Log In
Subscribe to Blog
Back to Search
We asked our staff for their favourite childhood books (or the books their children or grandchildren love). Here's what they had to say.
Bridgette' pick is The Balloon Tree by Phoebe Gilman
Gilman is one of my favourite children's authors and illustrators, but this one is still my favourite tales. When Princess Leora's father, the King, leaves the kingdom, her uncle attempts to steal the throne. To prevent the princess from sending out a warning balloon, her uncle has every balloon in the town destroyed and it is her mission to figure out a solution before it's too late.
Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton holds a lot of memories for Corinne.
Whenever I see or hear someone reading this book to their child at the Library it takes me right back to the years when my daughter was a toddler. This was her favourite book up to about four years old. We read it over and over and over, enough so that the binding tore and we had to buy a new copy. She had it memorized early on and would call me out if I tried to change-up the sequence or actions that an animal did. In addition to reading we would act out the book doing all the motions, trace the illustrations so she could "colour-in" her own version, use plastic animals and puppets to tell the story, etc. I think our life revolved around this book during her toddler years and even now, when she is almost 20, we will both start randomly reciting it and reminisce.
Fiona C's children loved Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown.
It is a story of a bunny who goes around saying goodnight to all the things in his bedroom, eventually being confident enough to reach out to the moon and stars to say goodnight to the world. It seems to have all the aspects that children love: repetition, familiarity and comforting images of being safe and secure. Upon reflection, it would also feel like an early book of mindfulness; a chance to look around and be grateful for everything that makes you happy.
Fiona C.'s personal favourite book is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.
Set during World War Two, four siblings are sent away from the city to live in a mysterious country house with a kindly, but distant Professor. Whilst exploring the sprawling house, the children find a room containing just a huge wardrobe. Upon opening the wardrobe, they walk right through the back of it into a fantasy world named Narnia, which contains all manner of enchanting creatures and hidden dangers too. Narnia, once a peaceful and warm land, has been frozen into permanent winter by the wicked White Witch; a force which the children must overcome and defeat, with the help of the lion Aslan. Since childhood, I can never look at a fresh fall of snow without wondering, "Am I in Narnia?" This classic is also Dayna's favourite.
Sara's childhood favourite is The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton.
It continues the story of Jo, Bessie, and Fanny and their magical adventures deep in the Enchanted Wood. We reconnect with Moon-Face, Silky, Mr Watzisname, and the Saucepan Man: the fairy folk who live in the tallest tree of the forest, the Magic Faraway Tree. At the top of the tree, the children climb up a ladder, reaching through the clouds, and visit various magical lands that come to rest on the uppermost branches. In this book they find the Land of Topsy Turvy (everyone has to walk on their hands), the Land of Dreams, the Land of Do-As-You-Please (yes, you can do whatever you want even if you're a train or an elephant), and the Land of Presents among others. The escapism and fantasy has stayed with me forever. Not that I read any Sci-Fi or Fantasy novels now, but the lure of the Slippery-Slip, the exciting slide which takes you from inside the top of the tree to the bottom, makes sure I'm constantly looking up when I walk my dog in the forest...
Corinne and her family have fond memories of Richard Scarry books.
I grew up on Richard Scarry books and my parents had saved many of them. When my son (E.) was born my parents passed the books along and I started reading them to him when he was a toddler. So began his introduction to Scarry's series of books about Busytown and its residents (anthropomorphic animals), a world that I loved as a child and that E. quickly grew to love, too. E. was entranced by all the details and could spend a fair amount of time looking at the illustrations on his own as well as have me read to him. His favourite was Cars and Trucks and Things that Go. When he was three-and-a-half we discovered that he could read quite a few words and by the time he was four he was reading on his own. Although I spent hours reading to him every week I give a huge credit to these books for helping him to read. In addition, they helped to reinforce the good manners that I was trying to teach him. The Busytown residents always said "please" and "thank you" and were respectful of others. As Richard Scarry said, "Everyone has to learn to read, to write, to know the alphabet, to count, to learn good manners, and many other things. In trying to teach these things I like to use animals dressed as humans; it is more fun!" I highly recommend these books for any children: boys or girls, voracious readers or reluctant readers. The bright illustrations, simple texts, and gentle lessons on sharing and tolerance will appeal to all.
The Secret World of OG by Pierre Burton is Renelle's family favourite.
The book was originally published in 1961, when I was nine years old. Our school librarian kept the only copy and read it to our class in instalments. Twenty-odd years later, I introduced the book to my younger daughter. She also loved it and it inspired her to write "The Secret World of GLOG". I remember telling her that she would need to think up her own story; changing the title slightly wasn't sufficient.
Sydney still enjoys A Dog's Life by Ann M. Martin.
This children's fiction story follows the life of a stray dog from the beginning of life to the end. I've reread it multiple times, even as an adult, and I shed a little tear every time. Definitely recommend for any person (regardless of age) that loves animals.
But wait, there are even more childhood books that are fondly-remembered by our staff:
- Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman was a favourite of Dayna’s daughter.
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom was a favourite of Leanne's son when he was younger. They recommend it as a great read-aloud that's lots of fun. Meanwhile, Leanne's daughter enjoyed Dear Zoo: "She had it memorized and would 'read' it to us all the time." Leanne's own favourite was The Monster at the End of This Book starring "lovable furry old Grover".
- Duck in the Truck and Fix-It Duck by Jez Alborough were enjoyed by Ilene's family. "Duck tries so hard to be helpful, only to make things worse for his friends."
- A Handful of Time by Kit Pearson was loved by Lynn. "A girl travels back in time to experience her mother's upbringing."
What were your favourite books to read as a child? Let us know in the comments.
0
Likes
Login to Like or Post a Comment
Make sure to log out of your current account before proceeding.
No login? Please enter your details below to continue.
Browser Compatibility Notification
It appears you are trying to access this site using an outdated browser. As a result, parts of the site may not function properly for you. We recommend updating your browser to its most recent version at your earliest convenience.