What Are Your Favorite Children's Stories?

[dissention]

So, what are they?

My favorite is Alice In Wonderland (and Through the Looking Glass).

When I was little, my grandmother rented the Disney version and I *loved* it. Then whenever anyone would go to the video store, I'd pick out another version of it and another and another. When I was a little older, my mom gave me the annotated books for Easter and, of course, I read them and loved them. Ever since, I am the *biggest* Alice In Wonderland freak. I collect everything that I can get my grubby hands on that has to do with it. :laugh: I would probably say that I have 15 versions of it on video, countless book editions, a framed print of the original poster for the Disney movie, tons of toys that I keep stored away in a trunk, tons of stuff. My favorite item is a porcelain replica of Alice that was licensed by Disney in the 60s. And Stevie did a song based on Alice!

I also love the Berenstain Bears series. I have every one of their books from when I was little. They are some of my most treasures things becaus eof the memories I have of reading them with my mom when I was little. :)

[strandinthewind]

I liked that one. I also liked "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe."

[GypsySorcerer]

I liked the Narnia series. I seem to remember liking the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books, and I was a big fan of Judy Blume, especially the Superfudge series.

And in middle school, I was *obsessed* with The Baby-Sitter's Club.

[DrummerDeanna]

My favorite as a kid was Matilda by Roal Dahl , I LOVED that book! Also, I like Peter Pan, I loved Christopher Pike books, these pre-dated R.L. Stine and Goosebumps and so on...and I also loved the Choose Your Own Adventure books!!

[dissention]

Originally posted by DrummerDeanna
My favorite as a kid was Matilda by Roal Dahl , I LOVED that book!

Anything that Dahl wrote was genius. :nod: I especially love The Witches! It's one of my faves.

I liked the first couple of Narnia books, but lost interest by the fourth one. I did, however, LOVE The Princess Bride (better than the movie) and The Neverending Story (better than the movie!!).

[darklinensuit]

Originally posted by dissention
Anything that Dahl wrote was genius. :nod: I especially love The Witches! It's one of my faves.

I liked the first couple of Narnia books, but lost interest by the fourth one. I did, however, LOVE The Princess Bride (better than the movie) and The Neverending Story (better than the movie!!).

Anything by Susan Cooper, especially The Dark is Rising series. Far better than Narnia, IMO.

- Jake

[GardenStateGirlie]

Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

"Voici mon secret. Il est tres simple: on ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (And now here is my secret, a very simple secret:It is only with one's heart that one can see clearly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.)

I love that story.

[wondergirl9847]

Originally posted by dissention
I liked the first couple of Narnia books, but lost interest by the fourth one. I did, however, LOVE The Princess Bride (better than the movie) and The Neverending Story (better than the movie!!).

I have yet to read The Princess Bride, and it's one of my fave movies ever. I love The Neverending Story too, but have never read it either.

I didn't read the Narnia books or Alice in Wonderland as a kid...I read them in high school. :o I went to a Christian school from kindergarten through 8th grade, we mostly read The Bible. LOL I had seen those BBC Narnia movies on PBS one morning when I was like 15, and fell in love with the story, so when our English teacher asked us to read a book on this list she made, I asked if I could read the Narnia books instead, and she said yes. I did the same thing with Alice in Wonderland. LOL

I'm not a big reader, although I do love to write. I love Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH too. The Secret of NIMH is one of my fave movies of all time. I like dark stuff, for some reason. LOL

[GardenStateGirlie]

Originally posted by dissention
I also love the Berenstain Bears series. I have every one of their books from when I was little. They are some of my most treasures things becaus eof the memories I have of reading them with my mom when I was little. :)

:nod: I had a boatload of Berenstein Bear books and I even had a board game and a video. They have their own TV series on I think PBS that every once in a while I'll catch on. I loooved them.

Do you remember The Little Critter books? I loved those too :nod:

[strandinthewind]

Originally posted by GardenStateGirlie
Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

"Voici mon secret. Il est tres simple: on ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (And now here is my secret, a very simple secret:It is only with one's heart that one can see clearly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.)

I love that story.

d'accord et moi aussi - ma petite jeune fille :cool:

[dissention]

Originally posted by GardenStateGirlie
:nod: I had a boatload of Berenstein Bear books and I even had a board game and a video. They have their own TV series on I think PBS that every once in a while I'll catch on. I loooved them.

