Summer Vacation with Old Friends: Rereading Your Favorite Childhood Books
by Kimberley McNamara
Yesterday, I saw an orange leaf on my morning walk. I noticed too the Concord grapes along our fence are heavy and the hydrangeas have changed from their brilliant blue to faded sea glass green and bruised plum. Small signs that Autumn is coming. (Sigh) my inner child stamps her foot “but it feels like Summer just got here!” She stamps her foot again. “Plus I haven’t finished reading all my books yet!” (I can almost hear her wail.)
Summers to me as a child of Nantucket were filled with going to the beach (my mother, bless her heart, took all six of us plus various cousins and friends to the beach almost everyday in our oversized station wagon - seat belts weren’t a thing). We also built forts, played endless games of baseball, Monopoly, or Kick-the-Can. AND we read. Summer was punctuated with a weekly trip to the library. Late afternoons found me often curled up with a book in the shade of the maple tree or in my room if it were raining.
Ask any writer what they are reading and depending on the day, the season, whether or not they are traveling, if the sun is shining, the train is late or on time, and their answer will probably change. Ask what their favorite book is and they often will pause. But ask them what their favorite childhood books were and they will bubble over with a strong list.
Rereading favorite childhood books as an adult can be a way to unplug from today’s fast paced, Google Updated world. Your childhood favorites take you back and then bring you forward. For a moment you get to revisit an old friend, accept the comfort and familiarity they offer you and then bring back this restorative bliss with you into your Adult world. In short, you get to time hop.
A simple sampling of our group of six revealed some overlaps and some interesting departures. Often the books we read we chose from what was available. For some of us the local library was a storefront or a bookmobile and the school library was a converted custodial closet. They offered us an interesting mix and gave us a series of arm chair travels. See our childhood favorites in our Resources and Favorites . (Can you guess from our writer's profile who is who?)
The childhood memory of being transported through reading is what we search for each time we pick up a book - the desire to catapulted elsewhere, to be swept up in the story, to be just as we were when we were a child curled up with a book - the rest of the world drifting or swirling by and we in the midst of the story.
For a list of 19 childhood books every adult should reread or at least read see this listing generated by Louise Lareau, managing librarian of the Children’s Center at New York’s Public Library.
Because some things just improve with time consider these 50 books recommended by Goodhousekeeping.
For a smaller list of some old favorites consider Real Simple's list of 7 Books
Now given that our childhood/preteen/teen books hold such significant space in our lives shouldn’t they hold equal space in our character’s lives? What would your character have read? Should they have read? Would be reading now? What children’s literature books should we as writers read.
Authors trying to understand the immigrant experience (besides their own particular ancestors) Book Riot has a listing of books which may help you when developing your character who is Other Than you or the territory you know.
Deaddarlings.com offers up YA Wednesdays with recommendations for current YA offerings, author interviews, etc... check out this summer reading one here.
In keeping with trying to understand another’s perspective consider these books as highlighted by Romper with respect to teaching white kids about kids of color.
Immigration - 19th century, 20th century & 21st century from Europe, Russia, Asia and the Caribbean and more, the Newton Library highlights an assortment.
Also 30 children’s books which consider the LGBTQ familial make-up and celebrate diversity may be found at Bustle.com.
The leaf, the grapes, and the hydrangeas coupled with the shorter days are the makings of my nostalgia for summers past. My inner child demands for MORE of Summer Present. Sea salt, sand, outdoor fires, s’mores, ice cream and books - were and are still hallmarks of my summer. This summer my TBR (to be read) is smaller but I’m hitting pause on its slow but steady reduction. I'm revisiting some old summer friends. I recommend you do the same. You'll be surprised by what you've missed and will happy for the reconnection.
First up: Anne of Green Gables. I have my mother’s original copy and I downloaded it from Audible.com (it’s read by Rachel McAdams).
So go find your old favorite and curl up with it in the sun, at the beach, on plane, in a train or bus. And get ready for some magic. And hurry! Because, didn't you hear? I saw an orange leaf yesterday...
**painting by Karen Allen-Kelley find her @karenallenkelley on instagram; painting owned by author**
