Merry Wanderer of the Night:
Memory Monday

Confront them about it and offer to pay them $5 to read a book teaching you to be nice to people.

I can't even make up the stuff my dad comes up with sometimes. (see the Memory Monday post: where my father tells me that the fate of a young girl who runs away is to be kidnapped and turned into a crack whore...) Ahem...

When I was a kid/teenager/young person, I had a dual personality. In public, especially at school, I was about as perfect as a kid can be. I desperately wanted my teachers to think I was a perfect pupil/person and for the most part, they did. I was always teacher's pet without ever being that annoying kid that everyone hated... But my perfection didn't carry over at home and I was... not always super nice to my parents or my siblings.

Once, when I was about 14, in an effort to teach me some people skills that weren't based on my need to have my teachers like me, my dad came to my room, told me I was sometimes a bit of a brat and told me that he would pay me $5 to read a book by Dale Carnegie called, How to Win Friends and Influence People. I don't know that being called a brat (or some other, more 'father friendly' term) really swayed me, but being offered $5 just to read a book sure did.

So I read the book and was amazed at how simple some of the things Carnegie taught were. Things like noticing the names of the grocery checkers, or asking someone you want to do business with what interests them instead of talking about what you like. Or one of my favorite stories — The man who couldn't get the rowdy kids who hung out on the corner by his house to be quite. So he paid them to stand there for a few hours. And each night, he offered less and less money until they finally decided it wasn't worth it and went home.

I won't lie and tell you that this book immediately changed my life and made me this super awesome perfect person. (As is clear by the fact that my dad came back about a year later and told me he'd give me another $5 for reading the book, but this time I had to take notes on it) But I will tell you that it changed something. If nothing else, it has made me increasingly aware over the years (because I've reread it a time or two without the additional motivation of my dad's five dollars) and there is a lot to learn from Carnegie's rather simple observations on life.

In defense of my dad — He remembers offering me the money to read the book, but he denies ever having called me a brat. Maybe he didn't say brat specifically, but I do most certainly remember the feeling of outrage at whatever he did call/tell me when explaining why I needed to read this book.

I know that in a previous Memory Monday Post, I talked about Willo Davis Roberts, and the impact she had on me as an author. (in my blog to read it. It's hysterically funny.) But, I talked about her writing in very general terms. Today, I want to talk about one book in particular that was a big deal for me.

I've always been super nerdy when it comes to books. I love making my own book lists, reading books from specific award lists, etc. So, when I learned in 4th grade (I think) that there was a contest of sorts where you were to write in with the number of mystery books you had read to 'win' I signed up! I kicked myself for days after sending in my list because I kept thinking of more and more that I had read and forgotten to put down, but I guess 9 is still a lot for a 4th grader because I won! I won a certificate along with my very first signed book, Twisted Summer by Willo Davis Roberts.

I cannot even begin to describe what it felt like to look down at that book and see that signature, knowing that the woman who wrote this book, whose books I had been reading and loving for years had TOUCHED MY BOOK. Seriously. Whoa.

I was going to take a picture, because I still have both the book and the certificate, but I can't find my camera. Perhaps another time.

But honestly, for a 4th grader who has loved books her whole life, that was the greatest, most amazing moment. I wish I had been more careful with the book, but it was one of my favorites of hers and I read it over and over. It's not in awesome shape anymore, but it is definitely a book I will keep and treasure forever.

(I mean, seriously!! 4th grader getting a SIGNED book from their favorite author?! AMAZING!!)

Last weeks Memory Monday post was a list of Contemporary books that I feel are a great introduction to the genre for younger readers. Today's post is a list of books for older readers that I think can make Contemporary lovers out of anyone. It's not really a memory, I suppose, but I have very fond memories/experiences with all of these, so I'm counting it.:)

Not all of these books will be for every reader. But I'm pretty confident that there is at least something among this rather large list for everyone. And I have read all of these and will personally vouch for their insane levels of awesome. Also, this is in no way a complete list. It was impossibly hard narrowing down the books I included, so if you want or need more recommendations, seriously ask away. I am more than happy to share the books that (unfortunately) didn't make this list.

Melina Marchetta. I know I'm already cheating, that Melina Marchetta is a person, not a book, but she is one of my all-time favorite authors. Her book Jellicoe Road not only won a Printz award, but it's also an absolutely stunning and amazingly brilliant book. But, I do recognize that it's not for everyone and sometimes it works for people new to Contemporary and sometimes it doesn't. But I do absolutely and always recommend Saving Francesca and The Piper's Son. They are a bit more accessible to some people but they are no less amazing. Anything by Marchetta will introduce you to people you can't help but love. And the reading experience is never easy, but it is so completely worth it.

