The Great Brain books made me feel smart. And actually some of the things I learned in there were applicable to my life. Like when Marc Crowzinski brought a deck of cards to school that were subtly marked by the flourets on the back. He was dumbfounded that I knew what was going on.
Your mileage may vary, since you said stepson not stepdaughter:
THE HOBBIT HARRIET THE SPY MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN All the myths and legends I could find: Norse, Arthurian, Russian, Greco-Roman
Ohhh, were The Three Investigators the ones who had a secret base - the old caravan buried under a rubbish dump, with secret entrances? I loved those. And all the Hardy Boys. And any Alfred Hitchcock collections of short stories - they're where I discovered Lawrence Block, Robert Bloch, and Ray Bradbury. Oh, and all the Bradbury story collections. And I was just starting my Asimov and Clarke short story obsession then, too. And The HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I nearly wore the ink off that one.
I seem to recall the following:
ReplyDeleteTOM SWIFT, THE HARDY BOYS, THE MAD SCIENTISTS CLUB, A WRINKLE IN TIME, ALVIN FERNALD, ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN, VOYAGE TO THE MUSHROOM PLANET...
I'm detecting a pattern here.
Oh, and lots of comics. Lots and lots of comics.
And -
ReplyDeleteALFRED HITCHCOCK presents THE THREE INVESTIGATORS...
And lots and lots of comics...
ReplyDeleteThe Great Brain books made me feel smart. And actually some of the things I learned in there were applicable to my life. Like when Marc Crowzinski brought a deck of cards to school that were subtly marked by the flourets on the back. He was dumbfounded that I knew what was going on.
Your mileage may vary, since you said stepson not stepdaughter:
ReplyDeleteTHE HOBBIT
HARRIET THE SPY
MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN
LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE
ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN
All the myths and legends I could find: Norse, Arthurian, Russian, Greco-Roman
Like Kira, I devoured mythological tomes. EVERYTHING, including old Japanese myths.
ReplyDeleteI also read biographies and autobiographies.
I don't know at what age I read the them but I read the following as a pre-pubscent child:
The Count of Monte Cristo
All the Nacy Drew/Hardy Boys books
Chronicles of Narnia
The Hobbit
All the Judy Blume books I could get my hands on.
AND, drum roll please:
Everything you ever wanted to know about sex but were afraid to ask.
;)
Ohhh, were The Three Investigators the ones who had a secret base - the old caravan buried under a rubbish dump, with secret entrances? I loved those. And all the Hardy Boys. And any Alfred Hitchcock collections of short stories - they're where I discovered Lawrence Block, Robert Bloch, and Ray Bradbury. Oh, and all the Bradbury story collections. And I was just starting my Asimov and Clarke short story obsession then, too. And The HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I nearly wore the ink off that one.
ReplyDeleteKavik The Wolf Dog.
ReplyDeleteAnything by Willard Price, and the Agaton Sax books, about which I now remember nothing.
ReplyDeleteAnd Joan D. Vinge's Ladyhawke novelization, which I still read now and again.
Peter Pan changed my life.
ReplyDeleteme at 10 - Nancy Drew
ReplyDeletefirst son at 10 - Goosebumps
second son at 10 - Hank the Cowdog
third son at 10 - Lemony Snicket
All the L.M. Montgomery books. Anne, Rilla, Emily, etc.
ReplyDelete