Daily December #3 - Mini!Me & the Books That Kept Me Sane

[topaz119]

From verdande_mi What was my favorite book as a child?

I was that kid who was always in the corner with a book—I always had a book, so trying to narrow it down to one favorite is really difficult. These are the books that spring to mind when I think about my childhood.

The first book I actually remember reading was The Wizard of Oz. At some point I managed to read all of the other Oz books, but I worked my way through the original at some point in second grade (not an adaptation or an abridged version, but one of the very early printings of the book, because I found it at my grandmothers. She had awesome bookshelves.)

Also from my grandmother's house came the 1940s-era versions of Nancy Drew (she had a red roadster! I had no idea what a roadster was, but it sounded *very* exciting) and the Bobbsey Twins, which I devoured. Then I got to go and read the more contemporary versions (the yellow covers of ND), which were almost entirely different stories, not just updated settings (Nancy had a blue convertible in the 70s, fyi.) And in the same vein, Trixie Belden & her friends kept me occupied for hours and hours.

In non-series reading, these are the books I remember even now:

The Twenty-One Balloons (William Pene duBois) -- Victorian-era adventurer takes off in a helium balloon and ends up on Krakatoa. This has stuck with me long enough that the actual novel that I'm trying to write has a massive, island-eating volcano as a plot point.

The Door in the Wall (Marguerite de Angeli)-- Anyone can be a hero, not just the physical types. I can trace my love of the medieval era to this one.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, (E.L. Konigsburg) -- Run away and live in the Met? SIGN ME UP. (Did you know you can sort of do this with the National Archives? I think you have to have a kid, but I'm sure I could borrow one from a friend since mine are too old now…)

The Witch of Blackbird Pond (Elizabeth George Speare) – Kit was educated and opinionated and was horribly misunderstood by the relatives who were doing their duty by her. Of course I loved this one.

Gone-Away Lake (Elizabeth Enright) – Spending an entire summer exploring an abandoned lakeside village, complete with trunks of Edwardian-era clothing and treasures? OMG, I couldn't have dreamed up anything better.

So, hah, in looking at that list, wow, did I go for the run-away-from-your-life trope, or what? I'm sure there's nothing to be gleaned from that, right? /sarcasm.

Comments

[lilacsigil]

The Twenty-One Balloons! That's what that book was! I remember it from my childhood, but I couldn't remember what it was called or if it even really existed.

[topaz119]

Oh, yay, I love that I re-connected you with that book!

[intrigueing]

OMG I loved Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler so, so much I can't even. It was like Konigsburg had cracked open my head and pulled out kid!me's wildest fantasies and made them even better than they were in my head.

I need to re-read that!

[topaz119]

I know! How cool was that entire premise? It was the first thing I thought of when my kids were watching Night at the Museum. :D

[st_aurafina]

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

I read this one! Oh, it was awesome!

[topaz119]

It was!

[sperrywink]

Stories where an eccentric kid goes off to live with dutiful relatives are the best!

[topaz119]

in a more adult vein, have you ever read any Madeleine Brent? The plots usually involve a young woman who's had an unconventional upbringing (grew up in the circus, raised by nomads on the Silk Road) who are embroiled in a mystery with their background and family. There's always a slightly older, semi-aloof guy who (of course) is nursing a tendre for her, but the romance is the background and it's mostly about the girl finding her way.

Not exactly kids' books, but I read them as a teenager and loved them deeply.

[verdande-mi.livejournal.com]

Like you, I read and read and often perferred books over people (this is even more true in adulthood). And for birthdays and x-mas, books where always my thing. :D And there are many a trend in my reading habits today that started back then: history and fantasy to mention two broad genres.

[topaz119.livejournal.com]

My husband is not a reader, and neither is his family, so they are constantly amazed by the sheer number of books I have in the house. Books from my childhood, from my grandmother's house, fiction and non-fiction, paperback romances and fantasy series and everything in between. Happily, my kids are readers, too.

[withdiamonds.livejournal.com]

My mother had to come to school when I was in the fourth grade because I always claimed I had a headache at recess so I could stay inside and read.

One of my biggest fears, before smart phones, was that I would be caught somewhere without something to read.

I remember reading Heidi over and over again. I would get to the last page and turn right back to the first page again. Same with Little Women.

Trixie Belden!!!

[topaz119.livejournal.com]

Ohhhhh, I don't even know how many times I read Little Women. And all of her other books, too, but that one, over and over and over (and damn, Jo never married Laurie.)