The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder is a book that I recommend to everyone. It is, in my opinion, a perfect starter book. It's written in verse (which I adore and push/promote every chance I get) and the story that Lisa tells is so stunning, so amazing and just so beautifully brilliant that I don't know how you could not fall in love. And it's a book I've already recommended to several non verse and non Contemporary readers, and I have not talked to any of them who haven't loved it yet.

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly isn't straight Contemporary and I think it will appeal to fans of both Contemporary and Historical Fiction. While the book is set during the now, the main character, Andi, finds an old diary and becomes completely invested in the life of a young woman who lived during the French Revolution. And Andi is one of the most painful characters I've ever read. I physically hurt while reading this book because Andi's pain is so intensely real and it's one of the best books I read last year.

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick is one that I read just recently but can't seem to stop thinking about or talking about. This book is a lot of things, all of which are amazing, but more than anything else, watching the absolute love between these two brothers broke my heart and put it back together again bigger and richer than it was before. I understand that not everyone can read this book. My older sister has children around the same age as the main character and literally cannot read books that deal with children with diseases or death. But it is such a phenomenal and powerful book that I would recommend it strongly to anyone who can. An absolutely beautiful book.

Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert is a hard book to read. It's a very hard story about a girl who finds herself slipping so far into a world of drugs and alcohol and cutting that she very nearly loses herself completely. It's painfully realistic in its portrayal of the life Kara finds herself living but it is also so powerfully written that you can't deny its impact or its message. And there are stories within the story. Many of the secondary characters who are especially important to the narrator have a chance to share their own stories, in a series of personal ballads and while the whole book is brilliant, those pieces especially made this book so perfect. This was a game changing book for me. It taught me a lot about myself and about life and it's one that I think people need to be more aware of.

No list introducing readers to Contemporary YA would be complete without Sarah Dessen. She's got quite a few books under her belt and so many people absolutely love her. I put of reading anything by her for a long time because I assumed it was too romance-y for my taste (and I was sniffabove books like that) but I started reading them last year and now I own them all. She really is an amazing author. I haven't read all of her books yet, I'm only about halfway through, but my two favorites are The Truth About Forever and Just Listen. Dessen has this way of writing a story that straddles the border between light-hearted fun and serious topics. She's pretty much brilliant and a must read within the genre.

The Disreputable History of Frankie-Landau Banks by E. Lockhart is one of the wittiest, smartest books I've ever read. Frankie is one of the best main characters I have ever read. And it has the word disreputable in the title. Seriously.

Laurie Halse Anderson is another author that I think needs to be read. Her books deal with heavy subject matter but are important and powerful. Speak, Twisted and Wintergirls have all found a place on my favorites shelf.

I don't think there are enough genuinely funny books out there, so if you are looking for more light-hearted, fun, laugh your face off in public books, you should definitely try Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway about a girl whose life becomes a media circus after her ex-boyfriend writes a breakup song about her that goes viral & rockets to the top of all the charts (yay for music in books!). Babe in Boyland by Jody Gehrman is also absolutely hysterical. It has a similar plot to the movie She's the Man with Amanda Bynes except instead of soccer it's "investigative journalism" but it's seriously laugh-out-loud funny and there was more than one time that I had to stop reading because I was getting funny looks from the people sitting around me. Man its hard to breathe when you are laughing that hard! Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout have also written some really cute and fun books together. I've only read Girl v. Boy and Love, Inc. but both were super fun and entertaining. Definitely a fun way to spend a few hours.:)

And, of course, I can't not mention the phenomenon that is Stephanie Perkins. I can't tell you how many reviews I've seen that talk about — not being a Contemporary reader, but then I read this and!!!!!. Seriously you guys. Anna and the French Kiss is a book that has a little something in it for everyone. It's super cute, but the characters are also real people who do have issues beyond what they are going to wear that day, or whether or not super cute guy likes them. This is a book about real life without being heavy or emotionally draining. Something about Stephanie's writing makes the story reality to everyone reading. Definitely one you should check out. I can't think of anyone off hand that I would not recommend this one too. It's companion novel, Lola and the Boy Next Door is also completely full of win.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher is another book that I think many people, Contemporary readers or not, can get caught up in reading, but more than that, I also think it is a book that more people should be reading. It's a story that makes us accountable, even if only to ourselves, about what type of person we are and makes us recognize on a deeper level that what we do really does affect other people, that our choices impact others and we have no way of knowing what they are going through right now. Teenagers especially need to read this, need to recognize and understand that life isn't only about them and that other people matter too.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. There are so many wonderfully amazing books that I had to leave off this list. Books like Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King or Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly, The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler, Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John, Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson and on and on. The Contemporary Genre has so much to offer readers. So very, very much. And I hope that you give it a chance, give it the opportunity to show you what it's made of, to show you what it really can do.

