This week's topic is a FREEBIE, so I came up with:
TEN BOOKS I WISH I READ WHEN I WAS YOUNGER
TEN BOOKS I WISH I READ WHEN I WAS YOUNGER
I
always loved reading and had no problem reading whatever school had
assigned to me, but, somehow, in my literary travels I missed out on
some incredible reads as a child and a young adult. Thinking back on it,
I would guess it was because I got my books from either the school's
book club, or from my own home library that my father stocked from books
that his school's library was giving up. As a result, I didn't truly explore
the shelves of bookstores or the library until I was a teenager. By
that time, I was pulled in by the bestsellers up in front and
immediately fell into reading fiction for adult audiences. I think this
is part of why I love children's and YA books so much now- for me, it is
still so fresh and new! The list below is full of books that, after
reading, I wished I had found earlier in my life...
1. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
If you look through the archives of this blog you will find the reading journal entries from when I first read these books. I was an adult. I was teaching already. Now, after having the experience, I dream of the day where I can read this series aloud to a child of my own - let his/her mind wander through the lands of Narnia, with the fantastic creatures while they talk to Aslan in their daydreams. I loved this series as an adult, but I often wonder how it would have affected me as a child.
2. A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L'Engle
I remember exactly how I read this book. I was in college, I was home sick because of some food poisoning ridiculousness and I wobbled down to our basement library desperate for something to read. I found A Wrinkle in Time. I remembered my little brother had to read it and I always wished I had. I took it up to bed and read it cover to cover. You must remember that I was once a math teacher, so, at the time I was majoring in Mathematics and loving every minute. I closed the book and just let my mind wander... one thought kept creeping up, Why didn't I read this sooner? The unification of science and fantasy was so beautiful I thought, for sure, if I had read this book as a child I would've gotten my first peak at the beautiful potential of my new found love, Mathematics. Would it have happened that way? I'll never know, but that is one magnificent children's book I missed out on.
3. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Shortly after my aforementioned food poisoning, I was back in bed again due to a car accident (freshman year of college was rough on me!). I hobbled back down to our library, full of tons of books I had read before and spotted one I hadn't: The Secret Garden. There was no better book for me to be reading at that time while I was stuck in bed, in winter with my back in severe pain. I still daydream about that garden and remember that happy feeling it gave me. I feel like I would have enjoyed that secret world as a child and wish I had discovered sooner.
4. Dr. Seuss
Did you gasp? The fact is, I did not start reading Dr. Seuss books until I was at least a teenager. My mother was not a fan of the man's work. Having gotten to know my mother's likes and dislikes over the years, I'm going to say that she probably based this on the pictures alone (my mother was very disturbed by nearly everything Tim Burton). Anyway, as a child, I trusted my parent's judgement implicitly and had to shake free of a bias against Seuss' works before I understood how brilliant they are. Once realizing this, I recognized the sin in depriving me of his work for so long!
5. The Fudge Series by Judy Blume
I read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing when I was in the fourth grade. It was easily my favorite book in all of elementary school. So, why didn't I continue reading the series of books that sprung from it? I. don't. know. However, I will confess to one little snippet of possibly relevant information: I didn't realize there was a series until last year!! OK. wait. That's sort of a lie. I knew about the "Fudge" books, but I never put together that they were related to Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing! Incredible. I guess I needed to see sequential numbers on the book spines, or something...
6. The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
I first read this book when I was 21. Now, I don't think I could have handled it in elementary school, like some of Rivera Runs Through It readers, but I definitely should have read this book sooner. In addition to The Lord of the Rings. I know why I didn't: The Hobbit cartoon that they showed around Thanksgiving time scared the heck out of me. Plus any time someone would talk to me about Lord of the Rings, I would think they meant to say The Lord of the Flies, which was one of my favorite books, so the conversation would always shift into me telling them why they needed to read Golding's novel, rather than them convincing me to read Tolkien! Whatever the reason, the fact is, I missed out!
7. Hiroshima by John Hershey
In 2002 I read this book because it was on my students' summer reading list. I should have read this book sooner. Everyone knows how devastating the atomic bomb is, right? I mean, we all agree it is the worst, so who needs to go any further than that? I did. Hershey's book sent the chills up my spine and through my core. I was crying page after page after page. I know I'll never fully understand the devastation, but this book shook me. It said on the cover of my book that everyone who can read should read Hiroshima. I couldn't agree more. I also think, the earlier, the better.
