Currently in heavy rotation at Camp Wu. Polar Bear Night is on some zen shit. I could read that book everyday for the rest of my life. Ana Juan is my favorite illustrator right now.
I read every John Bellairs book I could find as kid until I read them all, and then I would just re-read them over and over. I wanted to a catholic, because I knew that was the only way to fight evil. Some of those books scared the shit out of me as a kid. Real spooky stuff.
Oh man I had Sweet Pickles my mom got them somewhere I always thought it was through tupperware because it came in this green tupperware rolodex bus with all kinds of activities and shit, you should be on the look out for that. Actually I bet she still has it, its funny I always thought she got it from tupperware because of the box and that they were like the childrens tupperware characters but she wrote for Highlights magazine a couple of times and probably got it from some childrens literature shit. I never talked to anyone else that knew about them.
Oh man I had Sweet Pickles my mom got them somewhere I always thought it was through tupperware because it came in this green tupperware rolodex bus with all kinds of activities and shit, you should be on the look out for that. Actually I bet she still has it, its funny I always thought she got it from tupperware because of the box and that they were like the childrens tupperware characters but she wrote for Highlights magazine a couple of times and probably got it from some childrens literature shit. I never talked to anyone else that knew about them.
There are so many, since I spent every free moment of my childhood with my nose buried in a book (or comic book) ... but probably the 2 most read and re-read - and most influential - titles, which I don't think have been mentioned yet, are:
This book is amazing. It had everything I could want as a kid. Published in 1967, and set in mid-60's Lower Manhattan, our young hero George wants to be a rock star like the Beatles, and is learning to play guitar on the sly, as his Father has a hatred for rock n' roll music and instead sings the praises of Ornette Coleman and Thelonius Monk. George's Father works as a commercial cartoonist, but is mainly interested in being taken seriously as an "action painter" of the Jackson Pollack school, and is featured in a few scenes flinging paint at a canvas with a spoon. George lands a dream gig playing in a makeshift rock band of kids for a TV special, but discovers he has terrible stage fright. The only cure is to have his teddy bear with him, a ragged and one-eyed security blanket that George freely admits he should have outgrown by now, but can't do without. He hides the bear in his guitar, and stumbles into a jewel heist run by a gang of bungling beatniks, which he eventually helps bust up, gets over his stage fright, and earns the respect of and learns to respect his Dad. The atmosphere and hip themes of this book were pure gold to me as a kid. I loved the world of NYC beatniks and artists and rock stars, all wrapped up in a mystery story with a great humorous first-person narrative.
I need to read this book again!
Also, maybe even more influential and perhaps my all-time favorite:
Daniel Pinkwater is a genius. He creates scenarios so fantastic yet based so firmly in reality that any kid with half an imagination can't help but be drawn in completely. Lizard Music is his masterpiece. This book completely blew my mind. A plot that involves our young hero staying up late one night when left home alone and watching TV, when he sees a hazy broadcast of a band of actual lizards playing music unlike anything he has ever heard. He decides to discover the source of this broadcast, and goes on a hunt that is filled with fantastic humor and cliffhanging excitement. Pinkwater never talked down to his young audience, instead treating them with respect and sophistication not often found in novels for young children. I read everything he published for kids, and loved it all ... but nothing was quite like Lizard Music.
I read every John Bellairs book I could find as kid until I read them all, and then I would just re-read them over and over. I wanted to a catholic, because I knew that was the only way to fight evil. Some of those books scared the shit out of me as a kid. Real spooky stuff.
HUGE cosign on this one (though mine has the earlier cover, i guess im showing my age). we had this assigned for 5th grade reading, to do over a week or 2. i finished it the first night, couldnt stop reading it!
other killers: all these are STILL good (if easy) reads today. major suspense!
Comments
Honestly, I credit this book with teaching me the value and importance of creativity. As such, it was hugely influential on me.
Others already mentioned:
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Where the Wild Things Are
Shel Silverstein's stuff
I loved this book as a kid.
