Favorite Children's Book?

Question

I'm sure this question gets asked all the time here, but what was your favorite book as a child? Do you have any fond memories associated with the book?

Answer 1

My childhood was a very long time ago, but I hated reading back then. Too many kids books of the time were re-told stories that had simple words to suit specific reading levels. That dumbing down of the books deprived them of their richness and flavor. I also had undiagnosed learning disabilities (ADD and mild dyslexia) which made reading a terrible chore.

So when I got Little Men by Louisa May Alcott as a Christmas exchange gift in my girl scout troupe, I felt very cheated. Since the girl who had drawn my name was a lovely person whose feelings I didn't want to hurt, I kept the book, but never opened it.

Just before the end of the school year, the girl who had given me the book (two grades ahead of me) approached me in the hallway and asked how much I liked the book. I confessed that I didn't like to read and hadn't read it. She went on to tell me how special that book had been to her, and that she had chosen it especially for me because she had loved it so much.

I went home and opened the book, just to please her. I was hooked. I re-read the book over and over throughout the summer. When I went back to school in the fall (I had no access to books at home), I sought out and read the rest of Louisa Mae Alcott's books, and branched out to other books and other authors.

Reading became a wonderful escape from a truly horrible childhood.

I don't remember whether or not I ever thanked that girl for her gift. It was much more than the gift of an entertaining story.

Answer 2

What is YOUR favorite children's book? Make Way for Ducklings- a classic good for all ages What is your CHILD's favorite book? The 3 year old loves Green Eggs and Ham and the David books, the 5 year old likes the Fancy Nancy books, and the 7 year old likes the Junie B Jones and the Fudge books. Do you know of some really great book titles that have a lot of meaning for the parent and the child? I think it really depends on each person. I love the classics, but my kids aren't impressed by Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel nearly as much as I was.

Answer 3

Check out this site: http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/awards.html

I am especially impressed by the Caldecott and Newberry awards, including the honorable mentions.

My favorite book as a very young child: Where the Wild Things Are

I'd forgotten how good Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was until reminded by an answer here - written around the turn of the century, but what a great book (it's Willie Wonka). I didn't get to read it until high school, but it's probably good for a 10-year-old or so.

Also good to read to youngsters, or by them when a little older: Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling, written for his daughter.

Jim, http://www.jimpettis.com/wheel/

Answer 4

Weeeeell....... I suppose that I am still classified as a child, so my favorite book would be Inkheart. I've read it at least 3 times if not 4. I get this great feeling every time I open it. I only read it during summer, so when I open it, I know that summer is offically here. :D

Answer 5

The Little Prince. The picture he drew of the elephant inside the snake opened up new ways of seeing things. Even a child sometimes has to be reminded to think like a child. Wonderful, and it only gets better as you grow older.

Answer 6

The first book that I remember liking was read too our third grade class and was "Charlie and the chocolate Factory". The first book that I read from cover to cover was called "Swan Lake" or something like that. It was about a young girl with a mentally challenged younger brother.

Answer 7

Pobody's Nerfect - it's this little book that no one's ever heard of, but was the first book I learned how to read. Well, my mom says that she read it to me so many times that I memorized the words, and that's how I learned to read. It's about a little cow with multicolored spots instead of black ones like everyone else. It's all beat up, a few pages are ripped, and there's yellow highlighter scribbles all over the back cover... but it still sits on my bookshelf. =)

Answer 8

The Little Prince, by French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Answer 9

My favorite children's book is Who wants an Old teddy bear.
I loved reading it when I was little and would read it to my teddy bears.

Answer 10

I loved If you Give a Mouse a Cookie. I just loved the cover and the pictures and colors inside.