If you normally read my blog or you’ve checked out my author’s page on Facebook or Twitter, you’ve probably figured out that I ‘m a total library fan girl. I’ve been a book lover since before I was a reader, so I have many fond memories of libraries and childhood book. Here are a few of my favorites. And yes, I mean a few. I was the kid who travelled with a suitcase of books because I couldn’t make up my mind.
Anyway, favorite books–
The Boxcar Children. I discovered this one when I was 11. I had just moved to a new school but I was hardly alone. A new area had been pulled into our district and the administration bussed us hither and yon. I spent a lot of time in the library and I can’t even tell you how often I read this particular book. Not the series. I’m not even sure that I knew there was a series. I read the first book again and again. What did I love about it? That these kids took care of themselves without adult interference. And they did it without any of that Lord of the Flies nonsense. They found the boxcar and they furnished it on their own. Take a look around my home and you’re going to see a host of found items.
This may be the book that I read the most but there were other favorites in my early reading life…
Everything by Marguerite Henry. The first book of hers that I owned was either Black Gold or Mustangs. I was truly a horse crazy kid and I devoured these books. I begged for these books. I drove my mother a bit batty with these books. I loved all things horse.
Recently I found a photo of my mother on horseback. It was taken when I was in the horse-book stage. This photo made it very clear that she was just barely tolerating the horse.
I loved that Henry’s books were often about real horses although the stories were made up. My family has a strong Southern story telling tradition so even at a young age I got that link between fact on one hand and story on the other.
Jared’s Island by Marguerite De Angeli. Yep. Another kid surviving without pesky adults book. How much did I love this one? Look at the title and you’re going to find my son’s name.
The crazy thing is that as I write this post, I think of book after book. And as I think of each one, I think — ooo, that’s my favorite. What else have I remembered? The Little House books, The Tarzan books (yes the adult fantasy novels), Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, Meg Mysteries, my grandfather’s Foxfire books, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, several books by Mark Twain including Connecticut Yankee. Yep. Not Tom Sawyer. Not Huck Finn. Connecticut Yankee.
Just as these books shaped me, they shape my writing in subtle ways. I still love stories about kids who do for themselves. “Where are their parents?” ask my critique partners. And I still love the subtly offbeat. Foxfire? Really?
Now it’s your turn. What were your favorite books?
–SueBE
One Writer's Journey 