Top 10 Books From My Youth

What were your favorite books as a kid?
I read a lot of incredible books as a child, whether they were picture books (only my two favorite ever have graced the list) or chapter books. I decided that I would continue the "Top 10" trend and dig back to my elementary school days to try to remember at least some of the books I loved. I'm sure there are many, many more, but I'm still glad I remember most of them [my memory hasn't quite started to fade yet, thank Google]. Anywho, onward to the list [in alphabetical order, of course]!

Amelia Bedelia Series
Peggy Parrish

Amelia Bedelia is a housekeeper to a wealthy couple, who takes every assignment she has very literally. She makes sponge cake by mixing the cake batter with real sponge. When told to "run home" while playing baseball, she literally runs back to her employer's house. Of the many books that have been published, there are four that I remember as being favorites: Thank You, Amelia Bedelia; Come Back, Amelia Bedelia; Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia; Amelia Bedelia's Family Album.

The Baby-Sitters Little Sister
Ann M. Martin

When The Baby-Sitters Club was at its prime in publishing, I was still a little too young to really enjoy the content. That's where The Baby-Sitters Little Sister came into play, focusing on Karen, the 7-year-old stepsister of Kristy, the Baby-Sitters Club president. There were well over one hundred BSCLS books published (though not that many when I first started reading them), and of the ones I read, my favorites were Karen's Witch, Karen's Worst Day, and Karen's Little Sister.

The Boxcar Children
Gertrude Chandler Warner

This book is the beginning of the series, telling the story about four siblings (Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny) whose parents both pass away. Believing their grandfather and legal guardian to be cruel, the four set off to find solace and independence in an abandoned boxcar.

The Boy With the Helium Head
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Jonathan goes to the doctor to receive a flu shot and instead receives a shot full of helium, allowing him to float above everything, including Duke, the school bully.

Goosebumps Series
R.L. Stine

In the Haunted Mask, Carly Beth buys a mask at a Halloween store, which becomes her real face, much the same as Jim Carrey in The Mask. This book is a classic from my youth, and from the Classic Goosebumps collection that we all knew and loved as kids. One Day at Horrorland is also a very good one.

Miss Nelson is Missing!
Harry Allard

When "the worst-behaved class in the whole school" doesn't know where their teacher, Miss Nelson, has disappeared to, she immediately reappears, albeit disguised as Miss Viola Swamp. Miss Swamp forces them to behave while Detective McSmogg cannot figure out the mystery, only to have Miss Nelson return (sans wig, ugly clothes and fake nose) to a better behaved class.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Beverly Cleary

Ralph S. Mouse resides in a hotel room, and as all of its patrons come and go, one memorable family with a young son (Keith) occupies the room. Using the boy's toy motorcycle, he finally gets out of the hotel room.

Muggie Maggie
Beverly Cleary

I love cursive handwriting, and, in turn, have always loved the book titled Muggle Maggie by Beverly Cleary about a girl who vows never to read and write those wiggly, squiggly, roller-coaster letters. Then her teacher, Mrs. Leeper, says Maggie's cursive is so untidy her name looks like "Muggie," and Maggie decides she will never, never read or write cursive. Nobody can make her. But when Mrs. Leeper appoints Maggie class mail messenger, the notes Maggie must carry are in cursive.

Sideways Stories From Wayside School/Wayside School is Falling Down
Louis Sachar

These are two books out of a series of five (the other three I've never read and can only assume they were published after it was socially acceptable to read at this level), and a staple from elementary school. These were the books that both boys and girls alike could relate with, and it was rare for boys and girls to find common ground at an age where cooties reigned supreme.

Where's My Blankie?
Anna H. Dickson

A character after my own heart, Malcolm Monster is very attached to his security blanket (an old quilt made by Grandma Monster) that he takes everywhere. Malcolm ends up leaving his blankie at his grandparents' house and, after many distractions over a lengthy course of time, grows independent from his linen friend; a feat I have yet to accomplish.