Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke And Bookish. It was created/envisioned by the fantastic Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner.
I realize that not every book blogger was a HUGE reader as a child but I totally was. I was one of those indoor kids that Maureen Johnson described at the first Book Blogger Convention.
In no particular order:
1. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
The Phantom Tollbooth
You guys, I probably have The Phantom Tollbooth on several Top Ten Tuesday lists. This is because it is awesome and shaped the person I am today. I probably read Norton Juster’s book at least 10 times as a kid.
2. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
The Boxcar Children
Never has living in a boxcar looked so appealing as when reading The Boxcar Children. When Benny scavenged the dump for that pink cup and the kids were all like F YOU MR. ALDEN because rumor has it you are mean, I wanted to be just like those kids, despite having zero survival skills.
3. The Witches by Roald Dahl
The Witches
I pity the person without Roald Dahl books in their childhood. I mean really, as I kid I felt really smug because all of the kids in Dahl’s books were so much smarter than the grown ups. Anyways, The Witches was one of my favorites.
4. Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling
I've caught the golden snitch!
So, I read Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling in 7th grade, which is still childhood. And you guys, obviously I probably would not be the fantasy nut I am today if not for this series.
5. The Wakefields of Sweet Valley by Francine Pascal
The Wakefields Of Sweet Valley
Friends, I read these books like crack growing up. They were so full of drama and crazy happenings. AND THIS BOOK was so damn thick and I was like, yeah I got my money’s worth — even though I was just borrowing it from the library. Anyways, it was all about the Wakefield Family history and awesome.
6. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Those Herdman kids are a bunch of jerkwads. BUT BUT BUT I remember having the teacher read this book out loud to us and it was hilarious. And I loved how the Herdman’s redeemed themselves in the end.
7. Super Fudge by Judy Blume
Super Fudge
I loved books that made me laugh like someone about to be carted to the nuthouse. Super Fudge was one of those books for me.
8. Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See
So, I just remember my family ended up with this book some how after this library event where we sang songs about bears eating someone’s family. My sisters and I read the Brown Bear book SO MANY TIMES that we had it memorized, because we were ballers. Yes, straight ballers.
9. Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
Amelia Bedelia
Amelia Bedelia was not the smartest maid on the block. I remember reading her books and she would constantly get mixed up and such. And do silly things. Or take things literally.
10. The 101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith
The Hundred And One Dalmatians
Did you go through the dog phase too? Please tell me I was not the only kid to get that dog obsession! Seriously, I loved dogs and reading about them. And then this book, I read it a few years after seeing the Disney film. Good book though.
So guys, what were your favorite childhood books?
This post was written by...
April (Books&Wine) – who has written 1075 posts on Good Books And Good Wine.
April is 24 years old. She is an educator. In her free time she can be found reading, working out, or eating junk food. She often wears her sunglasses at night.
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
Great list. Gotta love Judy blume. I totally forgot about Amelia bedelia. I loved her, too.
I think the only ones I’ve read there are Boxcar Children & Harry Potter. I like the other ones though, just never read it personally haha. Great list!
Gah I’m seeing so many great books with this TTT! I’ve mentioned elsewhere that my memory of that time is crap (and honest;y I didn’t read that much) so I only recall liking James and the Giant Peach, Charlotte’s Web and Shel Silverstein’s A Light in the Attic.
It’s a bit funny for me to see HP as a childhood favorite with some of the others on the list… since I was already grown up when I see it
Great list! I can’t believe I only read Harry Potter because my sister needed someone to read it to her and I got hooked. Now her copies are holding up her furniture, and mine are my prized adult paperback boxed set. Still haven’t read the first five chapters of the Philosopher’s Stone (or Sorceror’s Stone in the US) book though!
My Top Ten is here if you’d like a look
So many of my favorites!!!
we overlapped quite a bit!
the boxcar children, roald dahl, sweet valley twins, and the fabulous judy blume.
seriously, tho, i could’ve made this list a top 100 or something like that. i’m pretty sure i love children’s/middle grade even more now than when i was at the target age. i read them on my own and then i also read them to my kids before school in the mornings. booya i get to read young people books for a long, long time and yay for that!
great list april!
I loved numbers 7-9 on your list, but actually didn’t really read any of the others. Great list!
