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Writer's pictureBenjamin Fife

#readingmagic - What was your favorite book growing up? - The Reading Magic Game Day 1


I'm never good at "What's your favorite 'X'." I have dozens. Hundreds. Of about anything. But I haven't always been that way. When I was a kid I kept a journal... about once a year. And every entry was the same. A list of my favorite things then. Siblings. Friends. Food. Dessert. Movie. Book. To save all of you the pain of seeing my exceedingly awful child penmanship - which has now grown up to exceedingly awful adult penmanship - I won't dig out said journal.


I'll just dig out the good ol' near photographic memory. The above picture is a smattering of the thousands of books I've read, loved & owned starting from when I was about 4 probably. These are books that are still in my possession today. I'll mention at least each of them in the picture in the coming month.


But you know what's missing? My very favorite book from when I was a second grader!


The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

Yup. I don't own Dr. Seuss' brilliant gem I adored more than any other book when I was 7-8 years old. My elementary school library that year probably had their copy of The Lorax on their shelves for less time that year than I had it in my little paws. Dr. Seuss is without a doubt, one of my childhood heroes & The Lorax embodies my love for nature & animals that I've had for as long as I can remember. Save the Swammy Swans & the Bears in their Barbaloot Suits. And the Beautiful Truffula Trees! Though there's still part of me that thinks I need a Thneed.


I read The Lorax again and again and again that year. There was an animated version that I think we probably watched in Miss Finch's class early that year & my imagination glommed onto it & never let go to this day.


I've still got so much of it memorized floating around in my brain as well. "You poor stupid guy, you never can tell what some people will buy!"




And ultimately... the Unless left as the Lorax was lifted away. Probably why I still love planting trees and whatever else magically will grow if you put a seed in the ground & water & care for it. Thank you so much Theodore Seuss Geisel! You were brilliant & sparked my imagination in so many ways!


Why is the Lorax not on my shelf? NO IDEA. But - as a motivator for me to write a little post every day for the next 30 days... I'm going to get myself a copy at the end.


So what's your favorite book from your childhood? Love to hear from you!

5 Comments


thomas.koren
Jan 16, 2021

wow...a hard one, when I was young, my parents would have to take us to the library weekly just to get me more books and I would check out the maximum amount every time!

I guess my favourite author will have to do, the dutch writer Klaas Norel would write books about times in dutch history that were important in a "person living it" style, for example following a 16th century ship during sailing trips to the eastern colonies from the view of a shipmate.

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Benjamin Fife
Benjamin Fife
Jan 15, 2021

Yay Teresa & Beej. Poky Little Puppy is one I'll write about sometime this month. :) I vaguely recall you having the Take Apart Head book. I'll have to check out Harriet & Betsy stuff.

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bjcriddle
Jan 15, 2021

I just saw Mrs. Piggle Wiggle in your picture....so I must add Mrs. Piggle Wiggle to my favorites list.

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bjcriddle
Jan 15, 2021

The Poky Little Puppy or The Man with the Take-apart Head as a little girl. When I was a bit older....Harriet the Spy or anything by Betsy Byars.

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surfersquid
Jan 15, 2021

The Lorax is great! I accidentally started this challenge a day early because I lost track of what day of the week it was. Wow.


Here's my post about my all-time favorite childhood/teenage books: https://www.facebook.com/tkarispe/posts/2869715839961661

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