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Your favorite books from childhood

By Catherine Toth Fox • June 20, 2011 • Musings, The Daily Dish

When I was a kid, my parents quickly discovered it didn’t work to punish me by sending me to my room.

Because that’s where I liked to be, lying on my futon bed and reading a book.

I would get lost in the mystery adventures of friends Hawkeye Collins and Amy Adams (books by and M. Masters) or Encyclopedia Brown (Donald J. Sobol) or get caught up in the drama of Ramona (Beverly Clearly) or the confusion of Amelia Bedelia (Peggy Parish).

But books did more than just entertain me. I actually learned a thing or two. For example, I learned perseverance from “The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper, how to organize my bedroom from “The Berenstain Bears” by Stan Berenstain, and what sanitary napkins were from “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” by Judy Blume.

Books were my escape, my TV, my friend.

So when my pregnant girlfriend — and fellow book lover — posted a call-out on Facebook for names of our favorite childhood books, I decided to turn it into a blog post.

I mean, I couldn’t possibly list them all there!

There are so many books that I fondly recall from childhood, from “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams Bianco to “Bunnicula” by James and Deborah Howe. There was the folky “Stone Soup,” recast by Ann McGovern, the charming “Madeline” by Ludwig Bemelmans, the unforgettable “Tikki Tikki Tembo” by Arlene Mosel and, of course, anything by Dr. Suess.

These books only encouraged me to read more, and my collection grew to include the “The Chronicles of Narnia” by C. S. Lewis, the eerie tales by William Sleator, the satirical works of Kurt Vonnegut and the controversial — but, let’s face it, completely exciting — “Forever” by Judy Blume.

Because of my early introduction (and attachment) to books, I’ve grown into a voracious reader who reads nightly and scans everything from restaurant menus to cereal boxes. I’m a reading addict.

So to help my girlfriend start her unborn daughter’s collection of great reads, here’s a list of some of my favorites. And add yours, too!

  • “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak
  • “The Story of Ferdinand” by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson
  • “Harold and the Purple Crayon” by Crockett Johnson
  • “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle
  • “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” by Judy Blume
  • “Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings” by Shel Silverstein
  • “Miss Nelson Is Missing!” by Harry Allard
  • “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White
  • “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes” by Eleanor Coerr
  • “Harry the Dirty Dog” by Gene Zion
  • “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Suess
  • “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown
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Catherine Toth Fox

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45 Comments

  • Reply oldshoes June 20, 2011 at 1:27 am

    anything by S.E. Hinton…..The Outsiders i.e.. and James and The Giant Peach and others by the same author-Roland Dahl or something like that. Sobol had other mystery books,so anything by him. and of course the Hardy Boys.

  • Reply oldshoes June 20, 2011 at 1:31 am

    and I am the Cheese,The Chocolate War,and others by…shoot forgot.gotta look it up Robert something or other….be back.

    • Reply Catherine Toth June 21, 2011 at 11:05 am

      I loved the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books… Forgot to list those!

  • Reply oldshoes June 20, 2011 at 1:32 am

    Robert Cormier! I am the cheese. his books are great!

  • Reply islandgirlinnc June 20, 2011 at 1:52 am

    Little House on the Prairie series, The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew were some of my absolutely favorite stories as a child. I have two boys, and my 5 year old loves to read. Some of the ones we’ve read together were anything by Richard Scarry (Busytown), Dr. Seuss and Ian Falconer (Olivia the pig series). Other books he seems to love are Llama Llama Misses Mama (by Anna Dewdny), George and Martha (by James Marshall) and Corduroy (by Don Freeman). Books are wonderful, and I’m glad my oldest son enjoys reading at his age.

    • Reply Catherine Toth June 21, 2011 at 11:06 am

      Olivia the Pig! That brought back a visual! I never heard of the George and Martha series… I’m guessing that’s about the Washingtons? I’ll look it up. Thanks!

