The first series that came to my mind reading your list was the eight-booked "Deltora Quest" by Emily Rodda. I can still remember the covers, sentences, and dreams (and one nightmare) vividly from my time devouring these books. It started being published back in 2000, in Australia at least, but I read them once they were all published I believe, so this may have been 2004, or so.
What other childhood readers had their dreamy little reading spots? I used to climb a back park tree. It was never terribly comfortable, sadly.
Thanks for sharing! I was still too young for chapter books in 2004 (tragically), but I’m glad that you’ve added a series I can recommend to my little brother. He’s 8 right now! I had favorite reading spots as well, I enjoyed hiding out in the woods somewhere and pretending I lived amongst the trees.
Emma, I am very impressed you remember year by year. I can’t recall that detailed, and we are generationally separated, so my book list will be different. But I, too, was a bookworm. Only child, read books constantly. I was the kid reading a book while I walked down the street.
The first book I can remember bonding deeply with was more like fourth grade: The Phantom Tollbooth. Loved the way it played with language.
By fourth grade I was devouring the Hardy Boys books.
By fifth grade it was The Hobbit and my life course was set.
By sixth grade I was reading parts of Lord of the Rings (and skipping the boring parts I didn’t get yet).
I hit my SF period and got into a Perry Rhodan series from Germany, then everything from Asimov and Heinlein.
By High School I was reading Gödel, Escher, Bach, an Eternal Golden Braid, about consciousness and the internal contradictions in any formal system. And The Making of the Atomic Bomb (Oppenheimer, decades before Oppenheimer)
I’m so glad today’s post made you think about your childhood books!! ☺️ Thank you for sharing your own list. With the exception of the Hobbit, you’re right - I’ve heard of the books you mentioned but haven’t read them. I’m so grateful that authors have had such a big impact on my life, and I’m especially encouraged that this is true for generations past as well. What’s quite funny to me is that you mentioned our generational difference, and today I scheduled a post for next Friday about whether we feel at home in our own generation. 😂
In my life I have made friends of all ages, and at all stages of my life. If the intellectual connection is made, that’s enough. We have stuff to talk about.
This is so true! I was the child who had mostly adult friends. It’s been a trait I’ve carried with me as I’ve grown into adulthood myself - learn to forge relationships based on things that matter and are mentally stimulating, not based on social convention and age.
appreciation for the unlocked memories about mrs frisby and the rats of nimh this brought up >>
Why was it so iconic??? 💗
The first series that came to my mind reading your list was the eight-booked "Deltora Quest" by Emily Rodda. I can still remember the covers, sentences, and dreams (and one nightmare) vividly from my time devouring these books. It started being published back in 2000, in Australia at least, but I read them once they were all published I believe, so this may have been 2004, or so.
What other childhood readers had their dreamy little reading spots? I used to climb a back park tree. It was never terribly comfortable, sadly.
Thanks for sharing! I was still too young for chapter books in 2004 (tragically), but I’m glad that you’ve added a series I can recommend to my little brother. He’s 8 right now! I had favorite reading spots as well, I enjoyed hiding out in the woods somewhere and pretending I lived amongst the trees.
Emma, I am very impressed you remember year by year. I can’t recall that detailed, and we are generationally separated, so my book list will be different. But I, too, was a bookworm. Only child, read books constantly. I was the kid reading a book while I walked down the street.
The first book I can remember bonding deeply with was more like fourth grade: The Phantom Tollbooth. Loved the way it played with language.
By fourth grade I was devouring the Hardy Boys books.
By fifth grade it was The Hobbit and my life course was set.
By sixth grade I was reading parts of Lord of the Rings (and skipping the boring parts I didn’t get yet).
I hit my SF period and got into a Perry Rhodan series from Germany, then everything from Asimov and Heinlein.
By High School I was reading Gödel, Escher, Bach, an Eternal Golden Braid, about consciousness and the internal contradictions in any formal system. And The Making of the Atomic Bomb (Oppenheimer, decades before Oppenheimer)
I’m so glad today’s post made you think about your childhood books!! ☺️ Thank you for sharing your own list. With the exception of the Hobbit, you’re right - I’ve heard of the books you mentioned but haven’t read them. I’m so grateful that authors have had such a big impact on my life, and I’m especially encouraged that this is true for generations past as well. What’s quite funny to me is that you mentioned our generational difference, and today I scheduled a post for next Friday about whether we feel at home in our own generation. 😂
In my life I have made friends of all ages, and at all stages of my life. If the intellectual connection is made, that’s enough. We have stuff to talk about.
This is so true! I was the child who had mostly adult friends. It’s been a trait I’ve carried with me as I’ve grown into adulthood myself - learn to forge relationships based on things that matter and are mentally stimulating, not based on social convention and age.
Heh, same. Only child, remember. Had to talk to the adults.
I had siblings but they were all much older than me. Similar world, by the 6th grade they were all off to college