry (even do now) and books like Esio Trot, The Vicar of Nibbleswick etc.
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