Friday, June 15, 2012

Taking Childhood Reading in Hand

Illustration by Kate Greenaway


Since my post the other day on the pitiful state of my reading during childhood, I decided to make a more concerted effort to catch up. So between now and the end of the year I will read 10 books that come from the lists of classics for kids.

I found a lovely used hardback copy of Winnie-the-Pooh on the Grand Southern Literary Tour and although I have read it, I will start with Winnie and the crew and work my way through a list of my own devising.

I know for sure I want to read Anne of Green Gables. (I had a copy that got water damaged in a storage box before I ever got around to reading it.) And I have never read any of the Little House on the Prairie books.

I know that Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, is a big fan of children's literature and even started a book club devoted to the genre...if is a genre.

Maybe the reason I don't read much fiction is because I was not exposed to it so much as a child so I don't have that 'tell me a story' yearning.

If anyone has any suggestions, let me know. I am not interested in vampires or any of the newer politically correct books. I just want a good, old-fashioned read.



4 comments:

  1. I've just been enjoying a catch-up of your recent blogs, enjoying each in turn. I was the little girl whose nose was buried in books - and I still am. If you haven't read Kenneth Grahame's "The Wind in the Willows" do give it a try. I saw that one of your childhood reads was Lois Lenski's Strawberry Girl. That is one of my very favorite books and was part of regional series she wrote. You might try to find some of the others in the series, such as Flood Friday or Cotton in My Sack.

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    1. Hello Lifeonthecutoff,
      Thanks for your interest in Belle, Book, and Candle and my bookish ramblings.

      Yes, I have read "Wind in the Willows" and it is one of my favorites. I tried to reread "Strawberry Girl" as an adult and couldn't get past the dialect. It made me wonder if maybe I hadn't read the book at all but just looked at the pictures! Perhaps I should give it another try.

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    2. The dialect is hard to get by. I found the same thing when I reread The Yearling, another wonderful childhood book. Try reading a bit of it out loud. I know, it sounds silly, but it helps. Penny

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  2. Penny,
    Reading out loud is a helpful suggestion. I have never tried that with dialects. I will just make sure I am not in a public place!

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