In the Beginning . . .

Reading was a force; a vortex that grabbed me and wouldn't let go. It drew me in farther and farther and still tugs at me today. I went from book to book as fast as I could manage, and my parents watched me go with joy. I certainly don't remember all the books I read as a young child, but there are some I could never forget: The Little Engine That Could, Mother Goose, Jack and the Beanstalk (how happy I was when I was old enough to read my folks copy of Illustrated Grimm's Fairy Tales), and then there were the Dr. Suess books.

I looked up the dates of the Dr. Suess books. Over these many years I have read and enjoyed them all. The first was written in 1937! The ones I remember so well are: And To Think it All Happened on Mulberry Street, 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins and If I Ran the Zoo.  I'm speaking now of books I remember two ways; first as being read to me, and then reading them on my own. Like so many kids I first memorized them, and in doing so was able to learn the words. 

It will seem odd to some younger readers, but there was no Kindergarten available to me, let alone pre-school or full day Kindergarten. What I learned I learned at home until I entered first grade. The photo below shows dad reading Fun in the Firehouse to my sisters while I read Fairy Tales. This is typical of our house at the time, although mom was usually the reader and dad at work. But books were a big, big part of our lives.

The photo is old (circa 1953) and faded, but my memories are still clear!

The books got bigger and more complicated. I read typical kid stuff: The Bronc Burnett series, the Hardy Boys, then came Mogli, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, Treasure Island and Kidnapped, Tarzan of the Apes, and so many more. Every now and then I still re-read Tarzan. I have a new Library of America copy now, mom's old first edition having disintegrated years ago; read to death.

Then I found the many World War II books! I started on submarines: Run Silent, Run Deep, moved to battleships and aircraft carriers and then the ground war, the air war. I couldn't get enough.

 Note: Let me recommend a couple WWII books that I still find great reading today: A Walk in the Sun, by Harry Brown, and Little Ship, Big War: The Saga of DE343 (Edward P. Stafford) There are more, of course, but this is a good start!

These WWII books introduced me to history. Not the half histories of text books and encyclopedias, but stories with real depth. That interest has held me all of my life--But that is a subject for another day.

One more thing before I close this post. I still love the Dr. Suess books. I read them with joy to my daughter and grandchildren and I'm happy to pull one out to read to a visiting child yet today. They made a powerful impact on me, and my mom, knowing that better than anyone, made a birthday present of what was to be Dr. Suess' last book, Oh, the Places You'll Go! in 1993. I was 45 years old and I loved it. I still do. 

What are the children's books you best remember? Give 'em a plug in the comments section below. I'd enjoy learning what grabbed you--and so would other readers.