Today's Memory Monday post is a bit different from the norm. Rather than taking a specific reading memory, in spirit of Just Contemporary month, I want to spotlight some Contemporary reads for kids that I think could really draw them in and introduce them to the awesomeness that is Contemporary Lit at a young age. And next week, I'm going to list some of my favorite older YA Contemps to pull in those more reluctant/hesitant older readers.:)

Many of these are books that I have mentioned before, some of them even have entire Memory Monday posts already (they are linked). But this is a reference-type list so that all these awesome Contemps for kids are in one place. (There are many more books that fully deserve to be on this list, but I had to have some limits...)

First is Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. This is an older book, and it's actually set even farther back than that. It's never specifically mentioned in a timeline, but I get the feeling that the book takes place somewhere between the 30s and 50s. So while it's not actually Contemporary, it is Realistic fiction and it's the book that changed what reading meant for me. This was the first book that really hit me and taught me that there was more to reading than just a fun story, or words on a page. I had always loved books, but this book is what really taught me what it means to read.

Willo Davis Roberts is another great writer who really appeals to kids. I devoured her books. She made me believe that I could be amazing. The young kids in her stories were always the heroes and the most frightfully amazing things happened to them. It sparked my imagination and I had wildly exciting day dreams and my barbies had the most interesting lives, partly because of these books. (My mom was also terrified that I'd manage to get myself kidnapped because I believed so strongly in these kids, and just knew that I could handle it myself). But she fanned my love of reading and I don't know any kids that don't love to hear about how much smarter kids are than adults... :)

The Babysitter's Club by Ann M. Martin is a series I inhaled. I used to check out 15-20 of these books at a time and have them all back to the library within two weeks, usually faster. They were exciting and real and I so wanted to have my own babysitters club, once I was old enough to babysit. (I started reading them in 2nd grade, so...) The girls in these stories weren't perfect. They lied, fought, made mistakes, and there were always consequences. But they learned from them within their short little stories and became better babysitters, better friends and better people because of them, and I know that some of the lessons I learned in these books helped shape the person I am.

Sharon Creech so totally deserves a place on this list as well. Her stories are about growing up, facing challenges, accepting new experiences and just learning from life. They are told with that frank honesty of a childhood with that raw emotion of true knowledge of life. I can't even begin to describe how strongly I loved Sharon Creech, and still do, actually. Hers are stories that never get old.

Although I didn't read as much of them as my peers did, Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary are both great Contemporary writers. Beverly with her Ramona series and Judy with those Fudge books speak to that younger kid and seem able to use an age appropriate writing style to justify and validate what these kids are going through before they really have the words to explain it themselves.

If the kid in your life is able to handle more mature topics in their stories, I cannot recommend Cynthia Voigt's Tillerman saga enough. I know that I have talked about these books before, but they were a hugely important part of my growing up and formative reading years. I think these books helped me to understand the difference between putting on a brave/false front and true strength. Dicey had to be strong for her siblings. She had to grow up faster than any child ever should and even though I was her age or younger when reading these books, I was so incredibly proud of her.

Maniac Magee by Jerri Spinelli has an element of myth or fantasy to it even though nothing magical or fantastical happens. But the title character of the story has that sort of impact on people, even though he's young. There is much that a kid can learn from this story, but it is also a wonderful story, wonderfully told that will appeal to all sorts of kids, interested in all sorts of reading.

Sonya Sones writes in free verse and, if I'm remembering right, she was my first verse novelist. Her books are geared more in the tween spot, I believe, for those who are no longer children, but still not quite into their teens (11-14 or so). Because of the verse, the books read quickly but the stories lose none of their emotion or depth because of the sparsity of the writing. An easy read for those reluctant to pick up a book but still phenomenal stories.

Shiloh and Hatchet are both well written stories that appeal to younger kids, boys especially. Shiloh is about loving a dog and learning to protect creatures weaker than ourselves (and it's a dog book where the dog doesn't die!!) and Hatchet is a story of wilderness survival and strength.

Betsy Byars writes some fun MG Contemporary and she was my 10 year old brothers very favorite author for a long time (his personal favorite was The Cybil War) and both Andrew Clements and Gordon Korman write some really fun stories as well (I especially loved No Talked and No More Dead Dogs respectively).