Holy Flashback! The statue has an "m" on the bottom...........
Co-sign on Bev and Judy.
Here are a couple I still love to flip through every now and again:
Also this book broke my heart and sewed it back together:
but my new favorite kids book is
Olivia the Pig Series:
So cute and great visual art.
and of course:
i feeling this thread.....
i love these illustrations
I read every John Bellairs book I could find as kid until I read them all, and then I would just re-read them over and over. I wanted to a catholic, because I knew that was the only way to fight evil. Some of those books scared the shit out of me as a kid. Real spooky stuff.
and do comics count?
-Spiderman/deathlock the demolisher/master of kung fu/iron fist/power man/luke cage/the punisher/creepy/errie/the spirit
I think of this book everytime I see change in a museum fountain...
"Claude! Income!"
I love this book.
Also, Phantom Tollbooth.
OH SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I FORGOT ABOUT THIS BOOK! add this to my list. i used to look at this all the time.
My personal favorite of the bunch....
And Harold too.
w/ NY Times article when the guys dog found the golden hare. Helped make the surreal seem real as a kid.
Everything Ezra Jack Keats
I never talked to anyone else that knew about them.
surprised to not see these yet!
I loved that mixed up files book and totally forgot about it!!
SWEET PICKLES!!
I totally forgot about that!
^^^loved this artist when I was a young'n
...and any other book by this man
Roald Dahl
Even apples?
I remember scheming with someone about buying a custom "Goofus" title for TheMack a couple years ago. Never panned out.
There are so many, since I spent every free moment of
my childhood with my nose buried in a book (or comic book) ...
but probably the 2 most read and re-read - and most influential -
titles, which I don't think have been mentioned yet, are:
This book is amazing. It had everything I could want as a kid.
Published in 1967, and set in mid-60's Lower Manhattan, our young
hero George wants to be a rock star like the Beatles, and is learning
to play guitar on the sly, as his Father has a hatred for rock n' roll
music and instead sings the praises of Ornette Coleman and Thelonius Monk.
George's Father works as a commercial cartoonist, but is mainly interested
in being taken seriously as an "action painter" of the Jackson Pollack
school, and is featured in a few scenes flinging paint at a canvas with a
spoon. George lands a dream gig playing in a makeshift rock band of kids for
a TV special, but discovers he has terrible stage fright. The only cure is
to have his teddy bear with him, a ragged and one-eyed security blanket
that George freely admits he should have outgrown by now, but can't do
without. He hides the bear in his guitar, and stumbles into a jewel heist
run by a gang of bungling beatniks, which he eventually helps bust up,
gets over his stage fright, and earns the respect of and learns to respect
his Dad. The atmosphere and hip themes of this book were pure gold to me
as a kid. I loved the world of NYC beatniks and artists and rock stars, all
wrapped up in a mystery story with a great humorous first-person narrative.
I need to read this book again!
Also, maybe even more influential and perhaps my all-time favorite:
Daniel Pinkwater is a genius. He creates scenarios so fantastic yet
based so firmly in reality that any kid with half an imagination can't
help but be drawn in completely. Lizard Music is his masterpiece.
This book completely blew my mind. A plot that involves our young hero
staying up late one night when left home alone and watching TV, when he
sees a hazy broadcast of a band of actual lizards playing music unlike
anything he has ever heard. He decides to discover the source of this
broadcast, and goes on a hunt that is filled with fantastic humor and
cliffhanging excitement. Pinkwater never talked down to his young audience,
instead treating them with respect and sophistication not often found in
novels for young children. I read everything he published for kids, and
loved it all ... but nothing was quite like Lizard Music.
My mom would
I was into this too:
HUGE cosign on this one (though mine has the earlier cover, i guess im showing my age). we had this assigned for 5th grade reading, to do over a week or 2. i finished it the first night, couldnt stop reading it!
other killers:
all these are STILL good (if easy) reads today. major suspense!