Jump to content

Favorite Childhood books/stories/poems/rhymes, television...


_raVen_
 Share

Recommended Posts

List your favorites! I love reading childrens' books and stories, and do so on a regular basis . But I can always learn about more...so list your favorites, and I hope to read of some I've never heard; I'm sure there are many.

 

I have a ton but I'll list the few I can think of at the mo:

 

Three Billy Goats Gruff

 

The Little Fir Tree

 

Narnia Chronicles

 

Space Trilogy - Out of the Silent Planet; Perelandra; That Hideous Strength

 

Princess and the Pea

 

The Brothers Grimm Tales

 

Rikki Tikki Tembo

 

Sasha, My Friend

 

Mother Goose Rhymes

 

...

Edited by _raVen_
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never thought of Lewis's space triology as children's reading.

 

I like Suess's stuff. (The Lorax.) Charlotte's Web. There's some children's reading that's still really worthwhile for adults.... It's not easy to delineate between kids books and adults books sometimes. Tolkien's The Hobbit starts out for children but by the end of LOTR it's not really for children at all.

 

How bout Shel Silverstein? I have a CD of him reciting The Giving Tree and it made me cry. http://www.shelsilverstein.com/indexSite.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So only you and I like children's books, aye, Jay

 

I guess the Trilogy isn't a book for children, but I read it when I was in fourth grade. It is always different when you get older and read it again

That's the only sci-fi I've ever been able to read.

 

Oh, I forgot about Dr. Seuss. I like those books too.

I agree about the adult stuff. Some things like Alice In Wonderland were actually not happy-go-lucky fairy tales; I think Alice was a nightmare, if I remember correctly. Interesting, but it was never one of my favorites. Maybe I should read the original again though.

 

What a great site you linked! I'll have to look through it later when I have more time.

The Giving Tree, yes, I've read it. I haven't heard it though. Sounds like it's very dramatic to hear. What did you feel that made you cry?

 

You know that animation reminds me a little of Andre Francois's "The Tattooed Sailor," 1952...that's what came to mind anyway. It also reminds me of some other writer whose illustrations are very, very dark ... I can't remember the name, but it was very popular in the 90's, I think, or perhaps still is? Sort of scary stuff.

 

I also love Tove Jansson's "Moomins."

 

"Where the Wild Things Are" was always intriguing.

 

A couple years back, I was discussing with some childrens' books authors about some of the old stories, and it's amazing how many were racist. Remember "Sambo"? "Ten Little Indians"? Funny how even then some seemed racist to me, though, perhaps it was because my dad used to educate me on those types of things, while never barring me from them ; but how others slipped past me and I didn't see it as a child. But imagine how influencial -- even if subtle -- the messages are to the sponge brains of children. How much did the ones that slipped into my subconscious form my perspective? It's interesting conversation

Even tv cartoons can do this on various levels. Even our view of animals as objects are formed by them to an extent.

 

I love cartoons, though The oldies, though; most of the new stuff is garbage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So only you and I like children's books, aye, Jay

 

I guess the Trilogy isn't a book for children, but I read it when I was in fourth grade. It is always different when you get older and read it again

That's the only sci-fi I've ever been able to read.

Aren't you a smarty? I think I read it when pretty young. So young that I forgot all about it and was halfway through the one book with Merlin before I realized I had read it before. I always remember Merlin talking about how he could tell the one women had had an abortion/used burth control..? and what a ing vile creature she was...? Good ole C.S. Lewis.

 

Oh, I forgot about Dr. Seuss. I like those books too.

I agree about the adult stuff. Some things like Alice In Wonderland were actually not happy-go-lucky fairy tales; I think Alice was a nightmare, if I remember correctly. Interesting, but it was never one of my favorites. Maybe I should read the original again though.

 

What a great site you linked! I'll have to look through it later when I have more time.

The Giving Tree, yes, I've read it. I haven't heard it though. Sounds like it's very dramatic to hear. What did you feel that made you cry?

I never liked Alice when I was a kid. Was too scary....

 

The Giving Tree made me cry because it's about lost youth and death. A big part of it is just the guy's voice. He has an excellent voice. It seems a lot of writers are really good speakers. I wonder if the ability to successfully pitch their stuff is a big part of getting published in the first place. Anyway, Silverstein has an excellent voice.

