Thanks to everyone who came to discuss their favorite books from childhood, what a fun night we had and there were so many interesting titles to discuss including why they were so meaningful. Some of us also had interesting reflections on our feelings about the books now - mostly good!
Many thanks to Wendy, who hosted and as usual had a wonderful set up for us all, we are a lucky group!
Interestingly, some themes came up across these very diverse titles. Little girls were given intelligence, power and agency over their lives, little boys could do things otherwise frowned upon (like be friends with little girls) and adults were either expendable or non-existent. Dreams of our youth, I guess.
Here is the list of our choices and who picked it, chime in if you want to make some comments on why and what you think now.
Sally Graham - Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren. Oh to be a 9 year old girl, living alone with a chest of gold pieces. The epitome of girl power. Also one of my favorites.
Kathy - A Separate Peace by John Knowles. Young people learning who they are, an eternal theme.
Mary - All the Nancy Drew mysteries, who didn't love them? The girl is the smart hero again and again. Caroline Keene seems to be the primary author but there were 56 of them, so maybe she had help.
Karin Walker - The World Book Encyclopedia, which I also loved. Who needs a plot when you have A to Z?
Celia - The Wonderful Trip to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron. I just loved this book, maybe because it was one of the first I got from my book subscription in the 2nd grade.
Lacey - A Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. Enough of us hadn't read this that it is our August book. Thanks Lacey!
Maggie - Winnie the Pooh. Enough said. Maggie brought the copy her father gave her!
Julie Joyce - The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The story was wonderful, overwhelming the rather flat ending. Luckily no one remembers the ending, just how lovely the story was.
Jean - Heidi by Joanna Spyrie. I will never forget the scene with her grandfather toasting bread and cheese over the fireplace. What a fabulous book. I wanted to move to Switzerland for years.
Wendy - The Secret Garden but Julie had dibs. It was Julie talking about The Secret Garden that brought us this fun idea, and revisit of the perceptions of our youth. So fun.
Fiona - Charlotte's Web by E.B White. Could there be a more iconic children's book than this one? A best friendship between a spider and a pig, both destined for a different kind of end, and so lovingly portrayed. Somehow E.B. White's pig was far more appealing that the ones I have met.
Ashley - Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame. A toad, a mole, a badger and a rat. Somehow they are cute, despite being rodents. And isn't that, along with Charlotte's Web, a message in and of itself, that we find love and belonging where we give it.
And so on we go! Our next meeting is August 25 at 6:30 at Ashley's. You should have gotten a calendar invitation so if you didn't, let me know and I will add you to the list. As mentioned, the book is The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.
See you all there! What a great group we have!