8. The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King
When I was a kid I was a chicken (note: this should not be interpreted as me stating I am Captain Courageous now!), I didn't want to read (or see) anything scary or related to horror. At the end of junior high and in high school, I noticed a lot of people talking about how great Stephen King books were. Now, you have to remember (if you are old enough to) when I was younger they used to run these Stephen King commercials selling a bunch of his books and advertising The Stand - the commercials alone had me hiding behind the couch cushions! By the time I hit high school, the buzz was just too much, I had to check out Stephen King. I took it slowly. I picked up a book of short stories called Four Past Midnight. I loved it immediately (the story The Langoliers still ranks as one of my favorites!). However, I wasn't sure I was ready for a big, long scare. That's when I was told about The Eyes of the Dragon, a fantasy book King wrote. I loved this book and it wasn't that scary. I should have read that book in junior high, at least! Then my near-obession with King that lasted through most of high school could have started a couple of years earlier!
9. Comic Books/Graphic Novels
One of the great joys of my childhood was "after church." After church on Sundays we, as a family would go to either the art store (omg! drawing and coloring materials!!) or to the comic book shop. I would love walking up and down the aisles looking at all of the art, the titles and seeing brand new stuff every week. I was confused by the books that looked by magazines and always put off by the fact that they were up to number 84, 604, or something like that, so I'd stick to collections like Calvin and Hobbes or Garfield and scope out the shelves for drawing books. I was shy, so I never asked about the comic books - not even my parents. I suppose they thought I only liked the other stuff and had no interest in the comic books I passed by. This is why I didn't really start reading comic books until I was dating my husband. Now, I love them. I think the medium is fantastic and too often overlooked by book lovers. I know I don't have to worry about history repeating itself with any of our own children - we are a comic book family now. It's just who we are.
10. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
I read the first book in August 2000; I was 23 years old. It was three years after the book had been published, but I wasn't too far off the bandwagon. I was hooked and ran out to get book two before third book's release. When a Barnes & Noble opened up the block from me before the release of the fourth book and I was able to attend the midnight release parties for the final four books in the series, I was filled with euphoria at the sight of the children all around me.
And then, a little itty bitty piece of me was envious.
Where were these wonderous book parties when I was a child? Where were these stories? As tiny witches and wizards ran by or were found dozing in between bookshelves I tried to imagine what their lives must be like - dressing up like characters in a book, talking endlessly with friends and the world (via the Internet) about the things that they read, and then seeing that world come to life on the movie screen. There was no equivalent experience in my background to compare it to. I was so happy for them all, knowing, more than they did, how unique their generation's childhood experience was.
For the Harry Potter series, I have a slight adjustment to my wish. I do not merely wish that this book series somehow gets transported in time to when I was younger; I wish that I was younger when we all read the books! I want to know what it feels like to be a tiny witch sleeping in a bookstore.
What's On Your List?
Do you have any books that, after reading, you thought, It would have been great if I could have read that _____ years ago! ? How about the "impossible dream" category? Were there any books published after you were "of age" to read it and wish you were part of its true audience? Let me know in the comments! Also, let me know what your favorite childhood/YA book is so I can make sure I read it!!
1. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis If you look through the archives of this blog you will find the reading journal entries from when I first read these books. I was an adult. I was teaching already. Now, after having the experience, I dream of the day where I can read this series aloud to a child of my own - let his/her mind wander through the lands of Narnia, with the fantastic creatures while they talk to Aslan in their daydreams. I loved this series as an adult, but I often wonder how it would have affected me as a child.
2. A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L'Engle I remember exactly how I read this book. I was in college, I was home sick because of some food poisoning ridiculousness and I wobbled down to our basement library desperate for something to read. I found A Wrinkle in Time. I remembered my little brother had to read it and I always wished I had. I took it up to bed and read it cover to cover. You must remember that I was once a math teacher, so, at the time I was majoring in Mathematics and loving every minute. I closed the book and just let my mind wander... one thought kept creeping up, Why didn't I read this sooner? The unification of science and fantasy was so beautiful I thought, for sure, if I had read this book as a child I would've gotten my first peak at the beautiful potential of my new found love, Mathematics. Would it have happened that way? I'll never know, but that is one magnificent children's book I missed out on.
3. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett Shortly after my aforementioned food poisoning, I was back in bed again due to a car accident (freshman year of college was rough on me!). I hobbled back down to our library, full of tons of books I had read before and spotted one I hadn't: The Secret Garden. There was no better book for me to be reading at that time while I was stuck in bed, in winter with my back in severe pain. I still daydream about that garden and remember that happy feeling it gave me. I feel like I would have enjoyed that secret world as a child and wish I had discovered sooner.
4. Dr. SeussDid you gasp? The fact is, I did not start reading Dr. Seuss books until I was at least a teenager. My mother was not a fan of the man's work. Having gotten to know my mother's likes and dislikes over the years, I'm going to say that she probably based this on the pictures alone (my mother was very disturbed by nearly everything Tim Burton). Anyway, as a child, I trusted my parent's judgement implicitly and had to shake free of a bias against Seuss' works before I understood how brilliant they are. Once realizing this, I recognized the sin in depriving me of his work for so long!
