I can make a huge list of books I loved and read over and over again as a child. But, I challenged myself to make it a list of just five. That is quite hard actually. Try it. So, in no particular order, here are the five books I could not get enough of as a child. 3 of which I own currently and read to my own children. The other 2? Well, I just ordered those from my favorite bookseller of all time: http://www.abebooks.com/used
1. An Anteater Named Arthur has 4 or 5 mini stories within the book. All
of them good, all of them sweet and honest. I loved the illustrations
when I was growing up and it was easy to try and copy the style as we
always had a red and black pen around the house. No need more more
colors in this book.
2. Be Nice to Spiders is the cutest! You will be sure to learn a lot while reading a heartwarming story that is super cute. The author of this book is so witty and charming. I grew up reading this book over and over and I have my original copy with a nice inscription from my grandparents one Christmas in the early 1980s. This makes the book extra special. I'm embarassed to admit that I did not notice that the same author wrote another of the books that made the Top 5 list here. Margaret Bloy Graham also wrote:
3. Benjy's Boat Trip. (Margaret Bloy Graham has a handful of great books I now know of) This book has it all. Great story, adventure, a great dog, a cat, and last but not least it has the same charm that all of Margaret's books have and the wonderful illustrations! I always thought back to this book whenever I saw a cruise ship for some reason. I'm glad to have my copy from when I was a wee one and I love to read it to my own 4 kids. We even have a stuffed animal that is named for one of the animals in this book!
4. I have not read Popcorn since I was a little girl. I am anxiously awaiting its arrival in the mail actually and then I am going to wait until night time and go ask my mother to read it to me. Why? Why would I do that at 35? because she is the one who used to read it to me over and over. We did not own the book, but she went to an ENT doctor weekly and I would go with her. She would pick up Newsweek and I would run and grab this instead and beg her to read it "just one more time". I'm pretty sure she hated the book after the first few times. I read this in the early 1980s. Frank Asch has several "Bear" stories and I intend to check some of the others out of the library on our next trip.
5. A Big Ball of String but Marion Holland. I forgot about this book after growing up. And, then a few months ago I saw it for sale in a vintage shop and gasped in happiness. I am also awaiting this books arrival to my house! Okay, if you happen to score a copy of this book, make sure its the edition from the 1950s or 1960s and not the 1980s or you will miss out on the wonderful illustrations of what this boy imagines himself doing with this BIG ball of string. This book inspired me, and I even tried creating a pulley system next to my sister's bed once with a basket, string and her shelving. This book rhymes if I remember correctly, but it's not too cutesy rhyming that older kids could not enjoy it as well. I think I will sign my copy once it arrives so my own children and grandchildren can cherish it.
