Ah, Throwback Thursday is here again. Join me on a trip to the (far distant) past of my childhood and some favorite books I read over & over and think you should, too:
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner.
There are almost 150 books in this series, from the original books back in the 1920’s through various authors into 2014. The Alden children are orphans: Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny. They live for a time in a railroad boxcar, hence the series title. They and their dog, Watch (love this!) have various adventures, solve some very sweet little mysteries, meet lovely people and find their way to their grandfather, James Alden. I loved these books as a child and they stand the test of time very well. Wonderful to read to your little ones or to re-read for yourself!
Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol
I think every fan of Scooby-Doo read these books first. Encyclopedia Brown was a smart kid who opened a detective agency in his garage and offered to solve mystery cases for “25 cents per day, plus expenses”, his slogan was “No case too small”! His helper is his friend Sally. The nemesis is Bugs Meany and his gang the Tigers. Lots of fun mysteries, nothing violent or bloody-mostly scams and con artist stuff. Highly recommended.
Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene
Would any list of favorite series be complete without Nancy?! There are probably over 200 books in various Nancy Drew series’: from “The Secret of the Old Clock” in 1930 to the latest incarnation of Nancy Drew Papercutz graphic novels. Nancy always stumbles into some kind of a puzzling mystery to solve. Her friends Bess & George are happy to come along for the ride as does hunka hunka perfect boyfriend Ned. Some of the mysteries were ahead of their time in dealing with intense situations like putting the girls in very dangerous situations …gasp… but everything is always wrapped up with no loose ends. The companion series of The Hardy Boys is also consistently good over the years. I think guys & gals would enjoy both series.
A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Oh, how I loved this series! Dear Meg and Charles Wallace and of course Fortinbras the dog. Mrs. Whatsit is the eccentric neighbor that knows more than she tells about Meg’s father, a very famous physicist who mysteriously disappears. A rescue mission is begun that leads the children down some dark parts of the universe in a battle between good and evil. Very heavy stuff for the 1960’s! There are five books in the series and while they do work as stand-alones, reading them in order gives the best full immersion reading experience.
So, my Throwback Thursday list of favorites from my childhood. What did you read growing up? Anything you still read from time to time? Tomorrow is Funday Friday-see you then!!