# What were your favorite children's books? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 14, 2008, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456 "2008-01-14T06:35:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456/21 "2008-01-14T21:20:08Z")
Any Dr. Seuss book Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain Chronicles Anne McCaffrey’s Pern books Piers Anthony’s Xanth series zillions of comic books zillions of comic strip collections (Peanuts, BC, Wizard of Id, Garfield) The Choose Your Own Adventure books The D&D versions of those The Be an Interplanetary Spy series of the same ilk zillions of books about outer space ([Our Universe](http://www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Picture-Atlas-Universe/dp/079222731X) was the most-read) ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456/22 "2008-01-14T23:16:22Z")
The Thorton W. Burgess books were probably my favorites as a small child. Old Mr. Toad, Jimmy Skunk, Prickly Porky the Porcupine, Lightfoot the Deer, etc. My grandmother read them to me all the time. Another favorite was Dr. Goat: “Doctor Goat put on his coat and went out to make some calls. He went to the house of a mouse with mumps, he cured a frog who had the jumps, busy old Dr. Goat.” ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456/23 "2008-01-14T23:24:05Z")
_The Girl With The Silver Eyes_ is my hands-down favorite. I recently bought a copy for my niece. It’s probably the only children’s book I still own. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456/24 "2008-01-14T23:35:25Z")
It doesn’t look like they’ve been mentioned yet, so I’ll add _Blueberries for Sal_ and _Harold and the Purple Crayon_. I can’t think of the author/illustrator, but one of the characters was Loley(sp?) Worm. Anyone know what I’m remembering? ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456/25 "2008-01-15T00:06:32Z")
[QUOTE=Eonwe] It doesn’t look like they’ve been mentioned yet, so I’ll add _Blueberries for Sal_ and _Harold and the Purple Crayon_. I can’t think of the author/illustrator, but one of the characters was Loley(sp?) Worm. Anyone know what I’m remembering? [/QUOTE] It’s Lowly Worm, and the author is Richard Scarry. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456/26 "2008-01-15T00:09:24Z")
I loved Harold and the Purple Crayon. Incomplete list: any Dr Seuss a James Thurber book about dresses, can’t remember title (kid’s book) Little House series Ramona and all her friends–Clearly was so good. (not dead, but not writing) Snow Treasure–a Weekly Reader book I read to pieces. I still want to go to Norway, based on this book. The Forgotten Door–another WR item. Roald Dahl books Nancy Drew and Cherry Ames (I read my mother’s) Encyclopedia Brown series Frances Hodgson Burnett books, but most particularly Secret Garden and Little Princess The Wolves of Willoughby Chase From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler Black Beauty Big Red series The Phantom Tollbooth The Borrower’s series Harriet the Spy The Rats of NIMH Up a Road Slowly Anne of Green Gables books Island of the Blue Dolphins Julie and the Wolves etc And many many more… ---
**Author:** ![Tool\_of\_the\_Conspiracy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tool\_of\_the\_Conspiracy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tool_of_the_Conspiracy)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456/27 "2008-01-15T00:11:55Z")
[QUOTE=VernWinterbottom] Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel [/QUOTE] I loved this book as a kid, and it’s one of my favorites to read to my girls, so when my daughter read it to _me_ last week, there were tears of pride in my eyes. Now I gotta find a Lego set suitable for building steam shovels… ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456/28 "2008-01-15T03:50:43Z")
Wow, what a list! (I read most of them when I could.) When I was a very small child my mother read all the Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy stories to me. I still get nostalgic over dolls with shoe-button eyes. When I was a little older I got _The Wind in the Willows_, which I still read at least once a year. Guess it had an effect on me; I have a stuffed Toad from the original illustrations sitting on my bookshelves with my medical reference books and I’ve read the sequels too. You got to love a title like _Toad Triumphant._ (Though I loved Water Rat and Mole, those sweet souls.) And I devoured the Nancy Drew books . . . and while these are not children’s books per se, when I was small I ran through all the Edgar Rice Burroughs _Tarzan_ books and then went on to Jules Verne . . . and science fiction . . . and started in on Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe mysteries. . . . oh hell, I’ve never stopped reading since. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456/29 "2008-01-15T04:18:31Z")
