Ever since high school, I’ve felt obligated to read what is current, intelligent, popular, or classic. But sometimes, it’s really nice to return to the past, to those old reliables that enthralled me as a child — books that made me think creatively and with which I spent hours and hours of my time.
Not too long ago, I dug “Harriet the Spy” out of the recesses of a closet at my parents’ house. One of my absolute favorites, this was the book that launched me into my compulsive keeping of journals, something that I have finally gotten under control in the past year or so. (I have three journals now, as opposed to five.) The image I had of Harriet opening her toy box that was full of spiral bound notebooks was a vision that I hoped one day to create for myself … and I pretty much have!
I’ve also recently been reminded of “Bunnicula”, a book by James Howe … a mystery about a vampire rabbit that sucks the color out of vegetables.
A children’s book that I’ve discovered in more recent years and enjoyed immensly is “The Tale of Desperaux” by Kate DiCamillo. I received this book, hardcover and beautifully illustrated, as a gift, and have read it several times since then. Told in the language of a fairy tale, “The Tale of Desperaux” tells the story of a courageous mouse who falls in love with a princess of the castle, just like in a fairy tale story he has read. The plot is an interesting one, and told in a simple and straightforward way that I can appreciate on days when heavier reading just will not do.
What are your childhood favorites? What children’s books have you read lately?
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Anastasia said:
The Wind in the Willows and The Willows in Winter - I re-read them this summer, and as well as discovering the spiritual undertones, I also enjoyed them with as much childish delight as I did 9 or 10 years ago.
I also recently returned to Shel Silverstien’s poetry and stories, for some of the funniest, quaintest, and sweetest reading.
September 21, 2008 @ 2:22 pm
Lindsey Anderson said:
Oh, I love Shel Silverstein! I recently acquired a copy of “Where the Sidewalk Ends” and was really excited.
September 21, 2008 @ 6:34 pm