What are your favorite childhood stories? Which books really resonated with you?

If you know me very well, you’ll know that I LOVE READING! It’s one of the few things in my life that has been constant from early childhood until now. When I think about my time as a kid, I think about some of my favorite books. I’ve listed A FEW of them here, but, as I think about it, I’m sure there are others:

1. The Dick And Jane Series – Actually, I don’t consider this one a “favorite” but, these books kind of stay in my mind because these are the books that were used to teach me to read. I just remember the joy of being able to string words together and to actually read an entire book aloud!

2. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House Series – I read these books over and over again. I really enjoyed seeing these characters through the pages of these novels! The family went through lots of trouble in the wilderness and Laura had lots of struggles with her nemesis, Nelly Olsen. There was also a popular TV series on in the seventies that was based upon the characters in the Little House books. I watched most of the episodes of Michael Landon’s series, too.

3. The Boxcar Children – A group of four orphaned children hide out in an abandoned boxcar to escape the care of their “evil” grandfather. The rest of the series focuses on their being raised by their grandpa and the adventures they faced. I read this entire series a couple of times I believe when I was around nine or ten?

4. The Nancy Drew Mysteries – the originals. I read the original Nancy Drew mysteries when I was in the fifth grade. I was mesmerized by this courageous, smart, 18-year-old woman who solved mysteries and…she didn’t accept payment for her services. Her mother died when she was three and she was raised by her lawyer father, Carson Drew and her housekeeper, Hannah Gruen (sp?).

5. Heidi

6. The Secret Garden

I recall reading Heidi twice and I believe I read The Secret Garden more than once. Both of these stories involved ill children, struggling to get well. In Heidi, she lives in the mountains with her grandfather, the Alm (sp?) Uncle and there’s a shepherd boy named Peter in this story too. Heidi loves to read and I recall her reading to a blind woman in the story. I believe this book took place in the Swiss Alps. Also, there was a little girl in a wheelchair, but I can’t remember her name. My memories of The Secret Garden are a bit sketchy, but I recall the garden served as a solace to a sick child as the youngster struggled to get better. I believe there was a boy named Dicken? in The Secret Garden?

So, what are your favorite childhood stories? Why were they your favorites? Have you read any of the stories that I’ve listed above?

~Cecelia Dowdy~