Top Ten Tuesday: Books Written Before I Was Born
This week’s theme of books written before I was born was such a fun way to visit some of my favorite stories growing up. I was born in the mid 80s, so authors like the great Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume had written some absolutely amazing books for kids.
Children’s literature has changed a lot in the past 30 plus years. You’ll see my list is very white. I grew up in a very small town in western Pennsylvania and although amazing authors like Ezra Jack Keats were writing books, one didn’t see a lot of diversity in the small library I grew up in. It’s so exciting to be living in a time where diversity is a focus on children’s literature creating “windows and doors” for so many kids!
Top Ten Tuesday: Books Written Before I Was Born
- Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (1908)
One of my all-time favorite books, I read this book so many times as a kid and even read a biography about the author too! - Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary (1955)
This series was read (and listened to) a lot as well. Cleary knows exactly how to write a young girl full of spunk! - The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner (1924)
I’m not sure how many in the Boxcar Children series I read as a kid, but it was a lot. - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (1964)
Written way before I thought it was, this was such a fun read (with a creepy movie). - Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White (1952)
I don’t necessarily remember my reaction to this book, but it’s one that has stood the test of time. - The Cricket In Times Square by George Selden (1960)
This was read aloud to me by a teacher in elementary school. It’s funny how some of my strongest school memories are my teacher’s reading aloud to the class. - From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (1967)
This is another one of my all-time favorite books that I have re-read over and over again. Even though parts of it might be a little foreign to kids now, the idea of living in a museum is still just as thrilling! - Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh (1964)
I’m pretty sure after I read this, I spent a good amount of time carrying around my own notebook. But, I was careful to keep it safe. - Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Robert and Florence Atwater (1938)
Another book that was read aloud to me in school. Again, I can’t remember the teacher, but I remember sitting in a classroom listening to it. - Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume (1972)
This was another series I loved as a kid. Growing up with two younger brothers and a younger sister, I could relate to how Peter felt. At least none of my siblings swallowed a pet!
What were some of your favorites growing up?
The Artsy Reader Girl currently hosts Top Ten Tuesday, an original feature created by The Broke and the Bookish.
4 Comments
lydiaschoch
I know I read at least the first Boxcar Children book. Fun!
My post.
curlygeek04
I loved so many of these books, especially Charlotte’s Web, The Cricket in Times Square, and Harriet The Spy. My other favorites were The Secret Garden and the Oz series . Also loved Wrinkle in Time and the Mary Poppins books.
Regine Karpel (@regine_karpel)
I love your picks.
Rhosymedre (@Rhosymedre)
Ten awesome children classics, nice job. With the exception of 7 and 8, I’ve read (and loved) all of these, even though I weirdly don’t remember any details from Blume or Cleary’s books from those series at all. That’s so cool that you were invested enough in the Anne series to go on to a biography of the author — she is a really interesting subject to read about.
It’s lovely, too, that you have such positive memories of teachers reading aloud to the class — I just realized that, although I know they did it, I can’t remember a single book any of them read.
–RS