Book Notes

What kind of librarian would I be if one of my first posts wasn’t about my favorite books? All children’s titles, of course. Most of these were read so many times that I wore out my paperback copy.

I still have all of those worn-out paperbacks. They have a place of honor next to the clean, hardcover copy.

My all time favorite is The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. I love this book. I loved it the first time I read it and it has yet to be surpassed. Everytime I pick it up, there they are, just the same as they have always been. Kit, Nat, Mercy and Judith and the witch, Hannah Tupper.

This book’s setting is what first drew me to it. 1685 Wethersfield, Connecticut. Katherine Tyler, Kit, is going to live with her mother’s sister after losing her last family member. Having grown-up in Barbados, she is unprepared for the Puritan way of life. She feels out of place until she befriends the widow Tupper, a Quaker, whose religion makes her as much of an outcast as Kit. A great read, romance, historical fiction, friendship all together. My absolute favorite.

Next on the list is Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher. I first read it in the 4th grade. I had trouble with the first chapter, it spends a lot of time setting up the story, but by the time you get to chapter 2 away you go. Vermont in the early 1900’s, Elizabeth is sent to live with her Putney relatives. I love them all. Sweet Aunt Abigail, Uncle Henry, and cousin Ann, whose sharp eyes and manners can only just mask her good heart. It’s a great family, a great story with real people. I could talk about this book all day, so just read it and then come in and talk with me about it.

Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. Was there ever a more perfect character than Ramona? Everything about her is wonderful. I love that her family is middle class. Money is always an issue, but even without ipods, xbox, and their own website, they have a great life and a great family. Ramona and Her Father is still one of my favorites. So is Ramona the Brave, and while we’re at it, Ramona Quimby Age 8.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. This is a wonderful book to read in March. We’re right at the same stage as the garden when she first arrived. It’s cold and windy, but by the time you can learn to skip rope up to a hundred, little wick things will be pokin’ out t’ earth. That’s my Yorkshire attempt. Who hasn’t wanted to be like Dicken, or live in a house with so many rooms that you can spend a rainy day wandering around exploring them? Fantastic classic.

I know I am leaving something out. That’s the problem of doing this at work instead of at home. However, with the power of blog, I can go home, check my precious shelves and fill in the ones I missed. I know there are people out there who had favorites, let’s hear about them!