Favorite Books from your childhood.

[hairless wonder]

I am a life long Twain fan. I re-read Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer last year.

I'm also a lifelong fan of Twain! I re-read Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn every now and again, too!

It all started when I was in fifth grade and those two books were listed in the Scholastic book sale. As a voracious reader (and budding bibliophile), I ordered them and absolutely loved them! I went on to read most of Twain's other works.

In college, I was lucky enough to see some of Twain's original manuscripts in one of my college's libraries. During grad school, I wound up taking a trip out to Hannibal, MO and visited his childhood home (it was exactly how I pictured Tom Sawyer's house!) and "neighborhood" (I believe the Becky Thatcher home and the Huck Finn home were relocated to be closer to the Twain/Sawyer home--or maybe all of them were relocated so as to be closer together).

 

[RobD57]

I'm back into "Life on the Mississippi". I like to have a few books going at one time.

 

[desrgrl]

Regarding 'Dick and Jane' books. I didn't grow up reading them in class in the early 1970s, but there were some on the communal book shelf. I remember liking them, but even as a young child I didn't relate to the kids, even though I was partially the favoured group. Blonde, blue eyed girl, middle class. This might seem petty, but I did know I didn't fit the rest of it. Dresses were chuch and sometimes school wear, I would never wear a dress to play in. While my father did the suit/hat thing, my mom, like me, wasn't in dresses all the time, and though she sometimes wore an apron, it was for baking, or messier dishes she was cooking. None of us wore 1950s fashions. To me, they were almost fairy tales, that world that existed only in books

If I could see those differences as a 6-8 year old, then what was the message to the black kid in my class, or the indigenous girl, heaven knows it wasn't an area that had a large number of others they could identify with. I lived in a semi-rural area. A shop keeper married to a car salesman was 'middle class', if your dad was a lawyer or doctor, you were on the upper end. I'd call us, a minister now working in a church related academic stuff and a homemaker...lower middle class. A very large number of people I went to school with the same or lower class (mechanic, tow truck driver, beautician). A lot of farmers, few rich, most somewhere in the middle veering to lower class, a few probably working poor. Outdated, patched, handed down, home made clothes were not uncommon.

So, how does a little girl in a 1950s dress, with a navy double breasted coat, with matching bonnet fit the image of any of us?

Pedagogically, I'm of a hybrid mind... there is research backing up both. Reading meaningful books that have stories children can relate to, and which reflects the language they do, is of utmost importance. However, before ditching repetitive readers that focus on word recognition and mastery of small units of meaning and pronunciation, do have a place, especially with some kinds of learners. Today we have better choices of books for that.

All that said, I do have a bit of nostalgia, even though I was a very good reader from early on, and had already pretty much out grown them as reading material by grade one.

 

[desrgrl]

When I was ten, I was in a quaint bookshop I loved to go to with my mom. I saw a boxed set of books, and took out one and started to read it. When it was time to go, I asked mom to buy it, event though it was something I would never usually think to do (a whole SET of books!). She said no, but very gently, with a 'we'll see' that offered hope. I don't recall if I asked again about it or not. I also don't recall if it was my birthday or christmas when I received it as a gift. I have probably read them close to dozen times, maybe more. I used to read them about every 5 years in my 20s and 30s. I think its more than 2 decades now, but I'm reasonably sure I'll get back to them. (They are almost nothing like the TV show)

 

[DrStrange]

Regarding 'Dick and Jane' books. I didn't grow up reading them in class in the early 1970s, but there were some on the communal book shelf. I remember liking them, but even as a young child I didn't relate to the kids, even though I was partially the favoured group. Blonde, blue eyed girl, middle class. This might seem petty, but I did know I didn't fit the rest of it. Dresses were chuch and sometimes school wear, I would never wear a dress to play in. While my father did the suit/hat thing, my mom, like me, wasn't in dresses all the time, and though she sometimes wore an apron, it was for baking, or messier dishes she was cooking. None of us wore 1950s fashions. To me, they were almost fairy tales, that world that existed only in books

If I could see those differences as a 6-8 year old, then what was the message to the black kid in my class, or the indigenous girl, heaven knows it wasn't an area that had a large number of others they could identify with. I lived in a semi-rural area. A shop keeper married to a car salesman was 'middle class', if your dad was a lawyer or doctor, you were on the upper end. I'd call us, a minister now working in a church related academic stuff and a homemaker...lower middle class. A very large number of people I went to school with the same or lower class (mechanic, tow truck driver, beautician). A lot of farmers, few rich, most somewhere in the middle veering to lower class, a few probably working poor. Outdated, patched, handed down, home made clothes were not uncommon.

