Top Ten Tuesday – Childhood Favorites

I’m back with another Top Ten Tuesday list! Today’s prompt is all about “favorites from your childhood” which was so much fun to put together. So many memories! Lots of orphans, horses and islands.

Richard Scarry

Scarry’s most famous series of books was about Busytown. Scarry’s characters were almost always anthropomorphic animals. I loved the detail in the pictures, so much to look at and notice.

Anne of Green Gables and Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery

The adventures of Anne Shirley, an 11-year-old orphan girl, who is mistakenly sent to two middle-aged siblings who were intending to adopt a boy to help them on their farm on Prince Edward Island. Published 1908.

The Emily novels show the life of a young orphan girl, Emily Starr, who is raised by her relatives after her father dies of tuberculosis. Emily is described as having black hair, purply violet eyes, elfin ears, pale skin and a unique and enchanting “slow” smile. Published 1940.

I loved both series but connected more with Emily.

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

The series is about the life of the Ingalls family. Homesteading, farm work, schooling and early American History. Published 1932.

I remember the prairie dogs the most for some reason!

Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew

Nancy Drew is a teen detective created by publisher Edward Stratemeyer as the female counterpart to his Hardy Boys series. The character first appeared in 1930. The books are ghostwritten by a number of authors and published under the collective pseudonym Carolyn Keene.

The Hardy Boys have evolved since their debut in 1927. Beginning in 1959, the books were extensively revised, partially to eliminate racial stereotypes.

I read them all and they began my love of mysteries and then of course I had a crush on Parker Stevenson in the TV series.

The Good Master / The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy

The Good Master is set in the Hungarian countryside before World War I and tells the story of wild young Kate, who goes to live with her Uncle’s family when her father can’t control her. Published 1935.

The Singing Tree is set in rural Hungary four years after The Good Master, it continues the story of Kate and Jancsi, showing the effect of World War I on the people and land. Published 1940.

I loved reading about the beautiful Hungarian country and the sweet friendship between the cousins. And of course there were horses.

Mrs.Mike

Mrs. Mike, the Story of Katherine Mary Flannigan is a novel by Benedict and Nancy Freedman set in the Canadian wilderness during the early 1900s. Published 1947.

I loved the story of prim and proper Katherine moving to the cold and dark wilderness and meeting the dashing Seargeant Mike Flannigan.

Cherry Ames series

The series stars a job-hopping, mystery-solving nurse similar to the Nancy Drew stories, named Cherry Ames (short for Charity). Published 1943.

I stumbled onto this series by finding it at a church sale. I only read a few in the series but I remember wishing I had more to read.

Black Beauty/Black Stallion

Black Beauty has never been out of print since its publication in 1877. Its message is timeless: animals will serve humans well if they are treated with consideration and kindness.

In The Black Stallion, the series’ first book, teenager Alec Ramsay and an untamed, wild black stallion, meet when the Black Stallion is loaded onto a ship at an Arabian port. The pair are then stranded on a desert island after their ship sinks. Published 1941.

Horses. A phase every young girl goes through! Or maybe it was just me?

Misty of Chincoteague

Set in the island town of Chincoteague, Virginia, the book tells the story of the Beebe family and their efforts to raise a filly born to a wild horse. Published 1947.

More horses, a definite favorite genre at the time.

Island of the Blue Dolphins

This is the story of a 12-year-old girl named Karana stranded alone for years on an island off the California coast. It is based on the true story of Juana Maria, a Nicoleño Native American left alone for 18 years on San Nicolas Island during the 19th century. Published 1960.

QOTD: Do we have any childhood favorites in common?

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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive compensation if you make a purchase using this link. Thank you for supporting this blog and the books I recommend! I may have received a book for free in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

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