Throughout my life, I have been an avid, almost
obsessive reader. My mother taught first grade, and understood the importance
of early literacy in children, so she read to me religiously since I was born,
and apparently, by midway through kindergarten, I could read with great
proficiency. (She told me once that on the first day of kindergarten, I came
home crying because I was so disappointed that I didn’t learn to read that
day.)
My taste in books has tended to run toward
female characters (and still does,) and apparently, from reviewing books that
have meant the most to me in my life, they’ve tended to be a bit romantic in
nature, but with a strong feminist viewpoint. (No Nicholas Sparks novels or
dimestore schmaltz here.) In the next series of blogs, I’m going to review the
top 10 books I’ve loved most from each point in my life- childhood, young
adulthood, and adulthood. The books themselves often won’t line up with exactly
where I enjoyed them in life. (For example, Alice in Wonderland is one of my
favorite books, but I didn’t read it or understand it as a child. I came upon
it in my twenties, and loved it then.)
NOTE: SPOILERS MAY ABOUND HERE.
1) Matilda
(Roald Dahl)
Oh, how I love Roald Dahl’s books. I have always enjoyed writers who have a fanciful and whimsical way with words (Dahl, Dickens, Snickett, Rowling, Lewis, etc.), and Dahl was probably my first introduction this love. Though some of critiqued his work for being meanspirited, what I always liked about his work was that he treated his child characters with such remarkable dignity, and wrote them into a world in which they were the heroes and the champions of mankind. Matilda was the first book I ever read by Roald Dahl, even before I read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (more on that later,) and I’m not kidding when I say that I probably read Matilda 7 or 8 times throughout my elementary school years. Most of you probably remember the Matilda film starring Mara Wilson as the titular characters, as has become kind of a classic of the late 1980s-early 1990s generation. But the book will always be my favorite. Matilda is the story of a precocious child named Matilda Wormwood, who is born into a family of low-lives who live their lives as shallowly as possible. Mr. Wormwood, her detestable father, dishonestly sells broken cars down at a used car dealership, her mother is a stay at home ‘mom’ who hates her children and watches soaps all day, and her brother is a horrible, Pugsley-Addams-ish mashup of his two horrible parents. Matilda, the youngest, teaches herself to read at the age of 3, and spends hours devouring large, classic books in the library. When she goes to school, she encounters Miss Honey, her angelic teacher, and Ms. Trunchbull, the inhuman monster/principal who hates children, was a former Olympic athlete, and who devises horrible tortore opportunities for children who get on her nerves. Soon Matilda learns that her great intelligence, which has been stifled for so long, has manifested itself in the form of telekinesis, and through some wacky but very suspenseful hijinks, she is able to overthrow the evil Trunchbull and wins herself a new family with Miss Honey. I suppose what I loved most about Matilda, the character and the book itself, was that it presented Matilda a heroine in her own right, and an obvious champion for literacy and intelligence. Also, the adults in her life are presented the way children see adults- either all good or all bad, and I absolutely loved the combination of relatable but bizarre characters, the whimsical writing, and the fact that the world was saved by little girl, only armed with a stack of books.
Oh, how I love Roald Dahl’s books. I have always enjoyed writers who have a fanciful and whimsical way with words (Dahl, Dickens, Snickett, Rowling, Lewis, etc.), and Dahl was probably my first introduction this love. Though some of critiqued his work for being meanspirited, what I always liked about his work was that he treated his child characters with such remarkable dignity, and wrote them into a world in which they were the heroes and the champions of mankind. Matilda was the first book I ever read by Roald Dahl, even before I read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (more on that later,) and I’m not kidding when I say that I probably read Matilda 7 or 8 times throughout my elementary school years. Most of you probably remember the Matilda film starring Mara Wilson as the titular characters, as has become kind of a classic of the late 1980s-early 1990s generation. But the book will always be my favorite. Matilda is the story of a precocious child named Matilda Wormwood, who is born into a family of low-lives who live their lives as shallowly as possible. Mr. Wormwood, her detestable father, dishonestly sells broken cars down at a used car dealership, her mother is a stay at home ‘mom’ who hates her children and watches soaps all day, and her brother is a horrible, Pugsley-Addams-ish mashup of his two horrible parents. Matilda, the youngest, teaches herself to read at the age of 3, and spends hours devouring large, classic books in the library. When she goes to school, she encounters Miss Honey, her angelic teacher, and Ms. Trunchbull, the inhuman monster/principal who hates children, was a former Olympic athlete, and who devises horrible tortore opportunities for children who get on her nerves. Soon Matilda learns that her great intelligence, which has been stifled for so long, has manifested itself in the form of telekinesis, and through some wacky but very suspenseful hijinks, she is able to overthrow the evil Trunchbull and wins herself a new family with Miss Honey. I suppose what I loved most about Matilda, the character and the book itself, was that it presented Matilda a heroine in her own right, and an obvious champion for literacy and intelligence. Also, the adults in her life are presented the way children see adults- either all good or all bad, and I absolutely loved the combination of relatable but bizarre characters, the whimsical writing, and the fact that the world was saved by little girl, only armed with a stack of books.
