What Were Your Favorite Children's Books When You Were Growing Up?

The Family Treasure of Children's Stories,
a favorite in our house

Since I was a little girl, books and words have been an integral part of my life. One of my earliest memories is of my father reading Mother Goose rhymes from the classic The Family Treasury of Children’s Stories before bedtime. His voice captivated me as he transitioned back and forth between characters and poems. I loved the way he could make rhymes tell stories and how the rhythm of his voice could turn words into music.

Love the vintage illustrations in these nursery rhymes!

My beloved book, stains and all

Later, my dad gave me what would become one of my all-time favorite book, Great Story Poems. In it were poems that still make me shiver when I hear them today: The Wreck of the Hesperus, The Cremation of Sam McGee, Casey at the Bat, The Yarn of the Nancy Bell, The Pied Piper of Hamlin, and many more. I believe hearing these poems at a young age gave me a sense of rhythm, rhyme and meter that has stayed with me all my life and has made writing verse as natural as walking.

The Owl and the Pussycat from Great Story Poems

When I learned how to read on my own, I was hooked. And when I was old enough to ride my bike to the library, I went each week to check out my regulation three books. Miss Penny, the children’s librarian, knew just what I liked and filled my paper bag with classics like Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Betsy-Tacy and Tib, Little House on the Prairie—books I still love to this day. 

Illustration from my tattered copy of Little House on the Prairie

One of my favorite Betsy, Tacy and Tib books

I’ve kept most of these books and love to share them when I visit schools and libraries. I’ve also kept many of my own children’s favorite books to pass along to them. As a writer, a teacher and a mom, I always encourage parents and children to do the same.

So tell me, what were some of your favorite children's books when you were growing up?