So, how does a little girl in a 1950s dress, with a navy double breasted coat, with matching bonnet fit the image of any of us?

Pedagogically, I'm of a hybrid mind... there is research backing up both. Reading meaningful books that have stories children can relate to, and which reflects the language they do, is of utmost importance. However, before ditching repetitive readers that focus on word recognition and mastery of small units of meaning and pronunciation, do have a place, especially with some kinds of learners. Today we have better choices of books for that.

All that said, I do have a bit of nostalgia, even though I was a very good reader from early on, and had already pretty much out grown them as reading material by grade one.
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Hemingway's writing style always reminded me of Dick And Jane.

 

[GeronimoWSB]

Hardy boy's, where the red Fern grows.

 

[SparkyLB]

Madeleine L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time," blew me away in my elementary school days. Judy Blume's, "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing," and "Frog and Toad are Friends," but I can't remember who wrote it. Of course, anything by Twain was great for a kid in the 70's. Would you believe my 5th grade teacher made us read, "Animal Farm?" Talk about knowledge being wasted on youth. No disrespect to any 10 year-old who read it and "got it." Went right over my head.

I love some of Twain's quotes, like, "Put all your eggs in one basket, and watch that basket!"

 

[emwolf]

I got into Twain following two things: 1. My parents took us kids to Hannibal, MO and we visited the cave, and 2. The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a live action/animated prime time series that lasted one season that, although it had little to do with the actual Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn stories, really got me interested.

 

[Rusty Blade]

Hardy Boys. Tom Swift.

 

[DEgeezer]

Huckleberry Finn
Tom Sawyer
Roughing It
The Secret Garden
Little House on the Prairie

 

[FarmerTan]

I couldn't read until I was in high skool, at least not well enough.

Then God werked on my ADHD by allowing my heart to begin failing at 15, so I taught myself. Not a great way to learn, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

There is only so much TV one can watch before your brain turns to mush! So I read Scifi mostly.

Heinlein, and reread him to this day!

 

[Hms123]

Regarding 'Dick and Jane' books. I didn't grow up reading them in class in the early 1970s, but there were some on the communal book shelf. I remember liking them, but even as a young child I didn't relate to the kids, even though I was partially the favoured group. Blonde, blue eyed girl, middle class. This might seem petty, but I did know I didn't fit the rest of it. Dresses were chuch and sometimes school wear, I would never wear a dress to play in. While my father did the suit/hat thing, my mom, like me, wasn't in dresses all the time, and though she sometimes wore an apron, it was for baking, or messier dishes she was cooking. None of us wore 1950s fashions. To me, they were almost fairy tales, that world that existed only in books

If I could see those differences as a 6-8 year old, then what was the message to the black kid in my class, or the indigenous girl, heaven knows it wasn't an area that had a large number of others they could identify with. I lived in a semi-rural area. A shop keeper married to a car salesman was 'middle class', if your dad was a lawyer or doctor, you were on the upper end. I'd call us, a minister now working in a church related academic stuff and a homemaker...lower middle class. A very large number of people I went to school with the same or lower class (mechanic, tow truck driver, beautician). A lot of farmers, few rich, most somewhere in the middle veering to lower class, a few probably working poor. Outdated, patched, handed down, home made clothes were not uncommon.

So, how does a little girl in a 1950s dress, with a navy double breasted coat, with matching bonnet fit the image of any of us?

Pedagogically, I'm of a hybrid mind... there is research backing up both. Reading meaningful books that have stories children can relate to, and which reflects the language they do, is of utmost importance. However, before ditching repetitive readers that focus on word recognition and mastery of small units of meaning and pronunciation, do have a place, especially with some kinds of learners. Today we have better choices of books for that.