Great
Book Quote: “So
Matilda’s strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all
those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the
sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message- you are not
alone.”
2)
The Witch of Blackbird
Pond (Elizabeth George Speare)
I distinctly remember reading this book for the first time in the third grade, and I read it several times after that as well. I think the book appealed to me because it was somewhat of a ‘fairytale,’ as far as historical books can go, with its story of an orphaned child who sails across the sea to live with her uncle, aunt, and two cousins (the proverbial stepsisters here,) in a world she doesn’t understand, where she befriends a local ‘witch.’ Kit Tyler, the heroine, is forced to leave behind the liberal island of Barbados, where she’s always lived, and finds herself living with her only remaining relatives in conservative, prejudiced Puritan England. Her uncle is stern, conservative, and rules his family with an iron fist, and her cousins don’t know what to make her of Kit’s strange ways. It is in this sense of isolation that Kit befriends Hannah, an elderly Quaker who lives on the outskirts of town. Their friendship, forbidden by the Puritans, lands Kit in the courtroom and accused of witchcraft. “The Witch of Blackbird Pond” is a good book as far as children’s historical novels go, but my favorite part of the story when I was a child was learning about prejudice. Having grown up in in the conservative south by a very religious family, I sort of felt I knew what Kit was going through- not that my parents were oppressive, but I did see traces of my own life in Kit’s, and I knew what it was like to feel that the people you’ve befriended and the ones that love and understand you are the ‘wrong ones,’ and what that means for you. Part fairytale, part historical novel, “The Witch of Blackbird Pond” was one of my favorite books as a child, and remains beloved to me to this day.
I distinctly remember reading this book for the first time in the third grade, and I read it several times after that as well. I think the book appealed to me because it was somewhat of a ‘fairytale,’ as far as historical books can go, with its story of an orphaned child who sails across the sea to live with her uncle, aunt, and two cousins (the proverbial stepsisters here,) in a world she doesn’t understand, where she befriends a local ‘witch.’ Kit Tyler, the heroine, is forced to leave behind the liberal island of Barbados, where she’s always lived, and finds herself living with her only remaining relatives in conservative, prejudiced Puritan England. Her uncle is stern, conservative, and rules his family with an iron fist, and her cousins don’t know what to make her of Kit’s strange ways. It is in this sense of isolation that Kit befriends Hannah, an elderly Quaker who lives on the outskirts of town. Their friendship, forbidden by the Puritans, lands Kit in the courtroom and accused of witchcraft. “The Witch of Blackbird Pond” is a good book as far as children’s historical novels go, but my favorite part of the story when I was a child was learning about prejudice. Having grown up in in the conservative south by a very religious family, I sort of felt I knew what Kit was going through- not that my parents were oppressive, but I did see traces of my own life in Kit’s, and I knew what it was like to feel that the people you’ve befriended and the ones that love and understand you are the ‘wrong ones,’ and what that means for you. Part fairytale, part historical novel, “The Witch of Blackbird Pond” was one of my favorite books as a child, and remains beloved to me to this day.
Great
Book Quote: “Who would guess," he teased, "that I'd ever see you on a
rooftop with straw in your hair?"
Kit giggled. "Are you saying I've turned into a crow?"
"Not exactly." His eyes were intensely blue with merriment. "I can still see the green feathers if I look hard enough. But they've done their best to make you into a sparrow, haven't they?”
― Elizabeth George Speare, The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Kit giggled. "Are you saying I've turned into a crow?"
