Weekly Geek 2009-13: Be a Kid

This week's "Weekly Geek" celebrates International Children's Book Day (April 2) and National Poetry Month (April) with 2 options for posting. I'm going with option A:

Option A: Be a kid!

You could read a picture book (or two or three) and share what you read

Write up a post sharing your favorite books from childhood

Write up a post about reading together with your child(ren)

Reading has been a part of my life almost from day one. My mom read to me, my dad read to me, my grandmother read to me, my papa read to me...is it any wonder that I'm a voracious reader? I have so many favorite childhood books and each one has a special memory to go along with it.

Early Childhood:

• Old Hat New Hat by Stan & Jan Berenstain. My dad read this book to me so many times that he could almost repeat it word for word from memory.
• Hooper Humperdink...Not Him! by Theodore Le Sieg. Poor Hooper, why doesn't anyone like him?
• I'll Teach my Dog 100 Words by Michael Frith. This was one that I my mom read to me a lot.
• Animal Sounds by Golden Books. My papa used to quote this book to me whenever he took me to preschool.
• Wacky Wednesday by Dr. Seuss. "It all began with that shoe on the wall..."
• Just Grandma and Me by Mercer Meyer. This book was one of my favorite books to read at my grandparents' house. I always think of my grandma when I see this book.
• The Berenstain Bears and the Week at Grandma's by Stan and Jan Berenstain. Since I was little, I have usually spent at a week at my grandparents' almost every year. My trips were always as much fun as Brother and Sister Bear's.
• Fuzzy Rabbit Saves Christmas by Rosemary Billman. My favorite childhood Christmas book.
• Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne. I've been a Pooh fan all of my life. Read more about that here.

Later Childhood:

• The Boxcar Children Series by Gertrude Chandler Warner. I've read so many of these books that I lost count. Who can resist sweet kids, fun mysteries and a super rich grandpa?
• Alfred Hitchcock & the Three Investigators Series by Robert Arthur, Jr. My mom used to read these aloud to me, then I later read them for myself. I think that this is where I really learned to love mystery stories.
• The Babysitters Club Series by Ann N. Martin. I'd actually be a little ashamed to admit to this if every other girl growing up in the '90s wasn't reading them also.
• Mary Poppins books by P. L. Travers. This was a read-aloud favorite for my sisters and I. My mom read most of it, but it was my dad that made one chapter particularly memorable. "It's a UNICORN!"
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory & Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl. Another read-aloud favorite.
• Paddington Bear Series by Michael Bond. Favorites for me and now for my baby brother & sister. Read more here.
• Little House on the Prairie Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. A classic series that everyone should try. My favorite is These Happy Golden Years.
• The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. This is a classic that I absolutely adore. Mole, Rat, Badger and Toad are unforgettable.
• Anne of Green Gables Series by L. M. Montgomery. Another classic series. It's been really fun recently because my younger sister has been reading them, so we have been able to discuss our favorite aspects of the books.
• Carry on, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham. My mom read this aloud to us and instantly I knew that it was going to be a lifelong favorite. Even today I'll pick it up and give it a quick re-read.

Whew! See, I told you I had a lot of favorites. So how about you? What are your favorite books from your childhood? What books do you read to your children? Be a kid with me this week and take a walk down memory lane.