Bookworm

Queen Bee tagged me in this wonderfully fun book game. The rules? To list my favorite literary moments as a child. It was NOT easy to cull this list down. I was a complete and utter bookworm when I was young (it hasn't changed much since then). Without further ado, here are my favorites then (and still now).

1. Frances books - Of all of the characters I encountered in my fictional journeys, I most related to Frances the badger. The little rhymes she made up, and her well-intentioned, yet often melodramatic, antics always melted my heart. Bread and Jam for Frances is the best, by far.2. The Boxcar Children - this series was captivating, charming, sweet, and wonderful. Not only was I enchanted by the adventures of the Boxcar Children on the page, I translated it into my real life. I would play "Orphans" on a regular basis and pretend I was an orphan running away from a terrible orphanage and hiding in a boxcar (these books + Annie, maybe?). Please don't judge my warped imagination.3. The Bobbsey Twins - I was never able to really get into Nancy Drew, but the Bobbsey Twins mysteries had my full attention. Always riveting, but rarely terrifying, their hijinks had me entertained for hours on end. Flossie was clearly my favorite, because she was so precocious, and with a name like Flossie, what was there not to love?4. Madeline - Who doesn't love Madeline? I mean, really? I don't think I need to even explain this one. I think I owned almost the entire series.
5. Berenstein Bears - Ditto for the bear family. How could I pick a favorite? If I had to, it might be the summer camp one. Or the puppy. Or the gimme gimme's...
6. Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs - Not a chapter book, but to this day, one of my most treasured picture books. It was so whimsical and fanciful, and even though, I think the overarching idea was fairly scary and negative, I wanted to live in the town of Chewandswallow. I was thrilled to hear that a movie version will be released this fall.
7. The BFG - Standing for Big Friendly Giant, I read this book over and over again. I love any and everything by Roald Dahl, but I think this one tops the list. I even dressed as Sophie one year for our school's character day.8. Amelia Bedelia - Another year, I dressed up as the lovable and kooky Amelia Bedelia. These are some of the most entertaining stories I've read to date. I dare you to read one and not crack a smile!9. The Mandie Series - These books are much lesser-known, and maybe only published regionally. I ate them up when I lived in Knoxville because they took place in Tennessee. Mandie was an orphan (natch... I can't resist a good orphan), and her tales were always poignant and harrowing. She was also a devoted Christian girl, which I admired.10. Lurlene McDaniel novels - When I graduated a bit from the easy reader books, I was immediately attracted to any and everything by Lurlene McDaniel. As if my obsessions with orphans was not enough, I added to it a love for the tragic. No McDaniel book had a happy ending. Someone always died - a baby, a boyfriend, a parent, a best friend, it didn't matter. Usually it was from terminal illness - AIDS, cancer, etc. I still don't know why I was such a voracious reader of these sad, sad books.

I could go on and on, but for now, I think that's a solid synopsis.