Flexible Friday #3 – Being Nine
by Sherra on June 13, 2008
in Moments, Random Thoughts, Raves, Tweens
It’s hard to be nine.
It’s especially hard to be nine when you have three teenage siblings.
And it’s a hot summer day.
Which always makes me think of staying inside and reading a good book.
So I went to a special cabinet in my room to get one of those classic books out for Scary Baby yesterday.
It made me remember being nine and being able to walk to the air-conditioned library in the small town where we lived.
It made me think of some of my favorite books and authors that transported me to another place and made me love reading…as in it is one my most favorite things to do!
We have three out of four kids that devour books like PhilBillPaul and I do. One unnamed teen much prefers TV to a good book.
Nature vs. nurture is alive and well at our house.
Here are some of my all-time favorites that all my kids have read and still love (even the non-reader):
Ramona the Pest
(I love the whole series!)
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective
(You don’t have to be a boy to love this series!)
The Boxcar Children
(might just be my all-time favorite series!)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
(fun to read and then watch the *original* movie with Gene Wilder!)
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
(love, love, love all her books!)
The library is a fabulous place to spend some of your hot summer days. Most libraries have great summer reading programs and activities. Books make great gifts at any age.
Have you passed on your love of reading on to your kids?
Share the titles or authors of your favorite childhood books…it’s always fun to get book recommendations!
Anything by E.L. Konigsburg. Her characters are smart and quirky.
You’ll be happy to know that I still frequent that small town library on a regular basis and it has not changed at all since ‘back in the day’! As for childhood reading, I think Mrs. Gill had to call my mom on more than one occassion to ask her if I should be reading some of the things I was checking out so I don’t think I’d be the best person to consult for your kids summer reading selections! :0
Well finally ALL of my kids like to read. It took one of the twins til she was 17 but she’s finally picked it up. Praise the Lord since I am a reader like you. So now we all read, except for dad, bless his heart. He does at least look at magazines while he’s “resting”.
We loved The Boxcar Children as well but I was a lover of horses so I read all of the Walter Farley series about The Black Stallion. Of course I liked dog books too so Lassie Come Home was a fav as well as Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard. I passed some of that along as well. One of the twins has read all of those as well.
My 10 yr old son just read Marley, a dog like no other by John Grogan and loved that. I’ve purchased Cormac by Sonny Brewer for him to read next. He loves anything by Bill Wallace.
I’m into mysteries myself these days although I have been known to read some romance when I’m totally out of anything else. My favorite author of all time is probably Dick Francis. He’s about to retire and it’s killing me.
Really prefer fiction and don’t like self help books at all. I don’t think I’ve ever finished one of those. I do buy cookbooks too even though I’m not much of a cook.
julieann » LOVED “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler” which reminds me to get that one for Scary Baby on our next trip to the library after she finishes the SPIDER book she got last week.
Kerri » That library is filled with such great memories – I’m so glad it hasn’t changed. Did I know you were reading inappropriate books back in the 4th and 5th grade???? Those Judy Blume books do get racy if you read them when you’re too young!
Melinda » So there is hope for the non-reading twin? She does love People magazine (a guilty pleasure I’m sure I helped her develop). The *boys* love SciFi and it’s a genre I just can’t get into. I’m just glad we all read!
Ok, I must admit I am crazy for books and the library is a regular on my list of places to visit. I love books so much I could even imagine owning a book store of my own just to be surrounded by books all day long. (Of course, then I wake up and realize I would have to work far too much!)
When the girls were little I know I memorized Inside A Barn in The Country and The Escape of Marvin the Ape not to mention every Barney book on the planet!! I highly recommend the book titled The Twelve Gifts of Birth by Charlene Costanzo. It is actually a favorite gift that I give to parents to be. Oh, and one last favorite that still to this day makes me cry like a big blubbering baby…I Love You Forever…I need a tissue just thinking about it!
Did you know???? I’m pretty sure we were reading the same things! And I don’t think they were inappropriate, just more adult than most kids would read. I think we were both pretty wise little 4th graders and Mrs. Gill was somewhat of a prude.
Has anyone read the Janet Evanovich “Stephanie Plum” series? I laugh out loud reading them and I’ve even got my husband started on them. Another favorite author is Karl Hiassen. Both have very unique characters and are great beach reads.
By the way, in case I haven’t mentioned, I love your blog! It is such a great way to reconnect with an old friend. And your stories of motherhood just crack me up. You sound just like I remember your mom. Who knew SHE was so funny? Keep up the good work!
Tammy » Great recommendations and I didn’t even touch on those favorite toddler books. I’ll have to put a list of those on Flexible Friday some day soon. And you reminded me of a favorite quote about books I’ll include then too!
Kerri » We were wise beyond our years and therefore we were reading much more mature subject matter. Ha! Okay, I don’t remember totally so I must attribute it to the coma. I do remember an incident with my darling brother in the library and I believe we might have been asked to leave. Do you remember?
My mom does read this from time to time. She actually reads and enjoys the comments more than what I write so I’m sure she’ll enjoy yours especially after the coconut-throwing trauma. I would write about it but I vowed to try to stay in the present and only write about the family I have now. (Except stuff about Julie with her permission!)
As soon as I read this posting, I knew I had to respond–on my way to posting a response, I see I will not be the first to share my love of E.L. Konigsburg! “The Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler” was one of the defining book of my childhood–a signed copy sits on the bookshelf in my daughter’s room. The college in my hometown hosted its own children’s book award each year, and we (children in my elementary school on the college campus) always got to see the winning authors! The year this book won the Willaim Allen White Book Award, Mrs. Koningsburg signed a copy for me. I also love Keith Robertson’s books and several other authors whom I got to know in this way.
Then there are the classic series, e.g., the Laura Ingalls Wilder (“Little House on the Praire”) and “Anne of Green Gables” series. All of C.S. Lewis’ books are wonderful–his “Narnia” series and all the rest.
My children have grown up reading these books I loved, and I have enjoyed getting to know new authors–J.K. Rowling, for example!
I think I could have been quite happy working as a children’s book librarian!
Katie » Thanks for the great suggestions! I may need to start a running book list for each age group. It is amazing how books impact our lives in so many ways. Libraries and bookstores are my favorite quiet places to *shop*!