Sunday, November 9, 2014

Childhood Memories

Several Bloggers today wrote about books they'd read in childhood that had started them on the road to being lifelong readers.
I can't remember not reading, I definitely read my older sister's books when she started school before me, she probably had a hand in teaching me to read. But I wasn't as young as our daughter who taught herself to read when she was about 3.
Whenever we moved, and we moved a lot when I was a kid, the first thing I did at the new house was go and get a library card.
The first book I really remember reading and rereading was Heidi by Johanna Spyri, my aunt gave me this book for Christmas, I think it was the first book I'd ever been given.  I also loved Little Women and the 4 that came after it.  I
wanted my sisters and me to be like the sisters in the book, but sadly we weren't nearly as nice.
Then I started reading animal books and of course fell in love with Black Beauty.  I so wanted a horse like that, but didn't get a horse till I was grown and it definitely wasn't a big black stallion.
Next I discovered Alfred Peyson Terhune's Lad, A Dog and read all of his animal books.
My love of mysteries was probably spurred by the Trixie Beldon girl detective series.
 My friend and I liked this series so much we decided to become detectives and we spent part of one summer following people in our neighborhood to see what they were up to. Thank goodness it was a safer time back then.
And my love of fantasy probably began with The Wizard of Oz, I read the whole series, I believe there are 14 books in the series.  My favorite was Ozma of Oz.
Right now I have Oz Reimagined on my Kindle so it still fascinates me.
What books from your childhood still hold good memories?

8 comments:

  1. Heidi and Little Women were the best two books ever....

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  2. Heidi was the first book I read myself. My father gave it to me for my 8th birthday and began reading it to me. He got Heidi half way up the mountain to her grandfather when he became ill and went to the hospital--for a month. If I was to know anymore it was up to me, so I plunged in.

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  3. When I got my kindle Heidi was one of the first books that I read again - I spotted it when I was looking through the free books! It was nice to revisit childhood memories. xx

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  4. Isn't it lovely how we have all sparked off one another's reading memories today.

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  5. I enjoyed reading from a young age even before I started primary school although I don't know how I managed as I had bad eyesight. I used to get engrossed in the stories such as some you mention. My favourites were What Katy Did and Anne of Green Gables.

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  6. Little Women is an old favourite of mine. I have an old copy in Swedish translation since my childhood or early teens. Just recently I read it in English for the first time!

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  7. I read most of those books too. Especially Black Beauty and several dog books and Bambi. Set me on the road to a life long love of animals and horses. I got my horse when I was 40 and she was far from Black beauty, although later I did get a Tennessee Walker who was black but ended up not being able to keep her. She went to a good home.
    Janice

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  8. Wonderful. I've always read as well. The first one I truly remember as being such a gift was Charlotte's Web. I think I actually wept...

    Pearl

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