Excellent choices – I chose a Blume book too!
Here’s my Top Ten Tuesday post.
Great list! We share some favorites. Though I forgot about The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. I loved this book. Such an appropriate book to reminisce about this time of the year.
My Top Ten!
I loved reading the Amelia Bedelia books to our girls! They were great fun! Thanks for stopping by my blog.
Amelia Bedelia was the best! I loved when my mom read those to me
I felt so smart compared to Amelia Bedelia, lol
I’ve seen so many people (even non-bookish people!) talk about devouring The Phantom Tollbooth as kids. It really makes me wonder WTF I’ve been missing out on. And SO many of these books on your list, I’ve seen in the library/stores/wherever and SHOULD have picked up but didn’t. I failed as a childhood bookworm, big time.
First of all, I love how you pointed out the cup when it comes to the Boxcar Children. Seriously, that was good stuff. It’s one of the series that has the most inventive, but simple tales ever and I was HOOKED.
And anyone who didn’t get the opportunity to have Roald Dahl as a part of their childhood makes me sad. His books were so much fun to read! I loved them all.
i totally remember the sweet valley saga, it was…um…epic. yeah, that’s the word. great list!
I don’t know if you’ve ever watched ABC Family’s Greek (if not, you should—it’s like a contemporary YA novel, but on TV), but one of the main characters makes an Amelia Bedilia reference. I was flailing with happiness.
Great list overall! Have you read Dodie Smith’s I Capture the Castle? Beautiful, beautiful book.
I wish Harry Potter had been around when I was a kid. Alas, the first book was released a year after I graduated high school. If it had been around, I may have found reading sooner than I did.
The Phantom Tollbooth is seriously one of my all-time kid favorites. I definitely went through the dog phase too and you know what isn’t a good book to read during that phase? Where the Red Fern Grows, so freakin sad. I read the Sweet Valley Sagas too, loved them!
That Amelia Bedelia is hilarious. I remember cracking up reading those with my daughter. The Phantom Tollbooth is one of my favorites too. And yay for Judy Blume!
I remember reading Amelia Bedelia and finding her incredibly silly – but they did make me laugh! I could never remember what those books were called until someone mentioned them a few years ago and I connected the dots. I can’t believe how many books I loved as a kid are just warm fuzzy memories now – and how many I’ve seen on people’s lists that I simply can’t remember whether I’ve read or not.
I’ve seen The Phantom Tollbooth on several lists today and I’m going to have to get it now! I’m loving this week’s theme – making a list of good classic books to add to the library for when my baby boy is old enough!
Amelia Bedelia was such an amusing book! She could never quite get things right
Fabulous list!
OK. I have to read The Phantom Tollbooth now. I feel like I’m missing out! I’m jealous that you read Harry Potter starting in the 7th grade! I started the series when I was in college… but at least I could read books 1-4 straight through
. Here’s my Top Ten Childhood Favorites post! ~ Jen @ A Book and a Latte
So many good ones. I loved SVH and my list is woefully without either Roald Dahl or Judy Blume even though I still have a shelf dedicated to those two (and a few random others).
I hope you come visit me at The Scarlet Letter.
Amelia Bedelia!!!! Oh the memories..
Wish Harry Potter had come out when I was a child.. I love it now, but would have LOVED it back then even more!
I don’t think I ever read Boxcar Children, but the cover is totally familiar!
Thanks for stopping by!
Michele | Top 10
i have distinct memories of squirreling away in the library to read The Boxcar Children when i was in elementary school.
my adult self is ridiculously proud of my child self.
I love the Boxcar Children! I was starting to think I was the only person who read them as a kid – none of my friends/family have ever heard of them. And I love the Best Christmas Pageant Ever. My 5th grade class did the play as well and I got to play Imogene, which was such a fun role.
This is my list almost exactly (remove the Sweet Valley & add in Judy Blume for me). I read One Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith until it fell apart. Bought a new one a couple of years ago. LOVE! Plus, that first Boxcar Children–I wanted my own boxcar with all the little things they’d scavenged. MORE LOVE!
WHAT UP ERIC CARLE. I really do wish I had something more eloquent and insightful to say, but sometimes caps just do the trick.