Childhood memories

I’m absolutely ecstatic at the news of a movie based on one of my favorite childhood books, Where the Wild Things Are.  The live action movie looks incredible.  I bought a t-shirt about 6 or 7 months ago with the characters from the book on it.  Then I saw the trailer the other day.  This book really helped to encourage using my imagination as a child and really opened my eyes to all the possibilites a kid needs to escape the tough realities that life throws at kids.  It also got me thinking about some of my favorite books as a kid.  Anyone who knows my mother knows that she pushed reading and writing to her children.  I participated in the Book-It promotion at Pizza Hut where you were rewarded with a personal pan pizza for completing like 5 books.  They put a new sticker on your button for every book completed.  I also participated in the summer reading program through the Louisville Public Library.  You got entered in drawings for prizes if you complete 10 books over the summer.  Needless to say, I read plenty of books as a kid.  Here are some of my favorites…

1.  Where the Wild Things Are: This book is a must read for anyone who has never read it.  It is fun and can really help someone open up their imagination to escape reality.

2.  The Very Hungry Caterpillar: This book by Eric Carle was my favorite in either Kindergarten or 1st grade.  I was the narrator for our class presentation of the book.  There is nothing great in a literary sense, but it is a fantastic picture book that teaches young kids how to read and about the life cycle of how a caterpillar turns into a beautiful butterfly.

3.  Goosebumps: I probably read almost every Goosebumps book released.  R.L. Stine is by no means a great writer, but his stories were intriguing to an elementary schooler.  These stories are the children’s equivalent to a Stephen King novel.  One memorable book was Night of the Living Dummy.  It was a tale about a dummy who has a mind of his own.

4. Clifford, the Big Red Dog: Clifford was lovable oversized dog who got into all kinds of trouble.  I’m just glad he never mistaked the house for a fire hydrant.

5. The Boxcar Children: To be honest, I don’t remember any of the characters names but I read a ton of these books.  They were about a group of kids who lost their parents.  The stories usually involved some sort of mystery.

6.  The Indian in the Cupboard: This book told the story of a kid who had a cupboard that gave his toys life.  It covered the ideas of discrimination and friendship.

These were just a few of my favorite books as a kid.  Find the inner child in you and let me know what you loved as a kid.  Please leave a comment on some of your favorites, I would love to see what others enjoyed.  I’m sure to see some Dr. Seuss, Judy Blum, Shel Silverstine, Mark Twain, Roald Dahl, and C.S. Lewis.