 

You know that animation reminds me a little of Andre Francois's "The Tattooed Sailor," 1952...that's what came to mind anyway. It also reminds me of some other writer whose illustrations are very, very dark ... I can't remember the name, but it was very popular in the 90's, I think, or perhaps still is? Sort of scary stuff.

 

I also love Tove Jansson's "Moomins."

 

"Where the Wild Things Are" was always intriguing.

Don't know any of that.

 

A couple years back, I was discussing with some childrens' books authors about some of the old stories, and it's amazing how many were racist. Remember "Sambo"? "Ten Little Indians"? Funny how even then some seemed racist to me, though, perhaps it was because my dad used to educate me on those types of things, while never barring me from them ; but how others slipped past me and I didn't see it as a child. But imagine how influencial -- even if subtle -- the messages are to the sponge brains of children. How much did the ones that slipped into my subconscious form my perspective? It's interesting conversation

Even tv cartoons can do this on various levels. Even our view of animals as objects are formed by them to an extent.

 

I love cartoons, though The oldies, though; most of the new stuff is garbage.

Yeah the oldies were much better it seems. My 3 year old nephew loves Tom and Jerry. It has a racist stereotype in it. The black lady. On the DVD Whoopi Goldberg comments on it. Don't remember the two you mentioned.

 

 

There's also tons of violence in those old cartoons which really isn't a good thing. There's a site somewhere online that has the theme songs to the old cartoons I like to go to occasionally. Ugh, can't find it right now. Speed Racer, the Smurfs. Even Spiderman was pretty good relative to the stuff on now. There's a big difference just in the quality of the music for these shows. I think it's just like with reality TV. The corporations have realized that with their virtual monopoly they can make crap TV and still make good money.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aren't you a smarty? I think I read it when pretty young. So young that I forgot all about it and was halfway through the one book with Merlin before I realized I had read it before. I always remember Merlin talking about how he could tell the one women had had an abortion/used burth control..? and what a ing vile creature she was...? Good ole C.S. Lewis.

 

Well, I didn't grasp the entirety of their meanings at the time, I admit . Chockfull of religiosity that I did not recognize at the time, though I was aware of it, having read the Narnia Chronicles where it was obvious. (some was obvious, but as a child I was limited)

I read them again in my late teens (?) Shoot...now I have to read them again

There was a controversy over a fourth book, unfinished, as to whether it was actually written by Lewis or some acquaintance who claimed to have been his close colleague. I don't know if it's even available; but I'd like to read it.

 

I never liked Alice when I was a kid. Was too scary....

 

I didn't think it was scary, it was just weird to me and there was "something about it," I didn't like, but couldn't figure it out. I read it a lot, I remember, trying to like it because I thought I was supposed to. All the other children liked it, adults presented it as a great "fairy tale," so I wanted to like it.

 

...The Giving Tree made me cry because it's about lost youth and death. A big part of it is just the guy's voice. He has an excellent voice. It seems a lot of writers are really good speakers. I wonder if the ability to successfully pitch their stuff is a big part of getting published in the first place. Anyway, Silverstein has an excellent voice...

 

Yes, a voice can make a difference, I see what you mean. I was listening to "The Raven" (of all things ) read by, of all people, Christopher Walken (one of my favorites...one of the few SNL skits that ever made me laugh out loud was "I need more cowbell!":lol:); then I listened to it by someone else and there was a world of difference. Same with "The Bells"; even moreso. Interesting.

 

You know that animation reminds me a little of Andre Francois's "The Tattooed Sailor," 1952...that's what came to mind anyway. It also reminds me of some other writer whose illustrations are very, very dark ... I can't remember the name, but it was very popular in the 90's, I think, or perhaps still is? Sort of scary stuff.

 

I also love Tove Jansson's "Moomins."

 

"Where the Wild Things Are" was always intriguing. ...

 

Don't know any of that.

 

Okay, but you don't remember "Where the Wild Things Are"? I thought every child read that.

 

...

I love cartoons, though The oldies, though; most of the new stuff is garbage...

 

Yeah the oldies were much better it seems. My 3 year old nephew loves Tom and Jerry. It has a racist stereotype in it. The black lady. On the DVD Whoopi Goldberg comments on it. Don't remember the two you mentioned.

 

That's great that it's mentioned on the dvd! But I don't remember a Black lady....