"Not exactly." His eyes were intensely blue with merriment. "I can still see the green feathers if I look hard enough. But they've done their best to make you into a sparrow, haven't they?”
― Elizabeth George Speare, The Witch of Blackbird Pond
3)
A
Little Princess (Frances Hodgeson Burnett)
Oh, the great suffering dealt to me by this book. By far one of the most enchanting, remarkable, superbly written stories I’ve ever read, “A Little Princess” is just as painful and enthralling to me as an adult as it was when I was a child. It features one of my favorite literary characters- Sara Crewe, a wealthy little girl who lives in India with her beloved Papa, but is taken to Miss Minchin’s School for Girls during World War I, so her father can fight in the war effort. Like “The Witch of Blackbird Pond,” it is a ‘fish out of water’ story- though wealthy and accustomed to luxury, Sara has lived a fairly isolated life, and suddenly being surrounded by other little girls her age- some wealthy, some not- inspires in her imagination, but intimidates her. Also, she has to be away from her father, whom she adores more than life- this particularly struck me as a child. Having always had a passionate love for my father, and loved him above all other things in life for so long, the idea of my father dropping me off somewhere and leaving me behind frightened me to death, and I felt the anguish Sara felt right to my bones. Twice as devastating was when she lost him- he was killed during the war, and Sara, who up until that time had lived as the VIP of the school and enjoyed great privilege due to her father’s wealth, was suddenly penniless. Miss Minchin, the bitter and cold mistress of the school, greatly resents having to care for Sara when she has nothing, and so reduces Sara from Princess to slave. She becomes a servant who sleeps in the attack, and is forced to wait on and clean the house that she once abided in. All her pretty things are sold, and Sara is left orphaned, without her precious father, and living a miserable life of servitude and abuse.
Are you devastated yet? I am. This book affects me deeply, mostly because of the great amount of dignity Frances Hodgeson Burnett has given Sara. An avid reader and a great pretender, Sara is intelligent, thoughtful, resourceful, dignified, and compassionate; since she has always been wealthy, she’s always considered herself a princess, but not in a haughty way. Now that she has lost her wealth and her reason to live, Sara still considers herself a princess. Her personal character and dignity will not allow her to admit defeat, and no matter how hard Miss Minchin attempts to break her, Sara’s kindness and personal pride remain intact, but humble. Sara truly is a remarkable character, and to see her suffer, and then rise to prominence again in the end, all because of her Cinderella-like faith and unflappable good spirit, is truly joyous. By the end, Sara has regained almost all she had lost, and she takes great pride in the fact that it is not her money that makes her a princess- it is her spirit. J
Great Book Quote: “Whatever comes,” she said, “Cannot alter one thing. If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside. It would be easy to be a princess if one were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it.”
Oh, the great suffering dealt to me by this book. By far one of the most enchanting, remarkable, superbly written stories I’ve ever read, “A Little Princess” is just as painful and enthralling to me as an adult as it was when I was a child. It features one of my favorite literary characters- Sara Crewe, a wealthy little girl who lives in India with her beloved Papa, but is taken to Miss Minchin’s School for Girls during World War I, so her father can fight in the war effort. Like “The Witch of Blackbird Pond,” it is a ‘fish out of water’ story- though wealthy and accustomed to luxury, Sara has lived a fairly isolated life, and suddenly being surrounded by other little girls her age- some wealthy, some not- inspires in her imagination, but intimidates her. Also, she has to be away from her father, whom she adores more than life- this particularly struck me as a child. Having always had a passionate love for my father, and loved him above all other things in life for so long, the idea of my father dropping me off somewhere and leaving me behind frightened me to death, and I felt the anguish Sara felt right to my bones. Twice as devastating was when she lost him- he was killed during the war, and Sara, who up until that time had lived as the VIP of the school and enjoyed great privilege due to her father’s wealth, was suddenly penniless. Miss Minchin, the bitter and cold mistress of the school, greatly resents having to care for Sara when she has nothing, and so reduces Sara from Princess to slave. She becomes a servant who sleeps in the attack, and is forced to wait on and clean the house that she once abided in. All her pretty things are sold, and Sara is left orphaned, without her precious father, and living a miserable life of servitude and abuse.