      • Reply islandgirlinnc June 21, 2011 at 3:18 pm

        Actually they are about two best friends who are hippos! Very cute! My MIL used to be a teacher, so she has all these great books. She’s the one that turned my son on to Olivia and George and Martha.

  • Reply kat June 20, 2011 at 2:51 am

    poky little puppy by janette sebring lowrey & 5 chinese brothers by claire huchet bishop

    • Reply Catherine Toth June 21, 2011 at 11:06 am

      One of the Old Guys mentioned the “Five Chinese Brothers.” He wasn’t sure if it was still in circulation since some of the references might be considered racist now…

  • Reply Annoddah Dave June 20, 2011 at 6:22 am

    CAT: Am dating myself but my favorites were Walter Farley’s the Black Stallion and others in the series. Imagine my childhood joy when Kelly Reno, Mickey Rooney, et al put it on cinema!

    • Reply Catherine Toth June 21, 2011 at 11:07 am

      Hey, I liked the “Black Stallion”! Cried at the movie, too!

  • Reply MaxMaxMax June 20, 2011 at 7:33 am

    Do Archie and Superman comics count?

    Mine would have to be “Where the Wild Things Are” also. I was sick and in the hospital when my school bus driver came to visit me. He brought me that book to read.

    Other favorites were a collection of Disney stories (the book was illustrated and as this as a dictionary)! That provided many an afternoon’s entertainment, Uncle Remus and the tales of Briar Rabbit and an Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass double book. I also remember many of these books published by a company called “Golden Books.”

    Great post Cat! Nice way to jog some memories!

    • Reply MaxMaxMax June 20, 2011 at 7:34 am

      I meant “…the book was illustrated and as * thick * as a dictionary.”

      • Reply Catherine Toth June 21, 2011 at 11:07 am

        GOLDEN BOOKS! I can’t believe I forgot to list those! I think my parents still have ours at home.

        We also had an extensive collection of “Choose Your Own Adventure” books. Remember those?

  • Reply Panini June 20, 2011 at 8:22 am

    Loved the Ramona books by Beverly Clearly. “If you give a mouse a cookie” was a favorite and still is. A less known book I used to love reading over and over again is “The Chocolate Touch”. Good memories…

    • Reply Catherine Toth June 21, 2011 at 11:07 am

      “The Chocolate Touch” — I’m going to look that up! Thanks!

  • Reply Rob June 20, 2011 at 8:36 am

    Without a doubt, one of my favorites was “This Island Isn’t Big Enough for the Four of Us” by Gery Greer and Bob Ruddick. I also loved the “Indian in the Cupboard” series (Lynne Reid Banks), the “Bunnicula” series, the “My Teacher is an Alien” series (Bruce Coville, et al). I also really like “Maniac Magee” (Jerry Spinelli) and “The Starfisher” (Laurence Yep).

    • Reply Catherine Toth June 21, 2011 at 11:08 am

      “My Teacher is an Alien” series was genius. Love that. Never heard of the others, but thanks for the suggestions!

  • Reply Rob June 20, 2011 at 8:37 am

    OH! and “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Seuss… it’s brilliant!

  • Reply edw June 20, 2011 at 10:10 am

    Lets see how far back I can remember. Old Yeller, Black Beauty, Misty of Chincoteaque, So you want to be a________(fireman, policeman, farmer etc), all the books by Dr Seus, The stories of Davy Crocket, Tom Swift series, The Hardy Boys. I do remember the Golden Books press many titles, a staple in the house. No TV until I was 7 or 8 and then it was only on for a few hours a day.

    • Reply Catherine Toth June 21, 2011 at 11:08 am

      I read “Old Yeller,” but I refuse to see the movie. I can only imagine.

  • Reply WildeOscar June 20, 2011 at 11:06 am

    And who says people don’t read anymore. This post and the comments on it restore my faith that there is a future for the mind of the human species. It isn’t all violent video games and sexting.

