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[CCBC-Net] Life-changing books (long)
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From: Elizabeth Bluemle <ehbluemle>
Date: Fri, 26 May 2006 00:48:45 -0400
What a wonderful, terrible task to put before book lovers!
Some books tickled my brain -- Remy Charlip's ARM IN ARM; Norton Juster's THE DOT AND THE LINE and of course THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH; all of Ellen Raskin's books; THE CASE OF THE MARBLE MONSTER, by I.G. Edmonds.
Some books made me want to write -- A ROOM MADE OF WINDOWS, by Eleanor Cameron; THE TEMPEST, by Wm. Shakespeare (not a kid's book, but I watched the full play 25 nights in a row as a six-year-old -- my older sister was a wood nymph or a sprite -- and was mesmerized by the language); ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, by L.M. Montgomery; THE SECRET LANGUAGE, by Ursula Nordstrom; THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES, by Ray Bradbury.
Some books called me far away and showed me other worlds -- THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND, by Elizabeth George Speare, and her CALICO CAPTIVE
(probably hideously offensive now, but as a kid I was transported); THE LITTLE HOUSE books (ditto, in places); the alternate England of Dido Twite in Joan Aiken's BLACK HEARTS IN BATTERSEA and sequels; LITTLE WOMEN and JO'S BOYS, by Louisa May Alcott; THE CHILDREN'S CRUSADE, by an author whose name I've forgotten (might be Zabriskie); MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, by Jean C. George; THE TWENTY-FIVE DRAGONS, by Eleanor Coerr; WATERSHIP DOWN, by Richard Adams; and so many more.
Some books made me feel okay about being my own flawed self, and were funny about it -- A GIRL CALLED AL, by Constance C. Greene, and her LEO THE LIONESS; NOBODY'S FAMILY IS GOING TO CHANGE and HARRIET THE SPY by Louise Fitzhugh; CLAUDIA AND DUFFY, by Barbara Wersba; WHY NOT JOIN THE GIRAFFES? by Hope Campbell; DINKY HOCKER SHOOTS SMACK, by M.E. Kerr.
Some books taught me compassion and tolerance, or showed me courage -- SUMMER OF THE SWANS, by Betsy Byars, SUMMER OF MY GERMAN SOLDIER by Bette Greene, THE HUNDRED DRESSES, by Eleanor Estes; THE BULLY OF BARKHAM STREET and A DOG ON BARKHAM STREET, by Mary Stolz; CALL IT COURAGE, by Armstrong Sperry; ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS, by Scott O'Dell; WHITE WATER, STILL WATER, by J.A. Bosworth; Tolkien's trilogy.
Some books enchanted me -- all of Edward Eager's books, especially MAGIC OR NOT? and HALF MAGIC; GONE-AWAY LAKE, by Elizabeth Enright; THE BORROWERS series by Mary Norton; THE ENCHANTED CASTLE, by E. Nesbit, THE LAST OF THE REALLY GREAT WHANGDOODLES, by Julie Andrews Edwards; MR. PUDGINS, by Ruth Carlsen; THE WITCH FAMILY, by Eleanor Estes; several of the OZ series (especially OZMA OF OZ -- those heads!) by L. Frank Baum; A LITTLE PRINCESS, by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and THE SECRET GARDEN (I had a crush on Dickon, but was put off as a kid by Mary's sallow, pinched ill humor. She grew on me, though.).
Some books haunted me or gave me the creeps, in mostly good ways -- THE DIDDAKOI, by Rumer Godden, and her DOLL'S HOUSE; SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, by Ray Bradbury; DORP DEAD, by Julia Cunningham; JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, by Roald Dahl; THE WICKED, WICKED LADIES IN THE HAUNTED HOUSE, by Mary Chase; GREY MAGIC, by Andre Norton; JANE-EMILY, by Patricia Clapp; THE VILLAGE TOYMAKER, by Ursula Moray Williams, and THE MOONBALL.