All that said, I do have a bit of nostalgia, even though I was a very good reader from early on, and had already pretty much out grown them as reading material by grade one.
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I learned to read with “Fun With Dick and Jane”. Somehow I remember that it was a hardback with a blue cover. I think it is still in a box somewhere in the house.

 

[Eric_75]

Choose Your Own Adventure and later on anything J.R.R. Tolkien.

 

[FarmerTan]

Regarding 'Dick and Jane' books. I didn't grow up reading them in class in the early 1970s, but there were some on the communal book shelf. I remember liking them, but even as a young child I didn't relate to the kids, even though I was partially the favoured group. Blonde, blue eyed girl, middle class. This might seem petty, but I did know I didn't fit the rest of it. Dresses were chuch and sometimes school wear, I would never wear a dress to play in. While my father did the suit/hat thing, my mom, like me, wasn't in dresses all the time, and though she sometimes wore an apron, it was for baking, or messier dishes she was cooking. None of us wore 1950s fashions. To me, they were almost fairy tales, that world that existed only in books

If I could see those differences as a 6-8 year old, then what was the message to the black kid in my class, or the indigenous girl, heaven knows it wasn't an area that had a large number of others they could identify with. I lived in a semi-rural area. A shop keeper married to a car salesman was 'middle class', if your dad was a lawyer or doctor, you were on the upper end. I'd call us, a minister now working in a church related academic stuff and a homemaker...lower middle class. A very large number of people I went to school with the same or lower class (mechanic, tow truck driver, beautician). A lot of farmers, few rich, most somewhere in the middle veering to lower class, a few probably working poor. Outdated, patched, handed down, home made clothes were not uncommon.

So, how does a little girl in a 1950s dress, with a navy double breasted coat, with matching bonnet fit the image of any of us?

Pedagogically, I'm of a hybrid mind... there is research backing up both. Reading meaningful books that have stories children can relate to, and which reflects the language they do, is of utmost importance. However, before ditching repetitive readers that focus on word recognition and mastery of small units of meaning and pronunciation, do have a place, especially with some kinds of learners. Today we have better choices of books for that.

All that said, I do have a bit of nostalgia, even though I was a very good reader from early on, and had already pretty much out grown them as reading material by grade one.
View attachment 1437455

I thought everyone's dad drank beer when they got home from werk! If they went to werk, lol.

I thank God he stopped when I was 8.

Totally changed the family dynamics.

Dick and Jane was beautifully illustrated.

We used a book called "teach your child to read in 100 days" when we started with homeskooling. Best thing we ever did. So much new stuff is out there, but it's mostly old stuff reimagined.

I remember reading about Jane's cat being on TV as a wee lad. I reread it to my son 40ish years later and enjoyed it more than he did.

As a boy I expected the cat to be on a TV show.

I won't spoil it if you haven't read it!!!

 

[emwolf]

One thing I haven't mentioned of my childhood reading was the book and record sets. Mostly RCA 45's with a book (when Little Nipper barks, turn the page) but eventually had some 33's with bigger books.

 

[Hms123]

Look what I found!

 

[FarmerTan]

Look what I found!

Boy! That brings back memories of the four years I spent in 1st grade!?!

 

[Hms123]

Boy! That brings back memories of the four years I spent in 1st grade!?!

Only four?

In my case high school was a problem: The teachers kept sending me to the auditorium to set up chairs. The chairs generally looked fine to me, so I would ditch school and go to a baseball game. Seemed to work for everyone.

 

[FarmerTan]

Only four?

In my case high school was a problem: The teachers kept sending me to the auditorium to set up chairs. The chairs generally looked fine to me, so I would ditch school and go to a baseball game. Seemed to work for everyone.

We have to be related my friend!

 

[Phoenixkh]

This was my favorite kids' record set when I was a kid:

Mel Blanc Bugs Bunny And The Tortoise 1948 78 RPM 10" Record And Book Set | eBay

<p>Mel Blanc Bugs Bunny And The Tortoise 1948 78 RPM 10" Record And Book Set. Has both records </p>

www.ebay.com