Books To Read
by Katy Lewis
I don’t know what to say, except it’s Christmas and we’re all in misery.
~ Ellen Griswold, Christmas
Vacation
I don’t know about you, but for me, the holidays create
their unique brand of crazy—not that I’d trade it for anything.
Aside from making me pull out my hair, the season gets me
thinking about Christmases past, and that lends itself to thinking about the
past in general, and then I get melancholy about the good old days ... with
none of that is caused by over-imbibing in alcohol. It’s just the season.
This year’s melancholia got me thinking about the tomes
that molded my youth and then moved me on into the horrible ‘tween years and
eventually into early adulthood. It took some big-time cutting, but here’s my
top five list, in age order:
·
Green Eggs And Ham - This book has
three big pluses. It was the first book I read by myself, it’s by Dr. Seuss—a
certifiable genius, and my nickname was Sam. We’re not sure where the
nickname came from. My dad gave it to me, and it stuck like spaghetti on the
ceiling. I am Sam!
·
Little Bear - I remember my mom giving me my
first Little Bear hardback. Written by Elsa Holmelund Minarik, it was the
first-ever I can read book—no doubt the offshoot of the 1950’s “Why
Johnny Can’t Read” scare that terrified parents into believing their kids would
be stuck in third grade for six years. I really got into Little Bear and his
buddies Owl, Cat, Hen, Duck, and Emily. Weird that only Emily got a real name,
but whatever. Of special note—Maurice Sendak illustrated the Little Bear
series.
·
The Cricket In Times Square - Apparently, I
liked stories about animals because they dominated my bookshelves. This one
also has the token child hanging out with the critters. In this one, a cricket
named Chester leaves his Connecticut home and ends up in New York City. He
discovers he has a hidden talent; at some point in life, don’t we all?
·
A Wrinkle In Time - I was totally
sucked in by Meg Murray, her odd little brother Charles Wallace, and her friend
Calvin O’Keefe. With the book’s time travel and the amazing IT, this was my
first venture into the sci-fi world. The book is not only a standout story for
me, it helped me through a hideous bout of the chickenpox. A late bloomer—I got
them in junior high and was so sick I missed two weeks of school. What would I
have done without Meg and her clan?
·
To Kill A Mockingbird - If you’re a
reader...and you probably are if you’re reading this...there’s one book out
there that whopped you right between the eyes and changed you forever. For me,
that book is To Kill A Mockingbird. Hands down, the best book written,
ever.
Of course, none of us is the same. I’m sure you’ve got a few defining
favorites buzzing around your brain, too. Don’t be stingy—please share!
I was completely engrossed in the Sherlock Holmes stories. I still re-read them from time to time.
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