Some books made me feel cozy, or made me laugh -- John Ciardi's poems, especially in YOU READ TO ME, I'LL READ TO YOU; the RAMONA books
(anything by Cleary, really); The MISS BIANCA books by Margery Sharp; RUNAWAY ALICE, by Frances Salomon Murphy; THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN, by E.B. White; the MRS. PIGGLE-WIGGLE series by Betty MacDonald; HOMER PRICE, by Robert McCloskey; THE SATURDAYS and sequels, by Elizabeth Enright; MANDY, by Julie Andrews Edwards; I WAS A 98-LB. DUCKLING, by Jean Van Leeuwen; THE GREAT BRAIN, by John D. Fitzgerald; TALES OF A FOURTH-GRADE NOTHING, by Judy Blume; THE TEDDY-BEAR HABIT, by James Lincoln Collier.
Some books contained scenes I never forgot: Reepicheep rowing into the flowers at the end of THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER; Milo learning the one thing the King hadn't told him as he set out on his journey: that it was impossible, and that if he'd known that, he never could have succeeded.
And at least one book was just perfect: CHARLOTTE'S WEB, by E.B. White, which did all of the above (except perhaps haunt me). "It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both." *sigh* What a great ending. I spoke at my grandmother's funeral several years ago and read a few passages from CW, including those last lines; she really was Charlotte (minus six legs). I know that her friends were wondering why I was reading from a children's book at first, and then realized how much like my grandmother was this beautiful, wise, sometimes-sharp-tongued-but-always-kind grey spider.
This is the tip of my own personal iceberg. I know I'm forgetting lots of important books. What these all have in common is that I read them again and again.
What a nostalgic joy to gather all these well-worn titles in one place
-- and to know that so many of them are still around for children to discover.
Cheers, Elizabeth B.
*** Elizabeth Bluemle Flying Pig Bookstore www.flyingpigbooks.com author website: www.elizabethbluemle.com
Received on Thu 25 May 2006 11:48:45 PM CDT
Date: Fri, 26 May 2006 00:48:45 -0400
What a wonderful, terrible task to put before book lovers!
Some books tickled my brain -- Remy Charlip's ARM IN ARM; Norton Juster's THE DOT AND THE LINE and of course THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH; all of Ellen Raskin's books; THE CASE OF THE MARBLE MONSTER, by I.G. Edmonds.
Some books made me want to write -- A ROOM MADE OF WINDOWS, by Eleanor Cameron; THE TEMPEST, by Wm. Shakespeare (not a kid's book, but I watched the full play 25 nights in a row as a six-year-old -- my older sister was a wood nymph or a sprite -- and was mesmerized by the language); ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, by L.M. Montgomery; THE SECRET LANGUAGE, by Ursula Nordstrom; THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES, by Ray Bradbury.
Some books called me far away and showed me other worlds -- THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND, by Elizabeth George Speare, and her CALICO CAPTIVE
(probably hideously offensive now, but as a kid I was transported); THE LITTLE HOUSE books (ditto, in places); the alternate England of Dido Twite in Joan Aiken's BLACK HEARTS IN BATTERSEA and sequels; LITTLE WOMEN and JO'S BOYS, by Louisa May Alcott; THE CHILDREN'S CRUSADE, by an author whose name I've forgotten (might be Zabriskie); MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, by Jean C. George; THE TWENTY-FIVE DRAGONS, by Eleanor Coerr; WATERSHIP DOWN, by Richard Adams; and so many more.
Some books made me feel okay about being my own flawed self, and were funny about it -- A GIRL CALLED AL, by Constance C. Greene, and her LEO THE LIONESS; NOBODY'S FAMILY IS GOING TO CHANGE and HARRIET THE SPY by Louise Fitzhugh; CLAUDIA AND DUFFY, by Barbara Wersba; WHY NOT JOIN THE GIRAFFES? by Hope Campbell; DINKY HOCKER SHOOTS SMACK, by M.E. Kerr.
