Books

What were some of the most memorable books you read as a child? What made them memorable?

Of course, the Bible was the most memorable of all the books I read, and it still is!

Louisa May Alcott's books: Little Women, Little Men and Joe's Boys were favorites because they were wholesome novels and realistic enough to be applicable to my own life.

I also read Beautiful Girlhood by Evangeline Shellhammer. This book helped me examine my own relationships, especially those with my father. She pointed out that when a girl reached her teens, her father often felt estranged because his daughter's interests were changing. He felt incapable of meaningful communication. She encouraged her readers to take the initiative in conversations with their dads. I took her counsels seriously and was able to bond with my father in a wholesome way. I also enjoyed fairy tales, because they stretched my imagination. I read "Little Orphan Annie" daily in the funny paper.