Do you remember The Little Critter books? I loved those too :nod:

I've only seen the new Berenstain Bears cartoon a few times, but I have tons of the old cartoons on video. Do you have a favorite book? Mine was the Berenstain Bears and the No Girls Allowed Club. Another great one was the Berenstain Bears Christmas; it was epic length for a BB book! "Deep in Bear Country...on a sunny dirt road." Luv em!

I loved the Little Critters, too. I thought they were adorable!

Has anyone read the childrens book Marianne Dreams? It's almost fifty years old and is from England, most people aren't familiar with it. It's quite dark and scary for a kids book, but it is one of the best ever written. Maybe Pip has seen it?

[GardenStateGirlie]

Originally posted by dissention
I've only seen the new Berenstain Bears cartoon a few times, but I have tons of the old cartoons on video. Do you have a favorite book? Mine was the Berenstain Bears and the No Girls Allowed Club. Another great one was the Berenstain Bears Christmas; it was epic length for a BB book! "Deep in Bear Country...on a sunny dirt road." Luv em!

No Girls Allowed was a favorite of mine as was the one where brother breaks mother bears..i think it was lamp? The new baby book was cute too :nod:

[golddustwoman77]

I still love Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. It is just wonderful! I also loved Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary books as a child. Judy Blume wrote the Hey God, Are You There, It's Me Margaret?, Tales of A Fourth Grade Nothing, Etc. Beverly Cleary wrote Dear Mr. Henshaw, Ramona Quimbey, etc. Some other good children's books are Holes, Tuck Everlasting, Sounder, and Charlotte's Web. :nod:

:wavey: :wavey: :wavey:

[Johnny Stew]

Hmm, after seeing the movie, 'The Princess Bride' book was about the most disappointing thing I've ever read. It didn't at all have the magic and spirit of the film.
(The only other case I can think of, where I found the movie to be FAR better than the book, was 'Somewhere In Time.' The book it was based on, 'Bid Time Return,' SUCKED! What a waste of time.)

My favorite books when I was a kid, were the classic stories... 'The Wizard of Oz,' 'Beauty And The Beast,' and the like.

I also loved a zany little story called "Stand Back," Said The Elephant, "I'm Going To Sneeze!" (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0688093388/103-9163887-9795850?v=glance/ThePenguin)... that one's a classic. :D

[strandinthewind]

"Somewhere in Time" is one of my favorite movies!!!!!

Jane Seymore is so incredibly beautiful. I love it when she looks up at Christopher Reeve and asks - "Is it you?"

Sighs!!!!

[Johnny Stew]

I know, Jason... the movie is just so romantic and beautiful. Jane Seymore and Christopher Reeve are both gorgeous in the film.
But unfortunately the book has none of that charm. It's cold and brutal, and has no charm of its own.

I couldn't have been more disappointed.
Well, not until I read 'The Princess Bride,' that is!

[Siri Ruane]

The Star Wars Jedi Apprentice series. Duh. :laugh:

[darklinensuit]

Originally posted by golddustwoman77
I still love Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. It is just wonderful! I also loved Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary books as a child. Judy Blume wrote the Hey God, Are You There, It's Me Margaret?, Tales of A Fourth Grade Nothing, Etc. Beverly Cleary wrote Dear Mr. Henshaw, Ramona Quimbey, etc. Some other good children's books are Holes, Tuck Everlasting, Sounder, and Charlotte's Web. :nod:

:wavey: :wavey: :wavey:

When I taught Tuck Everlasting we did this book. The ending is great. The movie was TERRIBLE.

- Jake

[darklinensuit]

Originally posted by Johnny Stew
I know, Jason... the movie is just so romantic and beautiful. Jane Seymore and Christopher Reeve are both gorgeous in the film.
But unfortunately the book has none of that charm. It's cold and brutal, and has no charm of its own.

I couldn't have been more disappointed.

Maybe if you play the soundtrack while you read it will come alive.
When I used to manage a bookstore in Chicago the theme used to play from the music department. Once is nice, three times & it will never leave your head. Sometimes I still hear it playing...then I wake up and I get through it...:rolleyes:

- Jake

[Johnny Stew]

Originally posted by darklinensuit
Maybe if you play the soundtrack while you read it will come alive.
When I used to manage a bookstore in Chicago the theme used to play from the music department. Once is nice, three times & it will never leave your head. Sometimes I still hear it playing...then I wake up and I get through it...Well, Jake, I can see why this could be a whole lotta trouble... FOR YOU! ;)

[macmar71]

Sleeping Beauty was my favorite book when I was a kid.