Are you devastated yet? I am. This book affects me deeply, mostly because of the great amount of dignity Frances Hodgeson Burnett has given Sara. An avid reader and a great pretender, Sara is intelligent, thoughtful, resourceful, dignified, and compassionate; since she has always been wealthy, she’s always considered herself a princess, but not in a haughty way. Now that she has lost her wealth and her reason to live, Sara still considers herself a princess. Her personal character and dignity will not allow her to admit defeat, and no matter how hard Miss Minchin attempts to break her, Sara’s kindness and personal pride remain intact, but humble. Sara truly is a remarkable character, and to see her suffer, and then rise to prominence again in the end, all because of her Cinderella-like faith and unflappable good spirit, is truly joyous. By the end, Sara has regained almost all she had lost, and she takes great pride in the fact that it is not her money that makes her a princess- it is her spirit. J
Great Book Quote: “Whatever comes,” she said, “Cannot alter one thing. If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside. It would be easy to be a princess if one were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it.”
4)
The
American Girl Books
I say the whole series here, because it’s really difficult to pick just one. By the time I stopped reading the books, I’d read every single book in the series. It was my grandmother who got me into these books- for those of you who are unaware, The American Girls series is a set of books and dolls that are based in various parts of American history. For example, there is a character who is alive during the Boston Tea Party in Colonial times, a Swedish Immigrant girl in the pioneer days, an African American girl living in the days of reconstruction, who has escaped slavery in the south, etc. My personal favorite was Samantha, a girl growing up in Victorian American with her wealthy grandmother. (Apparently, I’ve always liked stories about wealthy people and princesses.) J My grandmother introduced me to the books because she liked the idea of buying me a doll who lived with her grandmother, and who lived a Victorian existence with a lot of pretty dresses and accessories. Samantha was a spunky girl who lived a privileged life, but grew to understand the extent to which most people didn’t live like her- her best friend at the time was a servant girl named Nellie. Samantha also lived through some very interesting points- her aunt Cornelia was a staunch women’s activist who campaigned for women to have the right to vote and hold property, even though Samantha’s grandmother thought it was rubbish and that women belonged in the home. I remember loving this series of books particularly, but I loved all of the American Girl stories. They always told age-appropriate stories that were nonetheless true- these were little girls, all around 10 years old, who were living through very different (and yet not so different) times as me. They made history accessible and relatable, and further, told the stories of some very unique little girls who were in many ways just like me.
I say the whole series here, because it’s really difficult to pick just one. By the time I stopped reading the books, I’d read every single book in the series. It was my grandmother who got me into these books- for those of you who are unaware, The American Girls series is a set of books and dolls that are based in various parts of American history. For example, there is a character who is alive during the Boston Tea Party in Colonial times, a Swedish Immigrant girl in the pioneer days, an African American girl living in the days of reconstruction, who has escaped slavery in the south, etc. My personal favorite was Samantha, a girl growing up in Victorian American with her wealthy grandmother. (Apparently, I’ve always liked stories about wealthy people and princesses.) J My grandmother introduced me to the books because she liked the idea of buying me a doll who lived with her grandmother, and who lived a Victorian existence with a lot of pretty dresses and accessories. Samantha was a spunky girl who lived a privileged life, but grew to understand the extent to which most people didn’t live like her- her best friend at the time was a servant girl named Nellie. Samantha also lived through some very interesting points- her aunt Cornelia was a staunch women’s activist who campaigned for women to have the right to vote and hold property, even though Samantha’s grandmother thought it was rubbish and that women belonged in the home. I remember loving this series of books particularly, but I loved all of the American Girl stories. They always told age-appropriate stories that were nonetheless true- these were little girls, all around 10 years old, who were living through very different (and yet not so different) times as me. They made history accessible and relatable, and further, told the stories of some very unique little girls who were in many ways just like me.
