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This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt at That Artsy Reader Girl is Books On My Fall 2020 TBR. I’m not that organized; I just read whatever looks good when it’s time to choose a new one. So I decided to list the Top Ten Books I Read in Elementary School. Beverly Cleary has been on my mind lately because she lived in Portland, Oregon, where I am now. I posted a walking tour of sites from her life and books last week and have a review of Beezus and Ramona scheduled for tomorrow, so this seemed like good timing.
I’m going to date myself with this list! I’m currently 42 so I was reading these in the mid- to late-80s. A few may creep into middle school territory. I tried to choose the covers I remember for the sheer nostalgia of it.
Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry–I remember checking for more books in this series every week at my local library.
Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace–I remember checking this series out from my elementary school library.
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein–My sister and I owned all of Mr. Silverstein’s poetry. Somehow, I think she got all of those books when I moved out. Hmmmm….
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis–Who doesn’t love Narnia?
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery–Ask what my favorite book is and odds are, this will be the first book I list.
Little Men by Louisa May Alcott–I have never cared for Little Women. I’m not even sure if I’ve ever finished it. I know I got to Beth’s scene. You know the one. I don’t think I’ve ever made it much past that point. I got Little Men in one of those book fair grab bags (remember those?) and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve re-read it. It’s still on my shelves.
Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper–I honestly don’t remember much about this series but I do remember looking for it every week at my local library. I credit it with my love of fantasy.
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary–I remember this book most clearly from the Ramona series.
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar–I can remember my fourth-grade teacher, whom I loved, reading chapters to us from this book. I also remember checking it out to read it on my own a few times.
The Borrowers by Mary Norton–I associate this book with my grandmother for some reason but I’m not sure why. I need to ask her. I know she never bought it for me and I don’t think she owned it. I really think I checked them out from the library. Maybe she told me about them? Or mentioned that she loved them when she was young or when she read them to my mom and her siblings when I just happened to bring them home? Whatever the reason, I remember loving this series too.
That’s my list! Have you read any of them? What did you think? Which books did/would you choose? Link up every Tuesday at That Artsy Reader Girl!
23 Comments
Oh yes, most of these would be on my list too! I LOVED Anastasia and read those books many times, as well as the Ramona books and the others — just not LMA, because I never read anything by her until I was 19.
I hated reading when I was in elementary school, but I do remember A Light In The Attic. I read it a few times because it was in every classroom library at my school. I really liked Ramona too.
Oh the Borrowers, I haven’t read that in years, I love that book, it brings back great memories!
Oh, how fun! I loved the Beverly Cleary books as a kid!
Beverly Cleary books were definitely popular in my little elementary school class!
Oh, I love seeing what people enjoyed as a kid!! Thank you! No pressure to click, but if interested here is my list of childhood favorites https://hopewellslibraryoflife.wordpress.com/2015/06/02/childhood-favorites/
I remember loving Ramona the Pest! And anything Shel Silverstein wrote.
You have to love Ramona and Shel Silverstein, right?
Yep!
I love several of these, too! I really want to read the whole Wayside School series again—I was reminded about it earlier this year when Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom was released. And I loved The Borrowers, too! Have you seen the Studio Ghibli movie based on that series? (The Secret World of Arrietty) We enjoyed that one, even if it’s more “inspired by” than a straight movie version of the books.
I listened to a collection of Wayside books 1-3 several years ago but I didn’t know there was a new one! I’ll look for it! I haven’t seen The Secret World of Arrietty. I’ll look for that one too. Thanks for the updates!
You’re welcome! I think the new Wayside school book was published this March, so it’s not surprising that it isn’t something more people know about, given everything else that happened in March…
I was born in 1975, so we were in elementary school during the same period. I remember reading all of these books! THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE particularly stands out in my mind. It totally captured my imagination 🙂 Fun list!
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
I don’t even know how many times I’ve re-read the Narnia series at this point, especially The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Voyage of the Dawn Trader. Those two are my favorites!
This is a great list of books. Sideways Stories from Wayside School. Oh yes!
I remember our class giggling like crazy as our teacher read it. Such zany humor!
I love nostalgic covers that take me back! that Narnia one definitely does it for me. And I remember The Borrowers but never read it!
The Narnia cover definitely screams the ’80s, doesn’t it? I think every Choose Your Own Adventure book had a cover similar to this one! I need to re-read The Borrowers some day. I remember loving the entire series.
Oh the Choose Your Adventures – those were favorites as well!! 🙂
Great idea for a topic! I have read all of these (though not all when I was in elementary school) and I love all of them too.
How fabulous to do a walking tour of Beverly Cleary’s Portland. I’m going to check that out right now.
It’s always a happy day when you find out someone else loved your childhood books too!
Ha ha I’ll date myself as well and say I’m 40 and read a lot of these in the 80s too. Thanks for the trip down memory lane 🙂 Here’s my Top Ten Tuesday post.
It’s fun to take a stroll down memory lane sometimes, isn’t it?