Favorite Books from your childhood.
- Thread starter nortac
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Like the majority I too read The Hardy Boys, Roald Dahl, J.R.R Tolkein, and C.S. Lewis. I read a few of Doc Savage books, Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. I really enjoyed Up Periscope, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, My Side of the Mountain, and How to Eat Fried Worms. I read a lot, so much that a family member said he would give me $100 if I read Webster's Dictionary in a year, which I actually finished it in 9 months. After that it was another $100 if I could read the encyclopedia set in a year, which took me 11 months.
I really liked the Great Brain series by John D. Fitzgerald. I remember writing about it in one of my papers I had to write for my Children's Literature course in college. In that class we also had to read the whole Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, which was not my favorite part of the course.
I also read A LOT of comics. Spiderman, Batman, Iron Man, X-Men, Sgt. Rock, Jonah Hex, Green Lantern, Daredevil, and Travis Morgan the Warlord. I am really impressed that they have not made a movie of Travis Morgan or Sgt. Rock.
I really liked the Great Brain series by John D. Fitzgerald. I remember writing about it in one of my papers I had to write for my Children's Literature course in college. In that class we also had to read the whole Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, which was not my favorite part of the course.
I also read A LOT of comics. Spiderman, Batman, Iron Man, X-Men, Sgt. Rock, Jonah Hex, Green Lantern, Daredevil, and Travis Morgan the Warlord. I am really impressed that they have not made a movie of Travis Morgan or Sgt. Rock.
When I was at primary school in the 60s there was a thing called the puffin club. I have an idea puffin books were Penguin books for younger people.
I ordered “ The Owl Hoots Twice at Catfish Bend”. Loved it.
Narnia Chronicles were brilliant as well.
Later got into Lotr but fell out of love with it.
I ordered “ The Owl Hoots Twice at Catfish Bend”. Loved it.
Narnia Chronicles were brilliant as well.
Later got into Lotr but fell out of love with it.
The Coral Island by R.M.Ballantine.
The above mention of Sgt. Rock brought up a memory of me 10-12 years old walking along the beach with a bar of semisweet chocolate, a cold Dr. Pepper (in a glass bottle), and the latest issue of the Sgt. Rock comic. Three of my favorite things. I must have been feeling pretty good.
Another very cool book Life on loan
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I just gave a copy of Crictor to some friends.
I used a pencil to alter one of the illustrations
because it was anatomically inappropriate for impressionable children.
I used a pencil to alter one of the illustrations
because it was anatomically inappropriate for impressionable children.
At a young age, people tend to either excel well at reading or at math. It appears that you, sir, excelled at both. Congratulations.
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. Our 5th grade teacher read it to us in class. Years later, I read it to my wife... then to both our sons.
I posted my entry before I read yours.....
I'm not sure if you are being facetious or not... but I have mixed feelings about the Dick and Jane books. I was put into an experimental class when I was in first grade.. a class for kids who didn't do well in first grade, so kind of a remedial class. That year, there were too many kids the two first grade classes and they had class size limitations. It was supposed to work as a first grade for me.
Anyway, long story short... we moved and when I got into second grade, I couldn't read a word.... I had just memorized all the words to the first grade Dick and Jane books according to the artwork. My second grade teacher did me a HUGE favor. Instead of sending me back to repeat first grade, she kept me after school for 45 minutes every day and taught me to read. Mrs. Curren was her name.... I'll never forget it.
It took me until the 4th grade to get into the top reading group. That year, I became a voracious reader and that has continued until this day.
My memories are not all that strong considering the years past but I do remember enjoying the stories. Perhaps I was influenced by the fact that both my parents were avid readers of books and I simply fell into step with them. I’ve been a reader of books much of my life and still enjoy reading. My college major was English Lit. Mathematics, on the other hand, was an entirely different matter. In that, I am and always have been an idiot.
The Red Car by Don Stanford was one of my favorites from the SBS. I just looked it up on Amazon... Holy Feces... I had no idea it was worth this much: The Red Car, Tempo Books No. T-10: Stanford, Don: Amazon.com: Books - https://www.amazon.com/Red-Car-Tempo-Books-T-10/dp/B00FIUO9GS
So many already listed!
My Dad was a voracious reader, and all over the place, but as a kid I went for the SciFi, Fantasy, Horror stuff.
A lot of Edger Rice Burroughs; Tarzan, The Martain Series, The Land That Time Forgot and on.
How about "Run Silent, Run Deep" had to have read that 50 times!
But in all my reading I never got interested in the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings. Until now. The LOTR I just started last week.
Lovin' it.
My Dad was a voracious reader, and all over the place, but as a kid I went for the SciFi, Fantasy, Horror stuff.
A lot of Edger Rice Burroughs; Tarzan, The Martain Series, The Land That Time Forgot and on.
How about "Run Silent, Run Deep" had to have read that 50 times!
But in all my reading I never got interested in the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings. Until now. The LOTR I just started last week.
Lovin' it.
The first book I remember reading on my own, was The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett.
Later throughout my childhood I read many, but my all time favorite was The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain, which I read 2 or 3 times.
Later throughout my childhood I read many, but my all time favorite was The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain, which I read 2 or 3 times.
I am a life long Twain fan. I re-read Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer last year.The first book I remember reading on my own, was The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett.
Later throughout my childhood I read many, but my all time favorite was The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain, which I read 2 or 3 times.
an inspiring story about a great teacher! We did not have Dick and Jane, we had Dot and Jim (I'm sure there were some contentious copyright battles over that). One thing that really helped my reading were books and records. I had tons of RCA 45's with a golden book accompanying them. When Little Nipper barks it's time to turn the page.
I always loved a good series, or author. In the 50s, it was Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Tom Swift, Tarzan, Bomba the jungle boy. In high school in the early 60s, it was James Bond. By the mid 60's, Tolkien and Lewis Carrol. In the 70s/80s, Stephen King, Koontz, and Clive Cussler. Commuting by train to work in late 80s/90s, I got into British nasties by the likes of Guy N Smith (Killer Crab series), Harry Adam Knight & others. A fast read, great for commuting because I didn't have to remember names, as no one lived more than a page or two. It wasn't until I retired that I got into classics like The Count of Monte Cristo and Dracula
My wife and I always read to our kids, g-kids and gg-kid. Our oldest daughter (1970s), who wasn't much of a reader, favored Betsy-Tacy books. Our youngest, (1980s) loved everything from Sweet Valley Twins to The Stupids books, and In a dark dark room. Our gg-son, after getting tired of playing with my dinosaurs, green army men and cars, always wanted to sit in my lap and have me read him an old hardcover book called The Teeny-Tiny Woman. When I got tired of reading it or making him read it, he would go upstairs and have my wife read it. Now 7, he told his mom last year that if anything happens to her, he wants to live with us.
My wife and I always read to our kids, g-kids and gg-kid. Our oldest daughter (1970s), who wasn't much of a reader, favored Betsy-Tacy books. Our youngest, (1980s) loved everything from Sweet Valley Twins to The Stupids books, and In a dark dark room. Our gg-son, after getting tired of playing with my dinosaurs, green army men and cars, always wanted to sit in my lap and have me read him an old hardcover book called The Teeny-Tiny Woman. When I got tired of reading it or making him read it, he would go upstairs and have my wife read it. Now 7, he told his mom last year that if anything happens to her, he wants to live with us.
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