Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish that combines lists and books. This weeks topic is… Classic Books that Defined My Childhood. Books that have stayed with me since I read them in elementary or middle school!
1. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin - This book helped instill my love of mysteries and being clever. At a time when my health teacher was telling us that most of us girls were about to start pretending to be dumb in order to make boys like us, this book made being smart cool. I read it later as an adult and liked it just as much!
2. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg - Probably my favorite book that I was ever assigned in class. I related so much to the characters and it left me with a lifelong yearning for decadent adventures and secrets.
3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling - I almost didn’t read these books because I thought they were “unChristian”. My teacher recognized that I was just being a young hipster and not actually religious. She made me take the book home one night and the rest is history. Harry Potter FOREVER.
4. Baby Island by Carol Ryrie Brink - I don’t know why, but I think about this book all the time. It was this kind of ridiculous, girly adventure book and I’ve really read nothing like it since. (It is exactly how it sounds-two girls have to survive on a desert island with a bunch of babies. Also, I would so much rather be stuck on a dessert island.)
5. A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L’Engle - I have a very vivid memory of my elementary school librarian book talking this one. I thought it looked scary and avoided it (probably the day I picked up Baby Island). I think it must have been another wonderful educator who forced this book on me. I loved it and quickly read the rest of the series.
6. Sweet Valley High series by Francine Pascal - I loved these in elementary school. I read the Sweet Valley Twins and the Sweet Valley High books and any other spin-off series I could get my hands on. What I most remember, however, is having my mom read one of these to me. (It might have actually been Sweet Valley University.) There was a scene where Jessica was in a hot tub and a guy undid her bikini top. My mom closed the book and I never found out how that story ended.
7. Fear Street by R.L. Stine - In elementary school everyone read Goosebumps. I liked them, too, but not as much as I loved Fear Street, especially the Cheerleaders trilogy. I eventually branched out to Agatha Christie, Lois Duncan, and a bunch of my mom’s crime thrillers, but Fear Street will always hold a special place in my heard.
8. Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keen - My mom had a ton of these from when she was young, so I started reading them as soon as I started novels. At first, my family would read them together. I still have a tape (somewhere) of my dad reading one of these books. We made him record an audibook for us when he had to travel for work!
9. Bunnicula by James Howe - I didn’t realize how much I’ve always loved science fiction, mysteries, and horror until I put this list together. Like R.L. Stine, Bunnicula is the perfect mix of hilarious and terrifying. I think I like the sequels even better!
10. Redwall by Brian Jacques - What was not to like with these books? There were violent wars, mysteries, adventure, and little mice acting it all out. I spent a few years reading these non-stop, as did my whole family. Now that I think about it, I should go ahead and get my nephew addicted to these.
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Christina @ Allodoxophobia says
Love this list! So many of my favorites. It’s funny how childhood tastes sometimes bleed over into adult choices. Mine do too
fakesteph says
This list helped explain some of what I love in literature these days!
Melody says
I’ve never read Nancy Drew! Eeek! But my favorite from your list is without a doubt, Harry Potter! Awesome list!
fakesteph says
LOVE Harry Potter. And I can understand why Nancy Drew isn’t for everybody. I should try to reread some of them.
I’ve given Bunnicula to all my nieces and nephews. My love of horror comedies can pretty much be traced to it. And also my fondness of the names Harold and Chester… The Westing Game has been on my TBR list for a while now.
fakesteph says
The Westing Game is definitely worth the read. And it’s short, too!
Jenn @ Lost in a Great Book says
Oh Bunnicula! I loved you so - even if you terrified me enough to not want a bunny EVER. Nancy Drew is timeless - I run a bookstore and sold some of the revamped versions today. Can’t wait for the reader to fall headlong into them, just like we did. Thanks for a great list!
fakesteph says
It makes me so happy that they are still around. My mom read them, and I read them, and I think my niece will read them one day.
Alissa says
Oh my lawd Bunnicula! I was OBSESSED with that book growing up! So much so that I still make reference to it in every day conversation and forget that some people didn’t have the same awesome childhood as myself and may not know what I’m talking about. Worth the strange looks though! And, of course, Harry Potter is a given. I seriously love your list. You even chose the cover of my favorite Nancy Drew book for the graphic!
fakesteph says
Man, the Bunnicula series just keeps getting better and better! And Harry Potter and Nancy Drew basically defined several (different) years of my childhood.
Lauren @ Wordy Hughes says
Mixed-Up Files is one of my fav childhood books too! I thought they were so genius to bathe in the fountain and collect the change at the bottom! Living in a museum was also the perfect nerdy adventure daydream for a kid like me 😛
Lauren @ Wordy Hughes
fakesteph says
Me, too! I think it’s given me a really romanticized idea of being an urban survivalist (aka homeless).
Liz @ Liz's Book Bucket List says
Such a great list! I loved Bunnicula and Harry Potter (of course)!