How could I forget Raggedy Anne and Andy or WITW? Also, The Tale of the Land of Green Ginger I read a lot of the Scholastic reading books–the ones you could buy at the book sales in elementary school, too. And who can forget The Weekly Reader? Good times… ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456/30 "2008-01-15T04:33:41Z")
While I like many mentioned above, no one remembers poor Danny Dunn ☹ Even many libraries have withdrawn this series. “Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine” is the most memorable in the series. I like “Alexander and Terrible, Horrible, No-Good Day”, too. It has appeal to all ages. Read it after a bad day at the office. For kids, it shows we all have days like that, sometimes. Also: “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” “How To Eat Fried Worms” “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs…” I forget, but any librarian would know. It’s classic! And, for the younger crowd: “Goodnight Moon” “Fox in Socks” “Caps for Sale” “Ping” (…a chinese story of a tardy duck!) ---
**Author:** ![Ms.Pumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@Ms.Pumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms.Pumpkin)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456/31 "2008-01-15T05:23:00Z")
Tuck Everlasting Gone Away Lake and its sequel Charlotte’s Web anything Beverly Cleary ditto Judy Blume the Anastasia series(was that Lois Lowry?) When I was in maybe second grade, the children’s librarian came in to our class to read excerpts from a few books in an effort to get us interested in the library and reading, and one of those books was called “Stonewords”. It’s about a little girl and her “imaginary” friend, who is really a ghost who needs her help. I must have checked that book out of the library 2 dozen times. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456/32 "2008-01-15T06:20:02Z")
Oh this is fun! [ul][li]The Winnie the Pooh books, plus _Now We Are Six_ and other poetry by A.A. Milne[/li][li]_The Trumpet of the Swan_ and _Charlotte’s Web_, by E.B. White[/li][li]_The Hundred and One Dalmatians_, by Dodie Smith (so much better than the movies!)[/li][li]_Little Witch_, by Anna Elizabeth Bennett. A Cinderella-like story that’s very bittersweet [/li][li]The _Little House_ series (all except _Farmer Boy_, which I’ve never read for some reason; probably because it starred an icky boy![/li][li]_Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine_ was a favorite of mine too! I even had the recording of the musical, which I can still sing[/li][li]_Twenty and Ten_, aka _The Secret Cave_, by Claire Huchet Bishop[/li][li]_Follow My Leader_, by an author I don’t remember, alas[/li][li]_Cheaper by the Dozen_ and _Belles on Their Toes_, by Frank Gilbreth, Jr., and Elizabeth Gilbreth Carey[/li][li]_Are You There, God?.._ and _Then Again, Maybe I Won’t_ by Judy Blue of course[/li][li]Any Dr. Seuss, but especially _Bartholemew and the Oobleck_ and _Horton Hatches the Egg_ [/li][li]_Little Women_, the two-part version (ours was separated into two different editions: _Little Women_ and _Good Wives_. My mom had a bookstore specializing in used and first editions, so my sisters and I were able to read some wonderfully old editions!)[/li][li]_From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler_, by E. L. Konigsburg[/li][li]_Ginnie and Geneva_ and _Ginnie and the New Girl_ by Catherine Woolley [/li][li]_The World Book Encyclopedia_, 1963 edition. A hand-me-down from my older siblings, and pathetically out of date by the time I read it, but gosh, I spent soooo many hours devouring that thing![/li][li]_The Second Golden Almanac_, a compilation of stories, nature tips, and holiday info published by Golden Books and illustrated by a very young Richard Scarry. Another inheritence from my oldest sister, who’s about ten years older than I am. Actually, I loved most of the Golden Book series and the Big Little Books, too.[/li][li]_Caps for Sale_, by Esphyr Slobodkina. Anyone else remember this? Gorgeous illustrations.[/li][li]_Just So Stories_, by Rudyard Kipling. This was an abridged version, but I loved it _sooo_ much, especially because the pictures were amazingly detailed and lifelike[/li][li]Hans Christian Andersen and Grimm Fairy Tales, natch.[/li][li]_Bread and Jam for Francis_ and _A Bargain for Francis_, by Russell Hoban and Lillian Hoban. (What _was_ Francis, anyway? A badger?) [/li][li]_Bambi’s Children_, another illustrated and abridged book that made me wish I could draw better [/li][li]_Harriet the Spy_, who was more like me than I wanted to admit[/li][li]The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe\*, which was the only Narnia book I read as a youngster.[/li][li]_Sarah and Katie_, by Dori White, which no one ever remembers. It’s about two friends during the Depression who face a rivalry when a little lying manipulative rich girl moves in[/ul][/li] Man, I could go on and on, but these are the ones that leapt first to my mind. I still read through many of them now and again. They’re treasures, every one. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456/33 "2008-01-15T06:20:13Z")