5. The Fudge Series by Judy BlumeI read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing when I was in the fourth grade. It was easily my favorite book in all of elementary school. So, why didn't I continue reading the series of books that sprung from it? I. don't. know. However, I will confess to one little snippet of possibly relevant information: I didn't realize there was a series until last year!! OK. wait. That's sort of a lie. I knew about the "Fudge" books, but I never put together that they were related to Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing! Incredible. I guess I needed to see sequential numbers on the book spines, or something...
6. The Hobbit by JRR TolkienI first read this book when I was 21. Now, I don't think I could have handled it in elementary school, like some of Rivera Runs Through It readers, but I definitely should have read this book sooner. In addition to The Lord of the Rings. I know why I didn't: The Hobbit cartoon that they showed around Thanksgiving time scared the heck out of me. Plus any time someone would talk to me about Lord of the Rings, I would think they meant to say The Lord of the Flies, which was one of my favorite books, so the conversation would always shift into me telling them why they needed to read Golding's novel, rather than them convincing me to read Tolkien! Whatever the reason, the fact is, I missed out!
7. Hiroshima by John HersheyIn 2002 I read this book because it was on my students' summer reading list. I should have read this book sooner. Everyone knows how devastating the atomic bomb is, right? I mean, we all agree it is the worst, so who needs to go any further than that? I did. Hershey's book sent the chills up my spine and through my core. I was crying page after page after page. I know I'll never fully understand the devastation, but this book shook me. It said on the cover of my book that everyone who can read should read Hiroshima. I couldn't agree more. I also think, the earlier, the better.
8. The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen KingWhen I was a kid I was a chicken (note: this should not be interpreted as me stating I am Captain Courageous now!), I didn't want to read (or see) anything scary or related to horror. At the end of junior high and in high school, I noticed a lot of people talking about how great Stephen King books were. Now, you have to remember (if you are old enough to) when I was younger they used to run these Stephen King commercials selling a bunch of his books and advertising The Stand - the commercials alone had me hiding behind the couch cushions! By the time I hit high school, the buzz was just too much, I had to check out Stephen King. I took it slowly. I picked up a book of short stories called Four Past Midnight. I loved it immediately (the story The Langoliers still ranks as one of my favorites!). However, I wasn't sure I was ready for a big, long scare. That's when I was told about The Eyes of the Dragon, a fantasy book King wrote. I loved this book and it wasn't that scary. I should have read that book in junior high, at least! Then my near-obession with King that lasted through most of high school could have started a couple of years earlier!
One of the great joys of my childhood was "after church." After church on Sundays we, as a family would go to either the art store (omg! drawing and coloring materials!!) or to the comic book shop. I would love walking up and down the aisles looking at all of the art, the titles and seeing brand new stuff every week. I was confused by the books that looked by magazines and always put off by the fact that they were up to number 84, 604, or something like that, so I'd stick to collections like Calvin and Hobbes or Garfield and scope out the shelves for drawing books. I was shy, so I never asked about the comic books - not even my parents. I suppose they thought I only liked the other stuff and had no interest in the comic books I passed by. This is why I didn't really start reading comic books until I was dating my husband. Now, I love them. I think the medium is fantastic and too often overlooked by book lovers. I know I don't have to worry about history repeating itself with any of our own children - we are a comic book family now. It's just who we are.
***THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM***
I read the first book in August 2000; I was 23 years old. It was three years after the book had been published, but I wasn't too far off the bandwagon. I was hooked and ran out to get book two before third book's release. When a Barnes & Noble opened up the block from me before the release of the fourth book and I was able to attend the midnight release parties for the final four books in the series, I was filled with euphoria at the sight of the children all around me.
And then, a little itty bitty piece of me was envious.
Where were these wonderous book parties when I was a child? Where were these stories? As tiny witches and wizards ran by or were found dozing in between bookshelves I tried to imagine what their lives must be like - dressing up like characters in a book, talking endlessly with friends and the world (via the Internet) about the things that they read, and then seeing that world come to life on the movie screen. There was no equivalent experience in my background to compare it to. I was so happy for them all, knowing, more than they did, how unique their generation's childhood experience was.
For the Harry Potter series, I have a slight adjustment to my wish. I do not merely wish that this book series somehow gets transported in time to when I was younger; I wish that I was younger when we all read the books! I want to know what it feels like to be a tiny witch sleeping in a bookstore.
What's On Your List?
Do you have any books that, after reading, you thought, It would have been great if I could have read that _____ years ago! ? How about the "impossible dream" category? Were there any books published after you were "of age" to read it and wish you were part of its true audience? Let me know in the comments! Also, let me know what your favorite childhood/YA book is so I can make sure I read it!!
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