5)
The
Devil’s Arithmetic
What if Dorothy’s house hadn’t landed in a whimsical-but-creepy land of munchkins and witches, but instead wound up smack in the middle of the holocaust? That’s pretty much the context of this story, which deals with a Jewish girl named Chaya first learning of her family’s past and the horrors they encountered not too long ago. I don’t remember exactly how it happens, but Chaya begins the story sitting at her family’s Passover table, feeling bored and unsure about all this and about having to spend time with her crazy relatives, but somehow finds herself transported back in time. Through the story, Chaya encounters members of her family from long ago, and joins them in their journey from regular members of society, to the ghettos, to the train cars, to the gas chambers. It is a truly harrowing book that is insistent on telling the truth, and it is written with delicate but honest clarity. It was my first introduction to the holocaust, and when I discussed the subject with my mother and she told me that it really happened, I remember being a bit stunned. I asked her why the Jews were targeted and why the Germans hated them so much, she responded in a way I’ll never forget: “They didn’t think the Jews were really people.” It just struck me as such an odd thing to say. Of course they were real people. But as I get older, that answer becomes more and more profound. The book is an excellent first glance at the atrocities of the Holocaust- suspenseful and moving and horrifying, but not full of so many details as to frighten a child away from learning more. “The Devil’s Arithmetic” should be required reading for all children, in the same vein as “The Diaries of Anne Frank” and “Night,” because it has a powerful story to tell, and tells it remarkably well.
What if Dorothy’s house hadn’t landed in a whimsical-but-creepy land of munchkins and witches, but instead wound up smack in the middle of the holocaust? That’s pretty much the context of this story, which deals with a Jewish girl named Chaya first learning of her family’s past and the horrors they encountered not too long ago. I don’t remember exactly how it happens, but Chaya begins the story sitting at her family’s Passover table, feeling bored and unsure about all this and about having to spend time with her crazy relatives, but somehow finds herself transported back in time. Through the story, Chaya encounters members of her family from long ago, and joins them in their journey from regular members of society, to the ghettos, to the train cars, to the gas chambers. It is a truly harrowing book that is insistent on telling the truth, and it is written with delicate but honest clarity. It was my first introduction to the holocaust, and when I discussed the subject with my mother and she told me that it really happened, I remember being a bit stunned. I asked her why the Jews were targeted and why the Germans hated them so much, she responded in a way I’ll never forget: “They didn’t think the Jews were really people.” It just struck me as such an odd thing to say. Of course they were real people. But as I get older, that answer becomes more and more profound. The book is an excellent first glance at the atrocities of the Holocaust- suspenseful and moving and horrifying, but not full of so many details as to frighten a child away from learning more. “The Devil’s Arithmetic” should be required reading for all children, in the same vein as “The Diaries of Anne Frank” and “Night,” because it has a powerful story to tell, and tells it remarkably well.
Great Book Quote:
“We all have such stories. It is a
brutal arithmetic. But I- I am alive. You are alive. As long as we breathe, we
can see and hear. As long as we can remember, all those gone before are alive
inside of us.”
6)
Little
Women
The love I have for this book cannot be put into words. I was first exposed to it in the second grade, when my mother bought me an illustrated, simplified version of the story, and I devoured it. I’ve always liked stories that focused on a diverse group of girls/women, and Little Women is a perfect example. It’s the story of the March sisters, who live with their mother during the Civil War while their father is away, being a chaplain in the military. They are poor and have few luxuries, but have each other, their imaginations, and cheerful spirits about them to keep them occupied. There is a March sister everyone to relate to; Meg, the oldest, who is motherly, intelligent, fond of pretty things and slightly jealous of the luxuries those around her can afford, and is the head of the household in their mother’s absence; Jo, my personal favorite, who is playful and boyish and and free spirited, an avid reader and writer with a great love for the theater, who also suffers from an extraordinary temper and great stubbornness; Beth, the quiet mouse of the family who values home and comfort and family, and whose untimely death brings about one of the central misfortunes of the family; and Amy the youngest, whose spoiled-but-likeable nature and air of refinement, as well as her innate practicality, make her the favorite of the family. Together, the girls experience everything from childhood to adulthood together- from large things, such as death of loved ones, family issues, poverty, career choices, and marriage, to small things- learning to control your emotions, doing well in school, finding your place in the family, etc. All of these things are approached in a very human, but very innocent way- since it is an old book, the March sisters never encounter anything that Victorian ladies didn’t want their daughters to hear about. There is an unearthly cheeriness and morality about all of them, and while it is easy to sneer at the book for its simplicity and squeaky clean virtues, I find that I love the book because of those exact qualities. These are girls who encounter the same issues all people do, but in an ideal world where hugs are prominent, forgiveness abounds, even the worst things someone can endure are cushioned by the love of family, and fights never last. These are women that I feel not only acutely fond of, but almost related to. The characters are so deeply ingrained in my subconscious that they are almost part of me, and Little Women will always hold a place in my heart.
