Favorite books you read as a kid?

I mostly read nonfiction as a kid, but whenever Oma or Grampaman would come over they'd tell me all sorts of stories. Mostly old legends and stuff about kabouters (or kabauters) and dwarves.

I don't recall reading what would be called "Young Adult" books today. We had the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, but I thought there were kinda milquetoast and predictable. :sleep:

For "bathroom reading" (as we call it here) I preferred Agatha Christie and Robert E. Howard's "Conan" stories.

My husband was a big fan of Narnia.

The Hobbit and The Sword of Shannara were my favorites.

Not a book, but my favorite bedtime story was my father's performance of Leonaedas and the Spartan 300.

It was ritualistic, Papa's telling, always ending with a dying Leonaedas urging the other Greeks to always tell the story "and thus, make the dead immortal." I felt so important, part of the tradition - as long as I loved and remembered the story, they'd never really die.

I think that's a large part of why I'm so passionate about a well-told story even now. Books, TV, movies, ballads. If it's a good story, I'm in love.

Jaymes said:

What about you guys? Do you still enjoy the books you read as a kid today?

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Give me a good old "Tintin" book anyday......my parents used to buy them for me in my formative years, but myfather insisrted on reading them first (his story was to ensure that they were not "bad" for me.........gobbledegook..he enjoyed them more than I did).

Booko said:

For "bathroom reading" (as we call it here) I preferred Agatha Christie and Robert E. Howard's "Conan" stories.

My husband was a big fan of Narnia.

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I find that Poirot doesn't "do" too well from submersion in the bath.......if that is what you mean by "bathroom reading" - his mustache goes all limp..........

michel said:

Give me a good old "Tintin" book anyday......

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I used to love the cartoon series. Have you heard about the racism controversy surrounding the books, Michel?

My favorite childhood book was WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE.

I was also a big fan of THE HARDY BOYS and THE NANCY DREW MYSTERIES.

Around 10 or 11 I started an in-depth habit of reading Science Fiction and one of my favorite books was HAVE SPACESUIT WILL TRAVEL but the author of that book escapes me. I also had a librarian who started censoring me at that time. I would bring some books up to the counter and she would tell me if I was allowed to read them or not. I used to wait outside the library and approach adults and offer them money to go in and pick up those certain titles for me.

Mike182 said:

i also read The Silver Sword, which was a WWII novel, though i can't remember who wrote it, or if i still have it

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Ian Serraillier. I haven't thought about book for years, but I loved it when I was a kid. I had it under the American title; it was published here as Escape From Warsaw.

I read everything I could get my hands on when I was a kid. Some of the books I still enjoy every now and then are A Wrinkle In Time, the D'Aulaire's books of myths, and Richard Halliburton's travel books. I had an old book of stories about Robin Hood, Hereward the Wake, et al., that I wish I could lay my hands on. It seems to have been lost over the years.

cardero said:

Around 10 or 11 I started an in-depth habit of reading Science Fiction and one of my favorite books was HAVE SPACESUIT WILL TRAVEL but the author of that book escapes me.

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Robert Heinlein. That was one of my bedtime stories, too.

Storm said:

Robert Heinlein. That was one of my bedtime stories, too.

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I should go put that in the "What should be made into a film thread?" thread.

cardero said:

Around 10 or 11 I started an in-depth habit of reading Science Fiction and one of my favorite books was HAVE SPACESUIT WILL TRAVEL but the author of that book escapes me. I also had a librarian who started censoring me at that time. I would bring some books up to the counter and she would tell me if I was allowed to read them or not. I used to wait outside the library and approach adults and offer them money to go in and pick up those certain titles for me.

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Robert A. Heinlein is the author you're looking for.

Your comment about the library in the same breath with Heinlein reminds me of when I had a part time job at the local library while I was in college. They stuck all the SF into the "Young Adult" section, as if SF was all kiddie stuff not fit for adults to read.

So one day I was chatting with the Young Adult librarian and asked why the Head Librarian would see fit to have stories with sex scenes, including incest and orgies, and cannibalism in the Young Adult section. After he recovered, I flipped open to a couple of scenes in Heinlein books: Time Enough For Love (incest...dude!) and Stranger In A Strange Land (umm...ritual cannibalism? hm! orgies! yay!).

The next day I was given the task of reviewing the SF collection to see what really belonged in the "Adult" stacks, and thus ended the ghettoizing of all SF into the "kiddie" section.

I have no idea who ever thought Farmer's "Lord Tyger" was suitable for youngins, but that's what you get when you substitute prejudice for actual research and judgement.

Booko said:

I don't recall reading what would be called "Young Adult" books today. We had the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, but I thought there were kinda milquetoast and predictable. :sleep:

For "bathroom reading" (as we call it here) I preferred Agatha Christie and Robert E. Howard's "Conan" stories.

My husband was a big fan of Narnia.

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lol......Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys I remember them, how true mostly all the same.

My sister and I had the whole collection of 'Sweet Valley High'. I loved them. Those and of course the good ole 'Archie' comics.