Thursday Bookworm
"If you are a dreamer, come in. If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, a hoper, a prayer, a magic-bean-buyer. If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire, for we have some flax-golden tales to spin. Come in! Come in!"
~ Shel Silverstein ~
1. What were some of your favorite books as a child (pre-kindergarten)? Did you prefer picture books, or books that you could read? What were your favorites in elementary school?
I never liked books with just pictures very much. I learned to read before I entered kindergarten, quite unusual at that time (the late 1960's). Some of my favorite books as a preschooler were Green Eggs And Ham, Are You My Mother, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and a book from the easy reader series called Ann Likes Red. As I got older my favorites included The Mouse And The Motorcycle and just about any biography of Helen Keller that I could get my hands on. All of the books mentioned were read multiple times.
2. Were there any books that you just did not like? Why?
There are two children's classics which I have never liked, Alice In Wonderland and The Wizard Of Oz. I can't really say why I didn't like them (and don't until this day). I just didn't. I never liked their movie versions either!
3. Who was/were your favorite children's author(s)? Who were your least favorites?
I have always loved Dr. Seuss. It is my humble opinion that he is the greatest children's author of all time. Many may try to immitate his lyrical rhymes, but none can compare!
As for my least favorites, it has been a long time since I was a child, their names are long gone from my memory.
4. Did you read any of the "popular" series, like Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Sweet Valley, Babysitters' Club, etc.? Which ones? Why did you like or dislike them?
Nancy Drew and The hardy Boys were the only series around when I was a young 'un! I read books from both series, much to the dismay of the school librarian, who felt that The Hardy Boys was "boys only" material. Those were still very sexist times. I enjoyed the books from both series, 'tis where I learned to love a good mystery.
5. Do you feel that any of the books you read as a child have influenced who you have become as an adult? Which ones, and why?
Certainly Green Eggs And Ham taught me not to judge new things before I try them, and all of those Helen Keller biographies taught me that even the most difficult of obstacles can be overcome.
Bonus: If you have children now, do you read to them? What do you read? And if you don't have children, what would you recommend that all parents should read to their children?
At eighteen and twelve, it is hardly necessary that I read to my sons any more. When they were young, I read them all of my chilhood favorites, plus a few new gems that I discovered in the library. Angus And The Cat and Once Upon A Potty are but two. The latter was a great help during the potty training phase in the lives of two stubborn little boys. I would recommend it to any parent who is having difficulty in that area.
