Tell me your childhood favourites
This started as a comment on 
kelly_chambliss's journal, but I discovered that I have a lot of feelings about this subject, so: what are your five favourite books from childhood?
Mine are:
1. Rilla of Ingleside by LM Montgomery. Really, it could have been any of the Anne books, but I'll pick this one because it's the first book that truly broke my heart. An important lesson, apparently. :)
2. The School at the Chalet by Elinor M Brent-Dyer. There were over sixty books in this series, and again, depending on the day, I could pick any of them. Plus the linked series starting with Seven Scamps.
3. Return to the Wells by Lorna Hill. Ballet stories + Northumberland = my perfect series. Also, Lorna Hill fulfils my need for the quiet, overlooked characters to shine, because the quiet, overlooked guy in this book gets the girl. Similarly, the ninth book in the series features two quiet, overlooked characters getting to shine and finding each other in the process, and oh, my heart.
4. Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I adored all of these books, but the ones that really own my heart are those that take place after they arrive in town.
5. Not Scarlet But Gold by Malcom Saville. Postwar countryside mystery shenanigans with a side of romance, tied up in another long series!
All of these books would be considered old-fashioned now, reflecting outdated attitudes and in some cases outright racism [eta: and of course, should be condemned where they do so]. But they all taught me important things about the world, about myself, and about acceptance of the people around me. LM Montgomery taught me that everyone has their side of the story; Brent-Dyer taught me the importance of not equating a country with a people (and other stereotypes). Lorna Hill taught me that it's OK to dream, and that sometimes your dreams are not what you really want.
I know her books are condemned now for their racism, but Laura Ingalls Wilder was my introduction to the injustices done to American Indians (is that the correct term? Wikipedia seems to think so, but I'm not American, so apologies if I've got it wrong). Her portrayal of their situation made me sympathise with them and want to learn more.
What are your five favourite books from childhood, and do they still mean anything to you now?
This entry was originally posted at http://lyras.dreamwidth.org/39402.html. You can comment there using Open ID.
kelly_chambliss's journal, but I discovered that I have a lot of feelings about this subject, so: what are your five favourite books from childhood?
Mine are:
1. Rilla of Ingleside by LM Montgomery. Really, it could have been any of the Anne books, but I'll pick this one because it's the first book that truly broke my heart. An important lesson, apparently. :)
2. The School at the Chalet by Elinor M Brent-Dyer. There were over sixty books in this series, and again, depending on the day, I could pick any of them. Plus the linked series starting with Seven Scamps.
3. Return to the Wells by Lorna Hill. Ballet stories + Northumberland = my perfect series. Also, Lorna Hill fulfils my need for the quiet, overlooked characters to shine, because the quiet, overlooked guy in this book gets the girl. Similarly, the ninth book in the series features two quiet, overlooked characters getting to shine and finding each other in the process, and oh, my heart.
4. Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I adored all of these books, but the ones that really own my heart are those that take place after they arrive in town.
5. Not Scarlet But Gold by Malcom Saville. Postwar countryside mystery shenanigans with a side of romance, tied up in another long series!
All of these books would be considered old-fashioned now, reflecting outdated attitudes and in some cases outright racism [eta: and of course, should be condemned where they do so]. But they all taught me important things about the world, about myself, and about acceptance of the people around me. LM Montgomery taught me that everyone has their side of the story; Brent-Dyer taught me the importance of not equating a country with a people (and other stereotypes). Lorna Hill taught me that it's OK to dream, and that sometimes your dreams are not what you really want.
I know her books are condemned now for their racism, but Laura Ingalls Wilder was my introduction to the injustices done to American Indians (is that the correct term? Wikipedia seems to think so, but I'm not American, so apologies if I've got it wrong). Her portrayal of their situation made me sympathise with them and want to learn more.
What are your five favourite books from childhood, and do they still mean anything to you now?
This entry was originally posted at http://lyras.dreamwidth.org/39402.html. You can comment there using Open ID.