Favorite Books From My Childhood

One of the things I miss most about being a child is the enjoyment I got from reading books. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy reading books now-because I certainly do, but it seems that there was something more special and exciting about it back then.

I remember how much I enjoyed going to the library during school and how cool I felt when I got to “check” a book out with my very own signature. I loved going to the monthly book fairs we had and purchasing a new book (and probably a puppy or kitty poster as well) each time to read.

So in honor of my book nostalgia, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite books from my childhood. Feel free to comment on my picks and tell me what yours are!

Favorite Books From My Childhood

The Lollipop Princess by Eleanor Estes

The Lollipop Princess was by far my most frequently checked-out book at my elementary school’s library. This book is described as “a play for paper dolls”, and from what I can remember is written as if it is a play for the reader to perform with friends. I remember deciding which of my friends would be each princess or character in the book (obviously my goal was to perform this book/play at a future date). Another fun fact is that this book is almost impossible to find information on (it’s being sold on eBay and Amazon, but very sparingly) and I have never met anyone who has read or heard of it before.

 

The Witches by Roald Dahl

Everything Roald Dahl writes is amazing, but this is by far my favorite piece of his. I think it was so interesting to me because of the vivid imagery- it was like I was there as the  main character watches witches go on with their daily lives. This was one of the first books I read that made me realize that reading can be fun and exciting. In fact, I think I may see if my local library has this just so I can re-read it!

Amber Brown Is Not A Crayon (Series) by Paula Danzinger

I was introduced to this series of books from my school’s monthly Scholastic book fairs. The series follows a spunky and outspoken third-grader and her journeys of losing a best friend, making new ones and the challenges of elementary school. Plus she rocks some pretty cool pigtails and leggings if I say so myself.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz

I remember reading from this book during sleepovers at my childhood friend Sarah’s house. I think the book was her older brother’s, but we stole it to read in between popcorn and Twizzlers down in her basement. I remember some of these stories actually being scary (or gross), like “The Red Spot” which was about a girl who had a family of spiders growing on her face or “High Beams”, which will make you check the backseat of your car each time you get in the driver’s seat..

Amelia Writes Again by Marissa Moss

I learned about this series of books from my Girl’s Life magazine, which was my favorite subscription during my elementary school years. The author wrote a monthly column for the magazine as Amelia herself, complete with the quirky drawings that fill this book. Each book is written and drawn in a composition notebook, created to reflect the main character’s journal during each of her life events: summer vacation, road trips and starting at a new school).

Animorphs (Series) by K.A. Applegate

I remember begging my Dad to buy one of these for me at our weekly grocery shopping trips (yes, as a child I loved going grocery shopping). In case you can’t tell by the cover, this book series is about a group of kids who can morph into different animals to battle secret aliens on Earth. The books were pretty weird and featured a lot of symbolism and themes that I didn’t realize as a young adult (but would most likely realize now).

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

I have a few of Silverstein’s books of poetry, but I think this one was my favorite. I remember memorizing and reciting the poem “Snowball” during Show & Tell in my 2nd grade class (I tried to recite it from memory now but I failed). I can’t even express how much I love Silverstein’s writing style, the topics he chose to write about and the fun drawings that accompany each poem. His books are ones that I revisit from time to time now as a young woman in her 20’s.