Nostalgia, Part Two

Another reason for all of the nostalgia over the past few weeks is because of my love of reading.

I've always read to the girls, even from the time they were babies. I knew that I'd never be able to make them into prima ballerinas or Olympic athletes, but I could read to them and hopefully encourage and foster a love of reading in themselves. I'm going to go ahead and pat myself on the back and say MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. (I also hope to show them an example of humility and modesty. I'll get back with you on that.)

I'd always been the one to recommend books to the girls- stuff I liked at their age, the latest selection in the Scholastic Book catalog, a book I picked up from the library, etc. Sometimes they took my suggestion, but not always. However, in the past six months they have been the ones handing me books saying, "You have GOT to read this!!". I won't lie- it makes me prouder than a peacock.

About a year ago, I came across the blog of Betsy Bird via Goodreads. She was often leaving reviews on the same children, middle-grade and young adult books that I was reading. Turns out she's a funny, intelligent librarian who lives in NYC and writes a blog for the School Library Journal online. She was (at the time) doing a reading suggested poll of the Top 100 Children's Picture Books of all time. Good stuff my friends, especially if you

1) work with children and have to read them books or
2) just love children's picture books irrespective of children.

I happen to fit into both categories, so Betsy had me hooked from there on out as a daily reader of her blog. In early January, annouced that she was going to do another poll- this time it would be the Top 100 Children's Novels. Now, as someone who combs through the children's book section at the library as much as I do the adult, this set my heart a pitter patter. Betsy invited her readers to submit their Top Ten choices, with the books listed in order of preference. So not only did we have to "cut our darlings" by ONLY LISTING TEN BOOKS, we also had rate our love!!

For the entire month of January, I agonized. Only ten?? That means I can't list ALL of the Harry Potter books, ALL of the Anne books, ALL of the Little House books, etc, etc. Pretty quickly I decided that I would ONLY pick one books from each series. (But how do I choose? Anne of the Island is my favorite, but without Anne of Green Gables there would be no Anne! And Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is brilliant, but I deeply, passionately love Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! ARGH!! THE AGONY!)

All of this had me thinking and trying to remember every chapter book I had ever read. (Impossible) I had to think back on which books I not only loved, but also cherished and (dare I say it?) changed my life. I looked through my bookshelves, read through my old journals (as well as new ones) and finally came up with a list I emailed to Betsy.

This is what I ended up emailing to Betsy (minus the pictures):

After much Sturm und Drang....

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling



Totally wrong that we had to divide up the series, as it really is more than the sum of it's parts! However, for me, this is THE Harry Potter book. It's the culmination of everything. Every plotline, every character, every action was leading to this book. It's only after reading this book that you can fully realize just *how much work* Rowling put into these books, and it paid off one hundred fold for me as a reader. There are still passages I can't make it through without losing it completely.

2. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery



Another one where choosing just one from the series doesn't seem right! This is my "Choose one book to have with you on a desert island" book, even above a Harry Potter book. The Anne series is the first series I fell passionately in love with, and it starts with this book. After becoming aquainted with Anne I immediatly began to divide the world into 'kindreds' and 'non-kindreds' and started looking for my Gilbert Blythe. (Forget Mr. Darcy! Give me Gilbert anyday.)

3. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White



I read this book for the first time during the summer between 3rd and 4th grades. It was then that I decided it was more interesting to lay in bed and read rather than watch cartoons. I was hooked from the very start, and I could barely put the book down long enough to eat or sleep. I distinctively remember waking up early to read the last chapters, all while crying buckets of tears and eating trying to eat Rice Krispies that were getting soggy by the minute.

4. The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall



I put off reading this book for a long time, and I was so mad at myself when I finally did read it. This book made me feel like that 9 year old girl again. It's just so charming and lovely and delightful. You can't help but try to decide if you are a "Rosalind" or a "Skye" or a "Jane" or a "Batty".

5. The Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder



My favorite Little House book. Laura and Almanzo were the first couple I ever "shipped". The story is universal, and just as relevant today as it was one hundred+ years ago.

6. Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry



I loved Anastasia because she was a normal girl with normal problems (glasses, acne, cool-but-embarrassing parents, annoying little brothers, etc). She was also smart and funny, and I envied her hiking boots with red laces (and later her tower bedroom).

7. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg



I still can't think of a cooler place to run away to than the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

8. Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary



Also discovered during that magical summer

9. Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George



This book described a life so different than my own. It was the first book I read that talked about about menstration in a matter-of-fact way. It talked so many "adult" topics in a way that made *me* feel like I was growing up. I read this around the same time I was reading the Babysitter's Club and Sweet Valley High books, and it made those books seem so trite and vapid. It was definitely a coming-of-age book for me.

10. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott



I still think Jo should have married Laurie.

None of my books have made the list...yet. I'm still hopeful- we're only through the first 50! But it's been so much fun to see books I love that I had to cut(Love That Dog) and books I had forgotten I loved (Pippi Longstocking) as well as a list as long as my arm of books that I want to read for the first time.

I'd love to hear your TOP TEN LIST!