The love I have for this book cannot be put into words. I was first exposed to it in the second grade, when my mother bought me an illustrated, simplified version of the story, and I devoured it. I’ve always liked stories that focused on a diverse group of girls/women, and Little Women is a perfect example. It’s the story of the March sisters, who live with their mother during the Civil War while their father is away, being a chaplain in the military. They are poor and have few luxuries, but have each other, their imaginations, and cheerful spirits about them to keep them occupied. There is a March sister everyone to relate to; Meg, the oldest, who is motherly, intelligent, fond of pretty things and slightly jealous of the luxuries those around her can afford, and is the head of the household in their mother’s absence; Jo, my personal favorite, who is playful and boyish and and free spirited, an avid reader and writer with a great love for the theater, who also suffers from an extraordinary temper and great stubbornness; Beth, the quiet mouse of the family who values home and comfort and family, and whose untimely death brings about one of the central misfortunes of the family; and Amy the youngest, whose spoiled-but-likeable nature and air of refinement, as well as her innate practicality, make her the favorite of the family. Together, the girls experience everything from childhood to adulthood together- from large things, such as death of loved ones, family issues, poverty, career choices, and marriage, to small things- learning to control your emotions, doing well in school, finding your place in the family, etc. All of these things are approached in a very human, but very innocent way- since it is an old book, the March sisters never encounter anything that Victorian ladies didn’t want their daughters to hear about. There is an unearthly cheeriness and morality about all of them, and while it is easy to sneer at the book for its simplicity and squeaky clean virtues, I find that I love the book because of those exact qualities. These are girls who encounter the same issues all people do, but in an ideal world where hugs are prominent, forgiveness abounds, even the worst things someone can endure are cushioned by the love of family, and fights never last. These are women that I feel not only acutely fond of, but almost related to. The characters are so deeply ingrained in my subconscious that they are almost part of me, and Little Women will always hold a place in my heart.
Great Book Quote: “My child, the troubles and
temptations of your life are beginning, and may be many; but you can overcome
and outlive them all if you learn to feel the strength and tenderness of your
Heavenly Father as you do that of your earthly one. The more you love and trust
Him, the nearer you will feel to Him, and the less you will depend on human
power and wisdom. His love and care never tire or change, can never be taken
from you, but may become the source of lifelong peace, happiness, and strength.
Believe this heartily, and go to God with all your little cares, and hopes, and
sins, and sorrows, as freely and confidingly as you come to your mother.”
7)
The
Babysitters Club
This is another series about a group of girls, all with vastly different personalities. I started reading The Babysitters Club books when I was about in the 4th grade, when the characters were 12-13 years old. This was the perfect age to read the books- I was young enough that 13-14 seemed very wise and mature, but not quite so young as that I could relate more to the children they babysat then the girls themselves. The original four club members- Kristy, Mary Ann, Claudia, and Stacey, were my favorites- I remember having the first four books and devouring them so much that the pages wore thin and the covers fell off. Kristy was probably my favorite, because she was the leader of the group and the founding member of the club, even though she was a bit too tomboyish to really relate to me. I was also very fond of Claudia, the Japanese artist-junk food enthusiast. (She was most like me.) Each book focused on one character and the issues they were having at the time, and these issues covered everything from having an illness to being stuck with a bratty child to losing your beloved grandmother. My parents approved of them because they were clean, but I loved them because they were honest and well written. They still hold a special place on my bookshelf, and will be some of the first books I recommend to my kids when they’re the right age. J
This is another series about a group of girls, all with vastly different personalities. I started reading The Babysitters Club books when I was about in the 4th grade, when the characters were 12-13 years old. This was the perfect age to read the books- I was young enough that 13-14 seemed very wise and mature, but not quite so young as that I could relate more to the children they babysat then the girls themselves. The original four club members- Kristy, Mary Ann, Claudia, and Stacey, were my favorites- I remember having the first four books and devouring them so much that the pages wore thin and the covers fell off. Kristy was probably my favorite, because she was the leader of the group and the founding member of the club, even though she was a bit too tomboyish to really relate to me. I was also very fond of Claudia, the Japanese artist-junk food enthusiast. (She was most like me.) Each book focused on one character and the issues they were having at the time, and these issues covered everything from having an illness to being stuck with a bratty child to losing your beloved grandmother. My parents approved of them because they were clean, but I loved them because they were honest and well written. They still hold a special place on my bookshelf, and will be some of the first books I recommend to my kids when they’re the right age. J
