The recent death of beloved author Beverly Cleary has me thinking about the books of hers that I loved as a child, as well as all of the others that got me into reading longer stories. I'm pretty sure that Ramona Quimby, Age 8 is one of the very first chapter books that I tackled (around age eight, I might add). I identified with Ramona's tomboy wackiness and having a "bossy" big sister to annoy. I know Cleary wrote more stories, and I read these out of order, but this is how I remember being introduced to her books:
Ramona Quimby, Age 8
Beezus and Ramona
Ramona the Pest
Henry and Ribsy
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Runaway Ralph
Ralph S. Mouse
I count myself fortunate to have grown up in a reading household. My parents had a packed bookshelf and usually toted a paperback around to appointments. They both took time to read out loud to my big sister and myself in the evening—complete with character voices! Hearing about hobbits and the world of Narnia sparked my already-busy imagination in ways I cannot begin to count. I'm told I knew my alphabet before starting kindergarten. As soon as I could read on my own, I was enjoying Dr. Seuss, Little Bear, Frog & Toad, Babar, Sesame Street books, Berenstain Bears, Mr. Men & Little Miss, Little Critter, Curious George, and Golden Books—ad nauseam. 😆
There are SO many story characters that became my temporary friends as a kid, but I thought it might be fun to highlight those I remember best. The most memorable titles (in no particular order) are as follows:
Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
Superfudge by Judy Blume
There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom by Louis Sachar
The Little Gymnast by Sheila Haigh
Harriet The Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards
Surprise at Big Key Ranch, Book 1 of The Tyler Twins Series by Hilda Stahl
Amelia Bedelia books
The Bobbsey Twins Collection
Nancy Drew Collection
Choose Your Own Aventure Books
Encyclopedia Brown Series
The Babysitters Club Series
The Mandie Series by Lois Gladys Leppard
Seasons of the Heart Series by Janette Oke
I guess I was obsessed with orphans, twins, and mystery back then! 😄 In case you're a parent looking for good kid-friendly books, I definitely recommend the titles above—regardless of their original publication date.
I think my transition to adult level books was either through Frank Peretti's Darkness Series or C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy. Either way, my story options grew exponentially from there—and I never looked back (until now).
Did I miss any titles that were YOUR favorites? Please add a comment at the bottom of this page and let me know!
- Book Covers I Remember -