 

 

...There's also tons of violence in those old cartoons which really isn't a good thing. There's a site somewhere online that has the theme songs to the old cartoons I like to go to occasionally. Ugh, can't find it right now. Speed Racer, the Smurfs. Even Spiderman was pretty good relative to the stuff on now...

 

Yes and it desensitizes us to violence and makes us see animals as objects as well.

If you ever come across the site, lemme know

 

...There's a big difference just in the quality of the music for these shows. I think it's just like with reality TV.

 

What music do you like for which shows?

 

...The corporations have realized that with their virtual monopoly they can make crap TV and still make good money.

 

I guess the desires of consumers is crap too

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My favorites were Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain (which is what the Disney movie The Black Cauldron was based on), Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quartet (A Wrinkle In Time, A Wind in the Door etc), The Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators series, Encyclopedia Brown and the Choose Your Own Adventure books.

 

I was totally geeky even as a kid

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My favorites were Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain (which is what the Disney movie The Black Cauldron was based on), Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quartet (A Wrinkle In Time, A Wind in the Door etc), The Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators series, Encyclopedia Brown and the Choose Your Own Adventure books...

 

Ah, thanks for those I didn't know "Wrinkle" was part of a quartet

 

 

...I was totally geeky even as a kid

 

Then I assume you have the "Hardy Boys" somewhere in your library??

And, of course, "Are You There God It's Me, Margaret" under a stack ??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Then I assume you have the "Hardy Boys" somewhere in your library??

 

I probably have a few somewhere. Last time I moved I had close to 40 large moving boxes full of books.

 

And, of course, "Are You There God It's Me, Margaret" under a stack ??

 

No. Never really did the Judy Blume thing (although I vaguely recall reading Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, and Superfudge).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought the Wrinkle in Time thing was a triology? A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Wrinkle, Wind in the Door. Always liked that line (maybe remembering it wrong, "Stormy nights are my glory...??" Anyway that was one of my favorites. I remember that scary book cover back when I read it in the third grade.

 

Oh that reminds me of The Never Ending Story. I have the movie and always joke that my black cat is The Nothing.

 

I'm sure I read Are you there God but I can't remember any of it now. I remember SuperFudge vaguely. I remember There's A Bat in bunk five really well for some reason. My sister had these books and I just read everything pretty much.

 

Walken's a great actor. He was good in Sleepy Hollow which is one of my favorite "background" movies. I just like to have it on in the background when I'm doing something else. He was really funny on SnL.

 

No, I don't think I ever saw/read Where the wild things are.

 

They never showed the black lady's face. Just her voice and you could see she had black arms.

 

Music.... Tons of music. Just look at all the sitcoms back in the late 70's, etc. "And then there was Maude!!" LOL. The Sanford and Son theme song. Jefferson's theme song. The Facts of Life. Alice/Mel's Diner?? Barney Miller had a great instrumental theme song. Etc, etc. Speed Racer had a great theme that was also made into a pretty good techno song. Spiderman had cool music when he was racing away from the bad guys and stuff. Gummy Bears. The Smurf song. Kid Video. But on that site pretty much all that stuff sounds good because of nostaliga. Even He-Man sounds good now.

 

Have you heard the new Bruce Springsteen CD? Just got that the other day. Old protest songs. It's pretty good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought the Wrinkle in Time thing was a triology? A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Wrinkle, Wind in the Door. Always liked that line (maybe remembering it wrong, "Stormy nights are my glory...??" Anyway that was one of my favorites. I remember that scary book cover back when I read it in the third grade.

 

It was originally. A 4th book called Many Waters came out in the mid 80's, several years after I had stopped reading books at that reading level.

 

No, I don't think I ever saw/read Where the wild things are.

 

I have artwork from it hanging on the wall in my bathroom. Maurice Sendak rules.

 

Oh, another one that was one of my favorites as a kid - The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...

 

Oh that reminds me of The Never Ending Story. I have the movie and always joke that my black cat is The Nothing.

 

"The Never Ending Story" -- sounds like my quest for a decent date

Never seen/read it!

 

 

...Walken's a great actor. He was good in Sleepy Hollow which is one of my favorite "background" movies. I just like to have it on in the background when I'm doing something else. He was really funny on SnL...

 

He is a great actor. He has a great presence. He's one of the few actors that will entice me to see a movie I otherwise wouldn't, based solely on his appearance in it. Haven't seen all his movies,though.

 

...No, I don't think I ever saw/read Where the wild things are...

Does THIS help?

