This morning I ventured into the attic, nagged by the sense that I’d seen copies of some of the books of my youth semi-recently. Lo and behold, there was a box of treasures! For starters, here are the horse books:
- Helen Kay’s A Pony for the Winter
- Rutherford Montgomery’s El Blanco — The Legend of the White Stallion
- Stephen Holt’s The Phantom Roan
- Dorothy Brenner Francis’ The Flint Hills Foal
- Sam Savitt’s Vicki and the Black Horse
- Glen Rounds’ The Blind Colt
- Lynn Hall’s Wild Mustang
- Walter Farley’s The Black Stallion and The Black Stallion Returns
- Doris Gates’ Little Vic
- Margaret Goff Clark’s Mystery Horse
- Anita Feagles’ Casey: The Utterly Impossible Horse
(Gee, I wonder where my daughter’s horse-passion comes from…)
And besides these, there were a few others like Little Women, Encyclopedia Brown, Pippi Longstocking, a few Beverly Cleary books, children’s biographies of Helen Keller and Louisa May Alcott, etc.
Most or all of these would be available at the library, of course. But there’s something about finding my own old copies that’s hard to describe. These are chunks of myself. How can inanimate objects be so significant?
I also wonder how much my own attachment to these books is influencing my daughters. A lot, I’m sure. But that’s not something I’m going to get analytical about. I love that when I plopped the box down at the foot of the attic stairs, they were on it in a heartbeat, raking through the books on the floor, exclaiming, carrying them off to pore over on their own.
7 responses so far ↓
AP // May 13, 2008 at 8:05 pm
I love Encyclopedia Brown. Interesting story that connects with what you wrote: My Dad was a high school principal. He came to my third (or fourth?) grade class once and read an Encyclopedia Brown book to us. Everybody loved it. I became a fan simply because my Dad was, but there was a reason my Dad was a fan.
writer2b // May 13, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Wow, that really does make the point, doesn’t it? I suppose in most cases reading, and reading tastes, are among the better things we can pass along.
I’m looking forward to revisiting Encyclopedia, that master of keen observation and cool-headedness!
Ruth // May 13, 2008 at 10:23 pm
My kids love having books I read as a child. And one of the fun parts of having children is getting to introduce them to the books you loved. So far my kids have great taste in books - that is to say, taste that agrees with mine.
ravenous reader // May 14, 2008 at 12:08 am
I was quite the girly girl when it came to childhood reading - the Little House Books, Betsy-Tacy, Nancy Drew, Little Women-Little Men, Secret Garden. Somehow, I couldn’t get my son interested in those
We did find common ground in the Wrinkle in Time Series, and discovered The Chronicles of Narnia together.
It’s great reading with your kids-it makes wonderful, lifelong memories.
Lisa, The Correspondent // May 14, 2008 at 12:37 am
Congratulations on finding your treasures.
We enjoy Encyclopedia Brown, too. I’m eager to look for several of those horse books you listed. My 10-yr-old daughter loves horses, too.
~ The Correspondent
cloudscome // May 14, 2008 at 1:59 pm
My attic is stuffed with books I’m saving for my kids. I am trying to give some away by the boxfull, just so we can redo the attic for more living space. My kids have great libraries, after all!
I tagged you for a meme today.
JW // May 15, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Wow! What a treasure trove! It is so wonderful that your children can be the recipients of such good books. I’ll second and third the love of Encyclopedia Brown. There are days when I remember particular scenes from those books like none other. I’m just sorry I lost so many of my books in the mini-flood in my basement. It IS odd how inanimate objects hold memories for us. Enjoy!
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