Asking me to choose my ONE favorite childhood book is like asking a kid in a candy store to choose one piece of candy; it cannot be done! Perhaps even then, in those young years, I should have seen my English teacher future, for I have had a love of books for as long as I can remember.
I don't remember having a favorite preschool book that was read to me. I know I was read to - a lot - but I don't recall liking one specific book. When I think of my favorite books, two specific series pop up in my memory - one from elementary school and one from middle school.
I had not been reading for very long when someone introduced me to the "Amelia Bedelia" series. Amelia Bedelia is a maid who takes everything literally, so when the family she is working for says "Let's hit the road," Amelia Bedelia goes outside, finds a stick, and literally hits the road. I loved reading about her adventures in camping, cleaning, and babysitting. They were guaranteed to make me laugh, and perhaps the Amelia Bedelia series is what first gave me my love for double or underlying meanings. To this day, I will still choose a book, movie, or song that has a hidden meaning over one that is straightforward and easy to understand.
I think my favorite Amelia Bedelia book has to be about the time she babysits. She takes all the instructions very literally, making a humorous experience for the reader.
I still own the Amelia Bedelia series; I bought them again recently to help my students understand idioms and double-meanings. The simple words and funny illustrations never cease to make me laugh when I open those books.
I have to tell you about my second favorite series of books as well; these are the "Little House" books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Although I have had an active imagination from childhood, I have always been a realist, as well; therefore, books that are based on true stories, and especially historical fiction, appeal to me the most.
My dad began reading the "Little House" series out loud to the family when I was in middle school. (We had a nightly family read aloud for many years when we were children.) I fell in love with Laura and her unconventional ways. I fell in love with the stories - the pioneer life, the prairie towns, and Laura's eventual beau and husband, Almanzo. Reading these books was like going back in time; I remember times when I reread them on my own and the scenes were so real in my mind that I was surprised to look up and see the warm security of my family's home around me when I finished an intense chapter about surviving a blizzard on the prairie.
I loved Laura Ingalls Wilder so much that I begged my mother for a dress like hers - complete with a "hoop skirt." My dear, talented grandmother made me the dress, and I wore it for Halloween one year. Then, when I was twelve, my dad and I took a trip together and he let me choose the destination. I chose to go visit the replica cabin of the "Little House in the Big Woods" outside of Pepin, Wisconsin.
Because of Laura Ingalls Wilder, I fell in love with historical fiction. To this day, I still choose to read historical fiction over any other type of fiction.
If I had to choose a favorite out of her book series it would be hard. When I was younger, my hands down favorite was always "Farmer Boy." It detailed Almanzo's growing up years on a farm in northern New York state. While I was jealous of Laura's pioneer experiences, I was just as jealous of Almanzo's farm experiences and somehow, his upbringing was more secure than all the dangerous adventures Laura's family was always having. Perhaps this is why I liked "Farmer Boy" the most. As I became a teen, my favorite book became "These Happy Golden Years." It details the courtship between Laura and Almanzo, and of course this appealed to my teenage girl heart.
I think I still judge a lot of books based on my first loves in the world of books... Does it have a deeper meaning? Does it provide humor? Does it educate me historically?
Who knew that your favorite childhood books could shape your thinking that much?
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