Weekly Wrap up
Weekly Wrap-Up: Children’s Lit
Ahh, a subject close to my heart. The wall in the Juvenile section in the library where I grew up had almost no books that I left unread, and even now, I could walk in there and point out at least 50 books that were near and dear to my heart, and even some that I requested and they purchased just because they trusted my book choices. I volunteered at the library once a week for 2 1/2 years, and was the youngest volunteer they ever had because they said they’d make an exception for me because I loved books so much. Then in college, I had the joy of taking a Themes in Literature class that just specifically focused on Childrens Lit - it was great fun. 
I had a great time answering these questions, even though it took me several hours of surfing through amazon before I found the Gordon Korman books ;) I knew I’d recognize the names when I found them, but didn’t have much more to go on!! I’m a kook!
- What was your favorite book as a child? Why? Mandie and the Secret Tunnel. I got this book when I was 8 and we were on a family trip to England. I believe I read it 4 times before the trip was over. I really liked "olden-days" stories; first with Little House on the Prairie and then the Mandie series and the Grandma’s Attic books and Anne of Avonlea and all of LMM’s books and others followed. I grew my hair long so I could have braids and had a bonnet that I would wear when we played house.
- How often did you read as a child? Describe your preferred reading area or situation. I was one of those little girls who always had a book with her. I started reading at 5 1/2, and when I was 6 or 6 1/2, my mom bought me my first BIG books - they were larger print, but thicker than any I had read yet. She gave me one to start reading the day the box came. And she was astonished to find that by the time I went to bed, I had read the ENTIRE thing. She made me wait a while before she let me have the second one. (That was Coon Tree Summer and Ice Slide Winter, some Christian books) And that’s when we started going to the library regularly
- What children’s literature series did you read when you were younger? Why? I read a lot of series. I like things that continue, stories that don’t end after 100 pages. We had a pile of the Bobbsey Twins and Nancy Drews that smelled musty, but I read them anyhow - they were my mom’s. And then I got hand-me-down copies of Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie, and Farmer Boy which I read until they fell apart, and probably after! The aforemented Mandie series was a big part of my life, and the author is actually still writing them, so my series is incomplete. I can’t forget the Ramona books. Boxcar Kids. Betsy Tacy and Tib. I read everything Christian in the library. The Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley High came in there a bit later, with the Sunfire Romances (all on the same shelf with Encyclopedia Brown and the Choose Your Own Adventures). So yeah, pretty much looking through a list of books in the library from that era would be a list of the series I read!!
- Do you still read children’s literature? Why or why not?
On occassion. I’d like to pick up the Mandie series and read them again - I’m thinking that they are about 30 minute stories each for me with my reading speed now. So getting through the first 24 or so that I own wouldn’t take me too long. But I’d like to complete my series so I own them all for my little girls to read!
- What children’s book would you recommend for a child’s library? Why? Well, I think every library should have the Little House series. They are great books that give readers a look at a very different era. And for something different, some great funny books: How to Eat Fried Worms - Thomas Rockwell and The Zucchini Warriors and all of Gordon Korman’s books - they are all so hilarious!
Comments
I’m still going to answer these on my site once I finish some school stuff, but my answers are going to be very similar to yours. What a surprise!
Posted by: Brandy | May 24, 2003 08:09 PM
Did you know Beverly Cleary (author of the Ramona Quimby books) actually grew up here in Oregon before moving to Washington where she was a children’s librarian? I think she moved to California after that. I always thought that was neat.
Posted by: Kathy | May 25, 2003 10:27 PM