My Book Blog 10 Year Anniversary- My Favorite Childhood Library Books

- January 11, 2025

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,

I decided to share my reading and writing journey ten years ago this November. Reaching millions of readers a year, this labor of love has brought me great joy. I also love to see how my writing has improved over the years.

While I was growing up I loved reading books. I would get involved with read-a-thons and always had my book reports in on time. My teachers would reward readers with small trinkets like stickers or candy pieces. The library was always my haunt before and after school.

When my elementary school was set to be demolished several years ago, I knew I had to visit one last time while it was open before the fences went up and the cranes got to work with the wrecking ball. Upon my arrival, I decided to visit the library which was so special to me one last time. I even saw books with old check-out cards still in them on a book cart outside the library with dates stamped onto them from the mid-eighties.

The nostalgia of it all was surreal. How could such an important part of my life be demolished? Where do the memories go if you can no longer visit them in real life? From this experience I will always have the following to give me solace and fond memories: my top five favorite childhood reads.

The Anastasia Krupnik series by Lois Lowry- this series of nine books followed Anastasia Krupnik on her journey through not only being a girl but also dealing with a mischievous sibling and being the awkward one. I always loved the crazy stories, funny supporting cast, and often whimsical approach to childhood and adolescence.
The Anthony Monday series by John Bellairs- in the late 1970s and early 1980s John Bellairs released several horror and mystery series. Like R.L. Stine many years later, John Bellairs introduced horror to young readers. But the Anthony Monday series was the one I remember the most. As a kid, I enjoyed Anthony's adventures with librarian Ms. Myra Eellls. And as I continued to read Bellairs' other series I felt that I needed to write him. Several weeks later a hand-typed postcard arrived from John Bellairs to me. As a kid, it was the most exciting moment of my life up until that day.
The Three Investigators series by Robert Arthur and various- In the late 1960s a juvenile detective agency called The Three Investigators was introduced to audiences. Consisting of three boys named Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw, and Bob Andrews, the forty-three-book series became a worldwide hit. It even added director Alfred Hitchcock to the mix of ancient curses and paranormal phenomena. As a kid, I was a die-hard fan of the series and still remember their adventures. It is easy to find in second-hand shops and can be hard to find in other venues.
Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys by Carolyn Keene and Franklin W. Dixon- This trio of daring investigators was made famous to me in the 1970s by a television version that ran from 1977 to 1979 on Sunday nights on ABC. Pamela Sue Martin, Shaun Cassidy, and Parker Stevenson delivered an hour of mystery and adventure that often focused on the Hardy brothers or Nancy Drew. I began reading the series soon after and would spend hours delving into their worlds.
The Ramona Quimby and Henry Huggins series by Beverly Cleary- Take some neighbor kids, a stray dog, and an often strange little sister and you have a recipe for a beloved series. Starting on Klickitat Street in the 1950s, Henry Huggins met his dog, Ribsy, and the rest was literary history. I remember having posters based on the characters from the series in my local library. I read every book in both series, along with Socks, Ellen Tebbits, and Otis Spotfford in a year. I loved Beverly Cleary as a kid. As a break from my thriller and horror reading, I will listen to Ramona Quimby books read by Stockard Channing.