Top 10 Books From My Childhood!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.
Every once in a while I participate in this one when I either
1) Like the theme, and/or 2) Have the time!
This week's topic:
Top 10 Books From My Childhood

TECHNICALLY the topic is
"Top 10 Books From My Childhood That I'd Like to Revisit"
buuuuut I wanted to do all-time favorites!



In no particular order...

1) ELLA ENCHANTED by Gail Carson Levine

This was my favorite book EVER. I'm afraid to ever read it again because nostalgia makes me love it so much, you know? I'd "outgrown" fairy tales by the time I read this. But this and the movie Ever After made me like fairy tales again. Cinderella knows the prince ahead of time AND she gets to save HIS butt. Love!!! I've read all of the author's books and am so excited that she's going to be signing locally in April so I can tell her just how much her book has meant to me all these years.
 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24337.Ella_Enchanted

2) A RING OF ENDLESS LIGHT by Madeleine L'Engle

Most people discovered Madeleine L'Engle through A WRINKLE IN TIME. I read those books--later on--but I didn't love them the same way I did A RING OF ENDLESS LIGHT. I LOVED Vicky. And I loved dolphins, my favorite animal! And I loved her romance with Adam. It made me want to read another book with them, TROUBLING A STAR, then read other books in the lives of both Vicky and Adam before they knew one another. From there, I dived into everything else L'Engle wrote. For a long time, she was my favorite author! I even have obscure books by her that you have to special order because stores just don't sell them.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14358.A_Ring_of_Endless_Light

3) THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND by Elizabeth George Speare


I don't even know why I loved this book quite so much. I think romance played a part and I was young and obsessed, lol. There was even a song we learned in choir that I would sing and make up stories about the characters in my head as I did so (This was long before I'd ever heard of fanfiction, lol). We had to read this in school and my copy is so shredded that it's barely hanging together even with tape!
 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/703292.The_Witch_of_Blackbird_Pond

4) The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

I could read these books again and again and never get sick of them. Every few years, I like to read them again. There's something so magical and wonderful about this series and it's a lifelong favorite of mine. There aren't even words! But if you've read this series, you know! I seriously would love for them to continue making them into movies even though they aren't huge blockbusters to see the world come to life and live in it a few more times.

https://www.goodreads.com/series/43814-the-chronicles-of-narnia-chronological-order


5) His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman
Another series I've read multiple times. I think this and Narnia really helped cement my love of fantasy and believing in the impossible. The world is so vast, and not everything is happy and perfect. It taught me so much about growing up and making hard decisions. I even went on to read other books by him, though they weren't loved quite so fiercely!
https://www.goodreads.com/series/44427-his-dark-materials

6) THE GIVER by Lois Lowry


I had to read this in school, and it was one of my favorite school assignments. I even sought out other books set in this world. I still have to read the newest book, SON, but I've been wanting to re-read all the older books in the set, so it's a great time to finally do that. I just have to, you know, make time to do it!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3636.The_Giver

7 & 8) A LITTLE PRINCESS and THE SECRET GARDEN by  Frances Hodgson Burnett

I loved both these books so much when I was younger and read them multiple times. I loved the movies, too, and watched them again and again. I can't remember what appealed to me so much about them, but the whimsy and magic kept me entertained. These are beloved classics for a reason, and I love that kids continue to read and love them today, and will continue to do so long after we've all passed on.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3008.A_Little_Princesshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2998.The_Secret_Garden



9, 10, and BEYOND!) SERIES!


I was a big fan of series growing up! Babysitter's Club, Sweet Valley, Saddle Club, Thoroughbred, Silver Blades, Boxcar Children etc. You name it, I probably was spending my allowance to buy the latest book in the series! I dont' really own most of these anymore like I do with the earlier books, though. (Why did I let my mom give them away!?) But they're still special in their own ways!

What books were your favorites growing up? ^_^

Comments

  1. So many of the books you list were ones that should have made my list had I made it longer. The Chronicles of Narnia. The Giver, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Madeleine L'Engle's books . . . Oh, the memories!

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  2. The Saddle Club was my sustenance as a child. I lived for this series. There were so many though and I don't think I ever read them all :( Luckily I still have them all boxed up in my closet for when I one day get my giant library. :) A girl can dream!

    My WoW

    My WoW

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  3. The Giver was great! Completely forgot about the His Dark Materials books and The Chronicles of Narnia, they were also ones I read when I was younger! Great picks

    Here's My List!
    Erica @ Read It. Note It.

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  4. Was worried we'd not have read the same books as a kid but nopes, At least half haha! HDM definitely would be on my top ten, and I know I read Witch a few times as a kid, possibly would put Secret Garden too... (I preferred the movie version's happier ending for Little Princess haha), and man soo loved the Babysitter's Club!

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  5. The Narnia books were so good! I absolutely adored Sweet Valley and The Babysitter's Club, I liked The Saddle Club too. Great choices! My TTT.

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  6. OH MY GOD IT'S LIKE WE'RE THE SAME PERSON AND IT'S FREAKING ME OUT.

    1. I have a super beaten up copy of Ella Enchanted on my bookshelf right next to me. The first time I reread it as an adult I had the same worries you did! And...well mostly it made me nostalgic so it made up for anything that I might not have loved as much.
    2. YES. THIS L'Engle book is THE book for me. I was introduced through the Time Quartet, but I read this one all the time (and it's actually the first Austen book I read). It's my favourite of hers and it's just...it's helped me get through some really tough times actually. I think it's the perfect representation she has in almost all of her books that's a marriage of science and religion that's really open and supportive and that I haven't encountered anywhere else.
    3. This is actually one that would be on my list - I remember loving it, but it's been so long since I read it that I can't exactly remember why
    4. Obviously, a staple of my rereading.
    5. I reread this every few years, but I'm way overdue at the moment. I kind of have to prepare myself to be destroyed by them, so I suppose that's why. I had the same reaction to Pulman though - this series I LOVED, and his other books are fun, but it's not the same.
    6. I haven't reread this one in years! I didn't like the second or third books nearly as much, so I'm not sure if I'll ever make it to Son. Who knows though?
    7. I loved both the movies and books too! I think The Secret Garden wins out as a favourite for me. I think I loved the movies so much because of the colors (I want Sara's attic bedroom when it's been transformed! IT'S SO GORGEOUS) and setting, but the books have been solid favourites since I first read them!

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  7. How could I have forgotten about The Witch of Blackbird Pond?

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