Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Books on My Shelves That are Falling Apart

You know the Velveteen Rabbit story, right? The stuffed animal is so loved through the years that his fur starts to fall off. Well, I have books that are like that--falling apart, I mean, not with fur falling off. So they must be the books I really LOVE. And here they are:


THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH. I had to replace my childhood copy with another. I think the next copy I buy will be hardbound. Recently, I listened to the sound recording and at the end--what a bonus--was an interview with Norton Juster, the author!
 THE CHRONICLES OF PRYDAIN. The first book in the series is The Book of Three. The second book is The Black Cauldron. The animated movie called The Black Cauldron does absolutely no justice to the first two books. The last book in the series, The High King, was a Newbery Award winner.
 THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA. I think we're on our second set.
 7 KINDS OF SMART. Well, well, well. I went to search for a picture of the cover and discovered there's a newer edition. Great. Now I'm going to have to go get it.
 THE TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES AND OTHER FAIRY TALES, selected by Alfred David and Mary Elizabeth Meek. These are not your kidlets fairy tales. These are the real gritty fairy tales, as in, there's poetic justice in the end. (For instance, Snow White's jealous stepmother dancing to her death in red-hot slippers, a symbol of the envy that consumed her--ouch.)
 THE LITTLE PRINCE. I still quote from this book now and then. And--just to boast for a moment--I read it in French, too. (French Lit in college--it was intense. I'm lucky I didn't fail.)
THE NURSERY RHYME BOOK. I read this now and then just to get more ammo for the nursery rhyme game (maybe I'll tell you about that one day). I also use nursery rhymes in my theater classes; they come in very handy. (That is, when the kids know them! Come on, Parents. Read nursery rhymes to your kids!)







It seems to me, I wear out a lot of children's books...yup, I do. I read big people books now and then--business books, gardening books, some fiction--but only when I want to.

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