What were your favorite books by her?
Mine were: Otis Spofford and Henry and the Clubhouse.

If you weren't into her stuff, what books did you like as a kid?

I also liked:
The Three Investigators
Encyclopedia Brown
The Great Brain
the sports books by Matt Christopher

Now that's someone I haven't thought about in years. I'm pretty sure I read all the Henry Huggins stuff and Mouse and the Motorcycle. My favorite kids novel was Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.

I read all the Henry and Ramona books, but I forgot about Otis Spofford. My son recently went through Ramona...maybe they were meant more for girls but I always liked those best. Especially the really early ones like Beezus and Ramona and Ramona the Pest.

Favorite children's book of that age is probably Skinnybones.

we listened to Ramona and Beezus on Audible yesterday while taking a social-distancing approved road trip to A&M. I have not read that book in probably 38 years but I remembered little details like Ramona absonding with Wayne's grape lollipop and Beezus drawing the green horse in art class.

Astounding author.

I read her stuff and Judy Blume like they were religion. Judy Blume introduced you to do a lot of more mature topics, like the kid who steals stuff and the girl whose dad dies unexpectedly.

Narnia was my #1 as a kid.
Choose Your Own Adventure Books and the "Endless Quest" versions which were based on D&D
Charlotte's Web / Stuart Little / The Trumpet of the Swan
And the all-timer: Where the Sidewalk Ends

Introducing your kids to your cherished books and watching them fall in love is a frosting on the cake moment as a parent. One of my girls adores the Narnia books and the movies.

Mr. White said:

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What were your favorite books by her?
Mine were: Otis Spofford and Henry and the Clubhouse.

If you weren't into her stuff, what books did you like as a kid?

I also liked:
The Three Investigators
Encyclopedia Brown
The Great Brain
the sports books by Matt Christopher

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This list plus Hardy Boys originals. But that list is my childhood book series in a nutshell along with I think Duane Decker sports books also

And the Little House on the Prairie books

This thread makes me both incredibly happy and strangely sad at the same time. Some amazing memories of these stories (you guys already threw out some of my favorites), coupled with the nostalgia of taking me back to the great times of childhood. Bittersweet.

Thank you for starting this thread. Lots of memories have popped up that otherwise remain hidden away.

Hank the Cowdog
Junie B Jones- easy reads, very funny, I use one of her lines when one of my elementary school students is bragging about themselves, "You shouldn't toot your own horn "insert name!"

I should say, these two are favorites of mine that I read aloud to my students.

We just started the oldest on Mouse and the Motorcycle. Ramona was my favorite!

A little bit older audience but did anyone read the Bruno and Boots series by Gordon Korman? Good stuff

maverick2076 said:

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And the Little House on the Prairie books

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My son is reading Farmer Boy no. These are big in my house because my wife grew up a couple miles from the Wilder farm. Anyway, tried to read the same book to my daughter when she was younger and as soon as the teacher pulled out the WHIP and used it on the hooligan students she was out.

Farmer Boy was always my favorite.

My daughter loves Hank the Cowdog now. They were some of my favorites too.

Thanks for sharing

I thought she was dead when I read the books 30 years ago
Mind blown on this one

MookieBlaylock said:

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Thanks for sharing

I thought she was dead when I read the books 30 years ago
Mind blown on this one

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I wrote C.S. Lewis a letter when i was in 3rd or 4th grade. Postcard came back from his estate - guy died 11 years before I was born. Those crazy-pre Internet days!

Loved Encyclopedia Brown in 3rd through 4th grade. In 5th I discovered The White Mountains trilogy and was hooked.

Love Cleary. Just finished read the last Ramona book to my youngest last night. Great closing line for a series that spanned 40 years .

"The day was perfect-well not really, but close enough."

Judy Blume > Beverly Cleary

Other favorites
Castle in the Attic
indian in the cupboard

Matt Christopher sports books were great. I really liked the Boxcar Children mysteries too. It seemed like I read 30 of them.

Really enjoyed her Henry Huggins series as a kid. It was the first book series I read. Amazing she's still around.

Also enjoyed Encyclopedia Brown. Mr Popper's Penguins was a big favorite too.

Encyclopedia Brown
Hank the Cowdog
Hardy Boys
Boxcar Kids
Matt Christopher
Chip Hilton
Gary Paulson
Rascal
G.A .Henty
Stephen Bly's Nathan T. Riggins series
Black Stallion
Louis L'Amour
Bill Wallace
Brian Jacques

Thanks for the tips, yall

My kids have flown through the Roald Dahl books, we're on to Boxcar Kids. They're somewhat into Ramona/Socks/Henry Huggins. Already hit Cricket in Time Square, and have Old Yeller, Where the Red Fern Grows, Island of Blue Dolphins, Narnia series, Indian in the Cupboard all teed up.

As guilty pleasures, she loves reading the Never Girls and he's into Diary of a Minecraft Zombie.

Coming from my family background, I'm amazed I have kids that read for fun. Also, wherever possible, we watch the movies after we read through the books. They dig it.

atm0812 said:

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Matt Christopher sports books were great. I really liked the Boxcar Children mysteries too. It seemed like I read 30 of them.

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Ah I remember his basketball book where the kid amazed and shocked the coach with an amazing daring move to win the game

He dribbled behind his back
The shock and awe

anyone read the Duane Decker sports series??