8)
Bridge
to Terabithia
This was probably the book I read the most as a child, and the book that most profoundly affected me. My fourth grade teacher, Ms. Wilson, read it to our class, and it was the first book with legitimately adult themes I’d ever come across. It’s the story of Jesse Aarons, a boy who lives with his sisters, mom and dad, and has always struggled with feeling accepted. More artistic than athletic, and being reared by parents who are impoverished and uneducated, Jesse finds himself befriended by Leslie, the ‘weird’ girl next door who wears cutoff shorts instead of dresses, calls her parents by their first names, doesn’t go to church, and reads weird books. Together, she and Jesse build their own imaginary world where they can both escape- Leslie, to a place that is as big and magical as she is, and Jesse, away from the unfulfilling, stressful world he inhabits. There are far too many themes in the book to mention here, but one of the greatest is about religion. Jesse is horrified when he learns that Leslie has never been to church, even though he hates going and only goes on Easter and Christmas, and is even more appalled to learn that Leslie doesn’t necessarily believe it even when she hears it. She hears the story of Jesus and thinks it’s a lovely story, like Cinderella, but doesn’t fully believe it. When Jesse insists that she has to or she’ll go to hell, she quips, “That’s crazy. You hate it, but you believe it. I don’t believe it, and I think it’s beautiful.” Then there comes a stark moment where Jesse’s baby sister May Belle insists, “But you gotta believe the Bible, Leslie? What happens if you die?”
The moment when I first heard that Leslie did in fact die is burned clearly into my head- this wonderful girl, so passionate, so loving, so imaginative, such a wonderful friend and companion- was gone. In the books I usually read, the only people who died were bad people who deserved it. Leslie was the first character that died just because that’s what happens sometimes. Something in me changed with that understanding, and I felt bonded with the book for life. I’ve read the book several times into adulthood, so much so that I’ve almost memorized it, but it always has something new in it. It wasn’t until I was older that I really picked up on the 1970s elements, the transitional times Jesse lived in, and how much I felt Jesse’s achingly limited background. “Bridge to Terabithia” is a book for the ages, and remains one of my favorites well into adulthood.
This was probably the book I read the most as a child, and the book that most profoundly affected me. My fourth grade teacher, Ms. Wilson, read it to our class, and it was the first book with legitimately adult themes I’d ever come across. It’s the story of Jesse Aarons, a boy who lives with his sisters, mom and dad, and has always struggled with feeling accepted. More artistic than athletic, and being reared by parents who are impoverished and uneducated, Jesse finds himself befriended by Leslie, the ‘weird’ girl next door who wears cutoff shorts instead of dresses, calls her parents by their first names, doesn’t go to church, and reads weird books. Together, she and Jesse build their own imaginary world where they can both escape- Leslie, to a place that is as big and magical as she is, and Jesse, away from the unfulfilling, stressful world he inhabits. There are far too many themes in the book to mention here, but one of the greatest is about religion. Jesse is horrified when he learns that Leslie has never been to church, even though he hates going and only goes on Easter and Christmas, and is even more appalled to learn that Leslie doesn’t necessarily believe it even when she hears it. She hears the story of Jesus and thinks it’s a lovely story, like Cinderella, but doesn’t fully believe it. When Jesse insists that she has to or she’ll go to hell, she quips, “That’s crazy. You hate it, but you believe it. I don’t believe it, and I think it’s beautiful.” Then there comes a stark moment where Jesse’s baby sister May Belle insists, “But you gotta believe the Bible, Leslie? What happens if you die?”
The moment when I first heard that Leslie did in fact die is burned clearly into my head- this wonderful girl, so passionate, so loving, so imaginative, such a wonderful friend and companion- was gone. In the books I usually read, the only people who died were bad people who deserved it. Leslie was the first character that died just because that’s what happens sometimes. Something in me changed with that understanding, and I felt bonded with the book for life. I’ve read the book several times into adulthood, so much so that I’ve almost memorized it, but it always has something new in it. It wasn’t until I was older that I really picked up on the 1970s elements, the transitional times Jesse lived in, and how much I felt Jesse’s achingly limited background. “Bridge to Terabithia” is a book for the ages, and remains one of my favorites well into adulthood.