 

Hey, Sinister Kungfu, check THIS out.

Good Lord, can't they leave anything alone??

 

 

...Music.... Tons of music. Just look at all the sitcoms back in the late 70's, etc. "And then there was Maude!!" LOL. The Sanford and Son theme song. Jefferson's theme song. The Facts of Life. Alice/Mel's Diner?? Barney Miller had a great instrumental theme song. Etc, etc. Speed Racer had a great theme that was also made into a pretty good techno song. Spiderman had cool music when he was racing away from the bad guys and stuff. Gummy Bears. The Smurf song. Kid Video. But on that site pretty much all that stuff sounds good because of nostaliga. Even He-Man sounds good now...

 

Oh, I didn't know you were including tv. Yes, all those were great. I think I was the only child my age that liked Barney Miller I hated the "Facts," "Maude" was classic..."Sanford" was classic... Did you ever watch "The Flip Wilson Show"? Oh, "Match Game" had a memorable theme, though it was a gameshow...Loved "Jeffersons."

"Speed Racer" was so cool...that was sort of lumped in with "Kimba," "Super Chicken," "George of the Jungle," "Tom Slick"! Lol. Loved "The Banana Splits"!

 

"Alice" was cool, I loved Flo and Mel the best; Alice actually irritated me along with her son and Vera...Good Lord, how do I remember this stuff??

I was never inspired to watch "Smurfs." "Gummy Bears"??? Never hoid of 'em.

 

I remember Saturday morning stuff like, "Captain Kool and the Kongs" LOL or "Elektra Woman and Dina Girl," "Dr. Shrinker" Oh, my, this is memory lane.

When I was a child, my favorite superhero was "Spiderman." I never liked the too-perfect kind of heros. I did like Aquaman for some reason too.

 

How about Hanna Barbera stuff? Yogi Bear was awesome. I loved Foghorn Leghorn Daffy might be my all-time favorite. I love his greediness always foiled by Bugs. When I was really small, I loved Quick Draw McGraw. Loved Huckleberry Hound. Snaggle Pus was fun. Droopy!

Never cared for Disney characters. Popeye was okay. Scooby.

 

Heckle and Jeckle! Rocky and Bullwinkle, I liked.

 

Remember "Figure 8"? "I'm Just a Bill"? "Conjunction Junction"? -- "Schoolhouse Rock," that's what it was.

 

...Have you heard the new Bruce Springsteen CD? Just got that the other day. Old protest songs. It's pretty good.

 

No, I haven't. I like Bruce, but I don't have any of his albums

 

I also really liked Hans Christian Andersen.

 

There is one childhood book -- actually two -- that I have been searching for for YEARS and can't find anywhere. One, the title I know: "Jerome, the Frog"; it is a very special book shared with my grandmother. It's out of print, but it has to be in some old used book store or something.

 

The other I can't for the life of me remember, and it kills me.

All I know is it is about a lady who is consumed with making everything too neat, I think...she washes and scrubs everything...then she washes down a dirty lion at the zoo with a hose or something...Anyway doesn't sound good, but it's one of my childhood favorites. If it rings a bell to anyone, please, let me know!

 

Anyone read this far?? *smooch* if you did

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

 

Ah, cool, loveliberate! Lol. I love that they have Marcos's books on the list .

 

I just finished "Out of the Silent Planet" last week -- wow, much different from what I remember as a youngster! I'm on to "Perelandra."

 

One of my favorite poems, by Albert Schweitzer:

 

""This was a horrible proposal [that the eight year-old Albert join a friend in killing birds with a sling] . . . but 1 dared not refuse for fear he would laugh at me. So we came to a tree which was still bare, and on which the birds were singing out gaily in the morning, without any fear of us. Then stooping over like an Indian on the hunt, my companion placed a pebble in the leather of his sling and stretched it. Obeying his peremptory glance I did the same, with frightful twinges of conscience, vowing firmly that I would shoot when he did. At that very moment the church bells began to sound, mingling with the song of the birds in the sunshine. It was the warning bell that came a half-hour before the main bell. For me it was a voice from heaven. I threw the sling down, scaring the birds away, so that they were safe from my companion's sling, and fled home. And ever afterwards when the bells of Holy Week ring out amidst the leafless trees in the sunshine I remember with moving gratitude how they rang into my heart at that time the commandment: 'Thou shalt not kill.' "

Edited by _raVen_
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...