What were your favorite childhood books?

The Favourite Book. Honor C. Appleton (1879 – 1951, English)

This is Children's Book Week, so I'm bringing back a post from the archives about my favorite childhood books.  What were yours? Let me know in my comments section!

I've been a voracious reader since I was able to string words together. Interestingly, I don't have much of a memory of the books that were read to me before I could read myself, but I vividly remember the books I loved as a child.

Here is a nod to some of them.

Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, is the first full-length book I remember reading. I was eight years old.

This is a picture of the actual version I read. It was an abridged version, but I loved the illustrations. In my mind, that is still what Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy look like.

My Aunt Jean (sadly no longer with us) had recommended it to me, saying "You'll cry your eyes out and back in again!"

This was just before my family went to Beirut, Lebanon as missionaries. We were in New York City for several days before our ship sailed, and my parents bought me beautiful hardbound copies of "Little Men" and "Jo's Boys." I was in heaven.

This book laid the foundation for my lifelong love of The Chronicles of Narnia. I saw British friends reading it at Manor House School in Beirut, and that sparked my interest.

Even as a child, I was able to see the spiritual parallels. Years later, I made sure my own children read them.


I received this book as a Christmas gift when I was a little girl, and it was a treasure trove for me! I also loved Blyton's "Mallory Towers" series.

This was the first Noel Streatfield book I read, but I think I probably ended up reading all of them. They were all about children who were very talented, either as skaters, dancers or actors. I enjoyed them immensely.

I was delighted when the books were actually mentioned in the movie, "You've Got Mail."

Those are just a few. You can read here about my other favorites, Auntie Robbo and Red Knights from Hy Brasil...and here about what my love of a childhood book has to do with a murder in an English village!

Reading enriched my childhood and continues to do so today!

What were YOUR favorite books as a child?

Someone just reviewed one of my favorite, but somewhat obscure, books of all time!

Someone else loves a book I've always loved!

Several months ago, I launched a blog completely devoted to my passion for books and reading--Cindy's Book Club.

I've really been having difficulty attracting readers to my book blog, which is rather frustrating! One of the things I do to try to gain readers is participate in Semicolon's Saturday Review of Books--a wonderful book meme.

Today, I was inordinately thrilled and excited to find that someone else had not only heard of Auntie Robbo, by Ann Scott-Moncrieff, but was actually reviewing it, and seems to love it as much as I do!

Carol of Magistra Mater-Reflecting Wonder writes:

"P.G. Wodehouse meets Robert Louis Stevenson.

Mix two parts E. Nesbit with three parts Jerome K. Jerome.

Here is a diamond of a book!

I want to wave down readers and persuade them to read this gem. "

She goes on to say:

This is a book I plan to read at least once a year until I slip into my dotage. I laughed aloud; I disrupted my husband's concentration, intruding with quotes. I have plans for read alouds with the grands. I'm baffled whyAuntie Robbo has remained unknown to me before now.

I couldnt' agree more with Carol's review. I DO read Auntie Robbo at least once a year, which is why I had to seek out another copy to replace my falling-apart one in 2004.

You can read about my love for the book, and how I found another copy online, here.

I also blogged about it and one of my other childhood favorites here...and listed it as one of the "15 books that will always stick with me" here.

According to Carol, you can read Auntie Robbo in full at Gutenberg. I'm echoing Carol's "dare you to read the first chapter!"

In fact, I think it's time I read it again. :)

Oh...and please check out my book blog? I would love to have more than a handful of readers!

And be sure and check out Semicolon's Saturday Review of Books!