    Please put me down for A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh story collections and poetry (When We Were Very Young, and Now We are Six). Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham. I had the best time reading Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Mongomery to my daughter, and she is now a voracious reader.

    Late comedian George Carlin had a bit in which he would get sent to his room by his parents. Like Cat, his reply was something like: “Hey, allright, that’s where all my stuff is.”

    • Reply MaxMaxMax June 20, 2011 at 11:55 am

      Unfortunately Wilde, we’re mostly older geezers here, LOL! Who knows what young kids today do for entertainment besides reading… my guess are DVDs in the back seat of the car, and video games on the computer or iPad.

      • Reply Catherine Toth June 21, 2011 at 11:11 am

        Yeah, I agree, it’s nice to hear that so many people read as kids — and actually enjoyed it! My younger sister — she’s 25 now — loves to read. I’m not sure if this is more nature or nurture — our entire family reads (and eats, too) — but I don’t see a lot of my students, also the same age, reading as much. Maybe they’re reading “other” things, not your traditional books… But I do think TV and video games have become much more appealing pastimes.

  • Reply J June 20, 2011 at 1:07 pm

    MaxMaxMax, I used to read that Disney collection at my cousins’ house.

    My dad used to punish me by taking away my books. It was annoying when it happened mid-chapter.

    Too many favorites to list by title, might have to go by author for some…

    James Herriot
    LM Montgomery
    Louisa May Alcott
    Ralph Moody
    Beverly Cleary (More for her Henry Huggins books than Ramona)
    John D. Fitzgerald (The Great Brain Series)
    Margaret Sidney (Five Little Peppers)
    Michael Bond (Paddington Bear series)
    Frances Hodgson Burnett
    Laura Ingalls Wilder
    Richard Scarry
    Arthur Maxwell

    The Penguin that Hated the Cold (Disney), Box Car Children, Swiss Family Robinson, Aesop’s Fables

    Used to read The Young Children’s Encyclopedia (16-Volume Set) until I discovered the Encyclopedia Britannica. So yeah, Encyclopedia Brown was another favorite series.

    • Reply MaxMaxMax June 20, 2011 at 10:02 pm

      J, it was this one, right?

      https://www.newbostonfineandrarebooks.com/shop_image/product/45873.jpg

    • Reply MaxMaxMax June 20, 2011 at 10:05 pm

      Oh, Laura Ingalls Wilder… I forgot I read her “Little House…” series of books!

    • Reply Catherine Toth June 21, 2011 at 11:11 am

      LOL, I can totally relate! 🙂

      Great author list. You should create a list for Amazon!

  • Reply David Jackson June 20, 2011 at 2:18 pm

    My favorite books as a kid were the comics. Superman, Spiderman, Silver Surfer, Thor, Fantastic Four, and yes I know they were not books. When I finally took an interest in reading it was ‘Day of the Jackal’, ‘Taking of Pelham 1-2-3’, ‘The Moon is a Harsh Mistress’, ‘I Robot’ and ‘The Fountainhead’ all of which contained a lot of stuff over my head at the time. Have re-read them all getting far more out of them post a little life experience. Of course Nathaniel has been read lot’s of childrens books and his favorites were ‘The Narnia Chronicles’, ‘Winnie the Pooh’, anything ‘Dr. Seuss’, and whatever I was reading at the time. Reading comes and goes in spurts with him and I. Don’t read for six months, read four books in a week. My dad was the same way until he hit 65 then it was two to three a week, unreal.

    • Reply Catherine Toth June 21, 2011 at 11:11 am

      I read a ton of “Archie” and “G.I. Joe” comics growing up. That counts!

      • Reply David Jackson June 21, 2011 at 11:32 am

        LOL… I forgot to mention those and Richie Rich, Sad Sack, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, and BATMAN! Biff Bop and POW. It was my childhood.