[golden braid]

I love all of the Ramona books and the Dahl books. As a littler kid I liked Frog and Toad and Francis (I think she was a koala bear.) I also liked Shel Silverstein and all of his poetry and the Giving Tree. :)

[DrummerDeanna]

Originally posted by golden braid
I love all of the Ramona books and the Dahl books. As a littler kid I liked Frog and Toad and Francis (I think she was a koala bear.) I also liked Shel Silverstein and all of his poetry and the Giving Tree. :)

OMG..I completely forgot about Ramona!! I LOVED those books, I also liked Judy Blume a lot too...and I also like her adult novels :)

I have been meaning to go back and read the Narnia books...I had a horrid experience with them in fifth grade though. I had this old balding teacher who always had corn removers on her elbows...and she decided we would read The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe in class...or rather she would read it to us. Well, that's all well and good, but we had to sit up straight in our desks and listen. If we so much as looked to our side or touched a pencil she flipped out. This doesn't bode well for fifth graders...especially me, I've alway been a doodler. So...I hated the books because it was the hardest worst thing to have this woman that we hated reading us a book and not letting us do anything but sit up straight in our desks...but I've heard they're great books...so perhaps one day I will revisit them :)

[jadegypsy]

Little kid (up to 5th grade) : Secret of Nhim (sp?), The Fairie Rebel, Sweet Valley Twins and High (yeah mom didn't put restriction on reading materials), BSC, Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Witches, The Secret Garden, Miss Piggi Wiggle.

Middle School: Where the Red Fern Grows, Summer of the Monkeys, The Black Stallion Series, Young Jedi Knights, Girl of the Limberlost, Old Yeller, Thoroughbred Series, Never Ending Story (re-read as an adult, whole different perspective), Ruffian, Man'o War, Ten Little Indians (agatha christi), For Your Eyes Only (James Bond).

[darklinensuit]

Originally posted by Johnny Stew
Well, Jake, I can see why this could be a whole lotta trouble... FOR YOU! ;)

This is something that we really don't discuss.:)


And Deanna, sorry to hear of your unpleasant Narnia visits.:(

- Jake

[GardenStateGirlie]

Originally posted by DrummerDeanna
OMG..I completely forgot about Ramona!! I LOVED those books, I also liked Judy Blume a lot too...and I also like her adult novels :)

RAMONA QUIMBY!!!! I loooooved those books. They also came out with a set of movies as well with a very very young Sarah Polley as Ramona.

Do you remember Avonlea? I loved those books too :nod:

[darklinensuit]

Hey, Marissa, it seems that every twelve-year-old girl on the East Coast highlights & giggles over parts of Flowers in the Attic, correct? I still remember that being passed around on the schoolbus.

- Jake

[GardenStateGirlie]

Originally posted by darklinensuit
Hey, Marissa, it seems that every twelve-year-old girl on the East Coast highlights & giggles over parts of Flowers in the Attic, correct? I still remember that being passed around on the schoolbus.

- Jake

Is that the book where the mother locks her kids in the attic?

[darklinensuit]

Originally posted by GardenStateGirlie
Is that the book where the mother locks her kids in the attic?

If I remember (we're gong back twentyyears) it's the grandmother, & the brother attacks the sister. Truly a tasteless book.

- Jake

[GardenStateGirlie]

Originally posted by darklinensuit
If I remember (we're gong back twentyyears) it's the grandmother, & the brother attacks the sister. Truly a tasteless book.

- Jake

I don't know that i've ever read it but I think i've heard about it before. VC Andrews was always a little strange if memory serves.

[laurie816]

Nobody read to me as a child:distress:

Well, unless you count my third grade teacher (Mrs. Pease) who would read a book a week...It usually did bore me to tears, until she read "Charlotte's Web" and then I wept like a baby...so did the little boys.

I did read a Bobbsie Twins book that I do remember I enjoyed, but for the life of me I can't remember the name of it...and I don't even know where the hell I got it from, because it was an old book to begin with.

I didn't really enjoy reading much until High School, where we read Poe, Steinbeck, Hawthorne and Shakespeare...English and Literature were the only subjects I got passing grades in.

Speaking of Judy Blume...(I did read Are You There God It's Me...Margaret, the Fudge Series was a bit before my time) but THE JUDY BLUME book that got passed around my school was FOREVER...I don't know if anyone has read that one, but It was about 2 young lovers, Michael and Katherine...and yes, it was about THE first time!!!