Great
Book Quote: “That was the rule that you never mixed up troubles at home with
life at school. When parents were poor or ignorant or mean, or even just didn’t
believe in having a TV set, it was up to their kids to protect them.”
9)
Catherine,
Called Birdy
You know how I said I’ve always liked books about wealthy people and princesses? This is particularly true here, in this great novel about a spunky, spiteful and highly intelligent girl named Catherine, the daughter of a landowner in Medieval times. When faced with marriage to the ugliest, smelliest, most repugnant suitor of all time, Catherine does everything she can to escape her fate and delay the inevitable. She’s only 14 years old, and as she notes, “hasn’t even begun my monthly courses yet, so how can I be a wife?” She speaks with the plain bawdiness that medieval literature is known for, and writes in her diary (the book is an epistolary novel,) about the day to day activities in her medieval manor, as she draws closer to her destiny. What I think I loved most about the book was the extraordinary detail the author went into regarding the history. Catherine speaks often about the Catholic saints (including her name-saint, Saint Catherine, who was martyred on a spiked wheel, which leads Catherine into a monologue about what exactly a spiked wheel looks like and how one dies on it.) Catherine is an animated, spritely heroine who reminds me in hindsight a lot of Merida from Disney’s “Brave.” Well-written, smart, and enjoyable, “Catherine, Called Birdy” is a great historical fiction about a young girl who learns to embrace her fate by being exactly what she is, no matter what.
You know how I said I’ve always liked books about wealthy people and princesses? This is particularly true here, in this great novel about a spunky, spiteful and highly intelligent girl named Catherine, the daughter of a landowner in Medieval times. When faced with marriage to the ugliest, smelliest, most repugnant suitor of all time, Catherine does everything she can to escape her fate and delay the inevitable. She’s only 14 years old, and as she notes, “hasn’t even begun my monthly courses yet, so how can I be a wife?” She speaks with the plain bawdiness that medieval literature is known for, and writes in her diary (the book is an epistolary novel,) about the day to day activities in her medieval manor, as she draws closer to her destiny. What I think I loved most about the book was the extraordinary detail the author went into regarding the history. Catherine speaks often about the Catholic saints (including her name-saint, Saint Catherine, who was martyred on a spiked wheel, which leads Catherine into a monologue about what exactly a spiked wheel looks like and how one dies on it.) Catherine is an animated, spritely heroine who reminds me in hindsight a lot of Merida from Disney’s “Brave.” Well-written, smart, and enjoyable, “Catherine, Called Birdy” is a great historical fiction about a young girl who learns to embrace her fate by being exactly what she is, no matter what.
Great Quote: “. . . . I
cannot escape my life but can only use my determination and courage to make it
the best I can.”
― Karen Cushman, Catherine, Called Birdy
― Karen Cushman, Catherine, Called Birdy
10) Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory
So we shall start and end with Roald Dahl. Everyone is familiar with the plot of this book, so I won’t go into it, but just know that it is full of the whimsical writing and bizarre characters that I’ve always loved about Dahl. You can easily see what he detested- television, gum chewing, bratty children, parents who spoil their kids, ungrateful children, gluttony, and general bad parenting, and he rails against these things with a wit and spark that is truly enjoyable. Willy Wonka himself is one of the great characters in literature, and I cannot even choose which of his quotes I enjoy most. So I shall leave you with a handful of my favorites:
So we shall start and end with Roald Dahl. Everyone is familiar with the plot of this book, so I won’t go into it, but just know that it is full of the whimsical writing and bizarre characters that I’ve always loved about Dahl. You can easily see what he detested- television, gum chewing, bratty children, parents who spoil their kids, ungrateful children, gluttony, and general bad parenting, and he rails against these things with a wit and spark that is truly enjoyable. Willy Wonka himself is one of the great characters in literature, and I cannot even choose which of his quotes I enjoy most. So I shall leave you with a handful of my favorites:
“Everything in this room is edible. Even I am edible, but that would be called cannibalism. It is looked down upon in most societies.”
“You should never, ever doubt something that no one is sure of.”
“Whipped cream isn’t whipped cream if it hasn’t been whipped with whips, just like poached eggs isn’t poached eggs unless its been stolen in the dead of night!”
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