Top Ten Tuesday: Children's Books

Growing up in a single-parent home, money was normally tight; however, I never remember feeling that we were missing out on anything. Mama was great at making do. For Christmas, she always bought us at least two new board games ("I could buy a board game for the price of going to the movies," she told me one time, "and we'd get enjoyment for a much longer time.") and, of course, books.

Every year, I'd get books for Christmas--and I loved them. Many of them were the little Wonder Golden Books--a bargain at 99 cents each (and, yes, I know I'm dating myself here.) Then there were the Disney and Peter Pan Read-Along books and records ("SEE the pictures, HEAR the record, READ the book."). As I got older, I graduated to chapter books. So...here are some of the books I remember best growing up.

1. This was my favorite book for years. I could identify with Biff the Bear--no matter which trick he tried, he messed it up. In the end, though, his mishaps led to a HEA for Miss Polly... see romance loving even back then!!

2. Grandpa shares his wonderful magnifying glass and it's amazing what the kids can see!

3. Sam and Bam were early NASA astronauts...I was intrigued by the space program. Watched the first space launch while I was in kindergarten, so this book stuck with me.

4. What was in that tree? A fun read.

5. To this day, I can't think of The Gingerbread Man without hearing the song in my head: "I've run away from a little old woman, I've run away from a little old man..... and a cow! And I can run away from you, I can."

6. I was given the entire set of Anne books--and I fell in love.

7. I don't remember where I got this book, but it's another one I remember fondly. I found a copy in a vintage store a few years ago and bought it.

8. My love for mysteries also started at an early age. Walt Disney put out a series of mysteries starring Annette Funicello from The Mickey Mouse Club, and I loved her convertible!! I think that's why, to this day, I would love to own one.

9. Trixie Beldon, along with Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, also fueled my life-long interest in mysteries.

10. This was a sweet book that I remember loving as a kid. It's been years since I've read it...:::marking it down on my To-Be-Re-Read list:::

So...there you have it. Ten books I remember well from my childhood. I was always a voracious reader (things haven't changed much), so there are many others that I've read...but that's for another day.

Looking forward to seeing other memories of books gone by.