Some books taught me compassion and tolerance, or showed me courage -- SUMMER OF THE SWANS, by Betsy Byars, SUMMER OF MY GERMAN SOLDIER by Bette Greene, THE HUNDRED DRESSES, by Eleanor Estes; THE BULLY OF BARKHAM STREET and A DOG ON BARKHAM STREET, by Mary Stolz; CALL IT COURAGE, by Armstrong Sperry; ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS, by Scott O'Dell; WHITE WATER, STILL WATER, by J.A. Bosworth; Tolkien's trilogy.
Some books enchanted me -- all of Edward Eager's books, especially MAGIC OR NOT? and HALF MAGIC; GONE-AWAY LAKE, by Elizabeth Enright; THE BORROWERS series by Mary Norton; THE ENCHANTED CASTLE, by E. Nesbit, THE LAST OF THE REALLY GREAT WHANGDOODLES, by Julie Andrews Edwards; MR. PUDGINS, by Ruth Carlsen; THE WITCH FAMILY, by Eleanor Estes; several of the OZ series (especially OZMA OF OZ -- those heads!) by L. Frank Baum; A LITTLE PRINCESS, by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and THE SECRET GARDEN (I had a crush on Dickon, but was put off as a kid by Mary's sallow, pinched ill humor. She grew on me, though.).
Some books haunted me or gave me the creeps, in mostly good ways -- THE DIDDAKOI, by Rumer Godden, and her DOLL'S HOUSE; SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, by Ray Bradbury; DORP DEAD, by Julia Cunningham; JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, by Roald Dahl; THE WICKED, WICKED LADIES IN THE HAUNTED HOUSE, by Mary Chase; GREY MAGIC, by Andre Norton; JANE-EMILY, by Patricia Clapp; THE VILLAGE TOYMAKER, by Ursula Moray Williams, and THE MOONBALL.
Some books made me feel cozy, or made me laugh -- John Ciardi's poems, especially in YOU READ TO ME, I'LL READ TO YOU; the RAMONA books
(anything by Cleary, really); The MISS BIANCA books by Margery Sharp; RUNAWAY ALICE, by Frances Salomon Murphy; THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN, by E.B. White; the MRS. PIGGLE-WIGGLE series by Betty MacDonald; HOMER PRICE, by Robert McCloskey; THE SATURDAYS and sequels, by Elizabeth Enright; MANDY, by Julie Andrews Edwards; I WAS A 98-LB. DUCKLING, by Jean Van Leeuwen; THE GREAT BRAIN, by John D. Fitzgerald; TALES OF A FOURTH-GRADE NOTHING, by Judy Blume; THE TEDDY-BEAR HABIT, by James Lincoln Collier.
Some books contained scenes I never forgot: Reepicheep rowing into the flowers at the end of THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER; Milo learning the one thing the King hadn't told him as he set out on his journey: that it was impossible, and that if he'd known that, he never could have succeeded.
And at least one book was just perfect: CHARLOTTE'S WEB, by E.B. White, which did all of the above (except perhaps haunt me). "It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both." *sigh* What a great ending. I spoke at my grandmother's funeral several years ago and read a few passages from CW, including those last lines; she really was Charlotte (minus six legs). I know that her friends were wondering why I was reading from a children's book at first, and then realized how much like my grandmother was this beautiful, wise, sometimes-sharp-tongued-but-always-kind grey spider.
This is the tip of my own personal iceberg. I know I'm forgetting lots of important books. What these all have in common is that I read them again and again.
What a nostalgic joy to gather all these well-worn titles in one place
-- and to know that so many of them are still around for children to discover.
Cheers, Elizabeth B.
*** Elizabeth Bluemle Flying Pig Bookstore www.flyingpigbooks.com author website: www.elizabethbluemle.com
Received on Thu 25 May 2006 11:48:45 PM CDT