That book got passed around quite a bit and made many of us 8th grade girls blush...especially when referring to the male anatomy:eek: The part that made us giggle was when Katherine put after shave on Michael....and not on his face:laugh:

[DrummerDeanna]

Good to know there are still people out there who read and liked books as a kid...and probably now as well??

I'm actually taking a Children's Literature class right now. Me and my friend David are the only two non-elementary ed majors in the class...and on the first day we all had to go around and talk about our experience with books. Only about six people (out of 36) liked books..the rest said they hate to read and never do it, a couple of people said they'd never read an entire book in their lives...and the ELEMENTARY EDUCATION majors!!! I can't believe these people want to teach the future generations....

[dissention]

Originally posted by GardenStateGirlie
Is that the book where the mother locks her kids in the attic?

I still have my old copy of that book. :eek: And the three sequels. :eek: :eek:

Such a sick book, but so addictive. My jaw was on the floor when the brother and sister started sleeping together. And when the little twin died from arsenic poisoning in his dounuts?! And when the grandma put tar in the older girls hair?!?!

Lawd. That. Is. A. Classic.

:laugh:

[wondergirl9847]

Originally posted by laurie816
THE JUDY BLUME book that got passed around my school was FOREVER...I don't know if anyone has read that one, but It was about 2 young lovers, Michael and Katherine...and yes, it was about THE first time!!!

That book got passed around quite a bit and made many of us 8th grade girls blush...especially when referring to the male anatomy:eek: The part that made us giggle was when Katherine put after shave on Michael....and not on his face:laugh:

SAME thing happened in my CHRISTIAN school!! LMAO!! We were all huddled around the table looking like this :eek: as we read it and the boys were giggling and the girls were like "Let me read it!!!" There were fights!! LOL

We all got reprimanded for reading it and the girl who brought the book got in trouble. :laugh:

[GardenStateGirlie]

Originally posted by dissention
I still have my old copy of that book. :eek: And the three sequels. :eek: :eek:

Such a sick book, but so addictive. My jaw was on the floor when the brother and sister started sleeping together. And when the little twin died from arsenic poisoning in his dounuts?! And when the grandma put tar in the older girls hair?!?!

Lawd. That. Is. A. Classic.

:laugh:

Yep. Then I definately missed that book...lol...sheebus....:laugh:

[dissention]

Originally posted by wondergirl9847
SAME thing happened in my CHRISTIAN school!! LMAO!! We were all huddled around the table looking like this :eek: as we read it and the boys were giggling and the girls were like "Let me read it!!!" There were fights!! LOL

We all got reprimanded for reading it and the girl who brought the book got in trouble. :laugh:

My teacher had that book on her bookshelf in the classroom, along with Flowers In the Attic and some Harlequins!! :eek: :laugh:

[dissention]

Originally posted by GardenStateGirlie
Yep. Then I definately missed that book...lol...sheebus....:laugh:

Oh, get a copy! It will provide a good night of laughter and disgust for anyone. :laugh:

[littlelies7]

I used to loooovvveee Nancy Drew! I had lots of her books.

My favorite mystery of hers of all time is "The Black Widow"! It was in the Files series.

[littlelies7]

Originally posted by dissention
I still have my old copy of that book. :eek: And the three sequels. :eek: :eek:


There were sequels? :confused:

[dissention]

Originally posted by littlelies7
There were sequels? :confused:

Yup.

Petals On the Wind, If There Be Thorns, and Garden of Shadows.

[golden braid]

Originally posted by dissention
Yup.

Petals On the Wind, If There Be Thorns, and Garden of Shadows.


There are actually five. Don't forget Seeds of Yesterday. :)

I loved these books too and read all of the series.

[darklinensuit]

Originally posted by golden braid
There are actually five. Don't forget Seeds of Yesterday. :)


There are six. Don't forget Dandelions of my Smutmaking.

- Jake

[dissention]

Originally posted by golden braid
There are actually five. Don't forget Seeds of Yesterday. :)

I loved these books too and read all of the series.

Oh my! How could I forget! I actually busted them out from my bookshelf last night and flipped through them. So bad, but so good.

Ever seen the movie version of Flowers? That. Was. Awful.

[golden braid]

Originally posted by dissention
Ever seen the movie version of Flowers? That. Was. Awful.

Yeah. It sucked.

[Siri Ruane]

The Junior Jedi Knight series were cool. My 7 year old brother is reading them now. :D