  • Reply Cathy June 20, 2011 at 3:38 pm

    The Boxcar Children, Sweet Valley Teens/kids, Baby-sitters Club, Caddie Woodlawn, The tale of Peter Rabbit, “If you give a mouse a cookie”, and of course “Corduroy”. I also recomend Harry Potter even though it’s not a childhood favorite.

    • Reply Catherine Toth June 21, 2011 at 11:13 am

      BOXCAR CHILDREN! You just jolted my brain!

      Babysitters Club, Sweet Valley High — these were the HOT books when I was growing up. Sadly, I didn’t read many (if any) of them. I think by this point I was obsessed with Choose Your Own Adventure books. (I had a brother growing up.)

  • Reply Cathy June 20, 2011 at 3:44 pm

    oh i forgot to mention I also loved reading the “One Last Wish” series when I was a pre-teen.

    • Reply Catherine Toth June 21, 2011 at 11:13 am

      “One Last Wish,” huh? I’m going to look that up! Thanks!

  • Reply ssunaoka June 20, 2011 at 5:44 pm

    I know a bunch of people loved the Choose Your Own Adventure series, but for my money, the Interplanetary Spy series was much better. Better puzzles and better story lines.

    I also loved to read anything by Roald Dahl: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the Great Glass Elevator, Boy, the BFG, James and the Giant Peach, Danny Champion of the World, the Fantastic Mr. Fox…they were all so good!

    • Reply Catherine Toth June 21, 2011 at 11:14 am

      I never read “Interplanetary Spy,” but if they’re better than CYOA, I’m going to order one online!

  • Reply NSDGR June 20, 2011 at 10:41 pm

    THE EFFECTS OF GAMMA RAYS ON MAN-IN-THE-MOON MARIGOLDS — Paul Zindel

  • Reply WildeOscar June 21, 2011 at 3:24 am

    Cat, it is undeniable. Those who follow your blog love to read and have exceptional taste. Compliment intended.

    • Reply Catherine Toth June 21, 2011 at 11:14 am

      I’ll take it. 🙂

  • Reply matt June 21, 2011 at 7:06 am

    i was, and still am, a voracious reader. some of my most vivid memories as a child were of combing used book stores and goodwills for used copies of matt christopher books (sports). as I got older, and more attached to my beloved dodgers, I got into John Tunis’ Kid From Tomkinsville series about the old Brooklyn Dodgers. I also like historical novels from the “We Were There” series as well as the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew books.

    I don’t read sports books as much now, preferring to stick to mysteries and thrillers. my bank account will be wreaked, now that I have amazon, borders and barnes and noble apps on my phone and can download new books as soon as i’m done with the last one.

    every few months, though, I feel my brain turning to mush from all the pulp/popular stuff i read and i pick up a classic to read or reread. stuff like vonnegut, hugo, joyce.

    • Reply Catherine Toth June 21, 2011 at 11:15 am

      I tend to collect books… I can’t get rid of them. Only lately have I been convincing myself that donating books is like sharing them.. It’s hard! It’s like ditching a friend!

      • Reply J June 21, 2011 at 11:09 pm

        My dad asked me if he can get rid of my books that are still at home. He said, “Can’t you get them on your iPhone now?”

        What? That would mean I’d have to buy them again. So not pake.

  • Reply oldshoes June 21, 2011 at 12:32 pm

    kinda like The Hardy Boys meet Encyclopedia Brown and as exciting and adventerous as Harry Potter is “The Brains Benton Mysteries”. Only 6 books in the series but they’ll change your life forever,even now….as an adult. They are highly collectible as well.

  • Reply oldshoes June 21, 2011 at 12:35 pm

    remember…..”Big Little Books”, totally cool reads.

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About Me

About Me
Born and raised on O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi, Catherine Toth Fox has been chronicling her adventures in her blog, The Cat Dish, for more than a decade. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Hawai‘i for 10 years and continues to freelance—in between teaching journalism, hitting the surf and eating everything in sight—for national and local print and online publications. She’s currently the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.

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