[QUOTE=VernWinterbottom] Pooh The Tale of Peter Rabbit Dr. Seuss Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel Richard Scarry Dr. Doolittle Beverly Cleary Henry Huggins Mrs. Piggle Wiggle Miss Pickerell Pipi Longstocking The Just So Stories Encyclopedia Brown [/QUOTE] I had forgotten Miss Pickerell, and I was trying to remember _Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel_. I think it was the first book I ever took out of the library. Also: _Ellen Tebbitts_. I think I identified with her a little. There was a book that I read and loved, but I cannot for the life of me remember the title, and apparently I’m the only person who ever read it. It was about a girl named Minx, who lived with a woman who turned out to be a witch. Minx discovered that her real mother was a fairy and her own real name was Minikin(sp.) I read all the _Black Stallion_ books I could find in the school library. ETA: \*And to Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street. \* ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456/34 "2008-01-15T08:20:44Z")
[QUOTE=thirdwarning] There was a book that I read and loved, but I cannot for the life of me remember the title, and apparently I’m the only person who ever read it. It was about a girl named Minx, who lived with a woman who turned out to be a witch. Minx discovered that her real mother was a fairy and her own real name was Minikin(sp.) [/QUOTE] That’s _Little Witch_, which is on my list too! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456/35 "2008-01-15T08:38:24Z")
Probably _The Lorax_ My dad also had a copy of _Grimm’s Household Tales_. The one in which Cinderella’s step sisters cut off parts of their feet in order to fit in the shoe? In other words not the kiddied up version. I really enjoyed those stories. That’s really about it. We also had Noddy books and The Berenstain Bears books but I didn’t like those as much as the above. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456/36 "2008-01-15T08:43:41Z")
**drm** ’s post about Cinderella reminds me that I really really should’ve remembered to add _The Glass Slipper_, the quirky novel take on Cinderella by Eleanor Farjeon, together with _The Kings and Queens of England_, Farjeon’s book of humorous songs teaching about everyone from William the Conqueror to George VI (and only a line or two about Elizabeth II). Both books were absolutely integral to my childhood, I can’t believe I didn’t include 'em! ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456/37 "2008-01-15T10:22:19Z")
Two that haunt me over the years: **Time of Wonder** , Robert McCloskey > **[Amazon.com: Time of Wonder (Picture Puffins): 9780140502015: McCloskey, Robert:...](https://www.amazon.com/Wonder-Picture-Puffins-Robert-McCloskey/dp/0140502017)** > > Amazon.com: Time of Wonder (Picture Puffins): 9780140502015: McCloskey, Robert: Books **Ann Can Fly** , Fred Phleger > **[Ann Can Fly (Beginner Books): Frederick Phleger, Robert Lopshire: 9780394900124:...](https://www.amazon.com/Ann-Can-Fly-Beginner-Books/dp/039490012X)** > > Ann Can Fly (Beginner Books) \[Frederick Phleger, Robert Lopshire\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Ann Can Fly (Beginner Books) ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456/38 "2008-01-15T10:36:33Z")
My favorite was probably **The Enormous Egg**. A farm kid has a chicken that lays this big-ass egg, and it ends up being a triceratops. What kid wouldn’t want to have a pet triceratops? I also loved **Runaway Ralph**. Heck, anything by Beverly Cleary was gold. Loved the \*\*Narnia \*\* series. Most of it, anyway. Even though I don’t like dogs, I really got into **Where the Red Fern Grows**. A really good story, that one. ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456/39 "2008-01-15T12:26:29Z")
The only favorites of mine I don’t yet see represented (unless I missed them) are the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace and the Great Brain books by John Fitzgerald. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456/40 "2008-01-15T12:50:58Z")
Ok. The Narnier books Under the Mountain The Pern books - not sure if I was under 12 then. Beatrix Potter stuff Dr Seuss Herman the Great The Biggles books Many more that I can’t remember. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-favorite-childrens-books/433456.md?page=3)