Rules by Cynthia Lord is about a young girl whose brother is autistic and she struggles with appearances a lot throughout the novel. But it's a wonderfully sweet story that I absolutely adored. Very deserving of its Newbery Honor.

E.L. Konigsburg writes some very real characters, even if they aren't in very real situations. Like the characters in her Mixed Up Files who end up running away from home and spending the night in a museum (among other things). But her books, especially The View from Saturday were amazing reading experiences for me.

I could go on and on. There are so many wonderful books out there, so much amazing Contemporary for kids. Do you have any favorites? Books that made you love Contemporary as a kid? Contemps that kids you know love? Let me know!! Leave a comment letting me know if you've read any of the books I've listed and/or if you know of any I've missed!

I thought it fitting that my first Memory Monday during the month of November would be a look back at the Contemporary books I read as a young kid that really influenced me and had made me a lover of Contemporary YA from a very young age.

When I was younger, I loved Willo Davis Roberts. She wrote these awesome mystery/thriller type novels where the protagonists were my own age and they were awesome. They were the reason that my mom was terrified to leave ten year old Ashley alone because when she told me I was not allowed to open the front door to people I didn't know while she was gone, I informed her that it wasn't a big deal, because if they were bad, I could just shut the door really fast. O_o Instead, the rule was that I was just not allowed to answer a knock while mom was gone, period. (I have a whole Memory Monday talking about just Willo Davis Roberts here. And for realz... it's a rather funny story).

But in the course of reading about these young kids totally outsmarting the bad guys, I also read a book by WDR called Sugar Isn't Everything. It's about a young girl, maybe 10 or 11 if I remember right, who develops diabetes. At first she doesn't know what's going on. She has very little energy, craves juices and candies and feels miserable and sick and run down. Her parents take her to the doctor and she is no longer allowed to eat sweet things, and I don't remember for sure (I read this in 4th or 5th grade, so...) but I think she needs insulin shots. There is a scene in the book where she is at a football game with her two best girl friends, and she leaves for a few minutes. When she's on her way back, she hears her friends giggling and she watches a snickers bar wrapper float down from where they were sitting. Ashley's little girl heart = broken.

Then, I found Cynthia Voigt. I don't remember exactly how I discovered Cynthia Voigt (although I strongly suspect it was a book stolen borrowed from my sister's library pile, who, incidentally is also named Cynthia [and come to think about it, might also have been the reason I was so keen to read these books]) However... I digress. While I don't remember the details of the finding, I do remember the first time I read Cynthia Voigt's Tillerman Saga. It was one of my first experiences with a mental illness and it completely changed the way I viewed life, reading, books, stories, people, and myself. In Homecoming, Dicey's mom packs up her four kids, leaves their little shack on the beach and starts to drive to her cousin's house because she recognizes that she desperately needs help in every way. But on the way, Mama stops at a mall, tells the kids she'll be back shortly and then disappears. This leaves young Dicey (somewhere between 11 and 13) in a terrible position. They have almost no money, very little food and a long way to go. So they walk. This young, young girl gets her three younger siblings motivated and they walk. They walk across states to get to their aunt or cousins house. And they make it. THEY MAKE IT. But things still aren't good there. The person who takes them in wants to civilize Dicey, turn James into a priest, play Barbie doll with Maybell and send Sammie off to reform school (who, by the way is only like 5 or 6). Splitting up the family is unacceptable to Dicey, and the others so she begins to formulate a plan, once again, to keep the family they have left safe and together.

The Saga continues, continuing over seven books and telling the stories of not only Dicey and her siblings, but also other characters we meet or who are referenced along the way. And let me tell you, it is a powerful set of stories. The stuff these characters face, the things they go through it painful and raw and so full of emotional truths that it took my breath away. I didn't know writing could be like this. And I devoured these books. All seven of them, more than once.

Sharon Creech was also a huge part of my early reading and I just absolutely loved her. Still do actually. I just finished a reread of my favorite Creech, Walk Two Moons and I love it just as much now as I did then. The experience reading this would have been vastly different had I read it for the first time when I was older, (mostly that I would have seen things coming that caught me completely by surprise as a kid) but I still loved it this time around, I still cried, still ached for Sal, wondering why she wasn't enough to keep her mother around, still cringed at the awkwardly embarrassing things Phoebe and Sal did together, groaned at Ben's awkwardly endearing attempts to kiss Sal, laughed myself silly at the crazy antics of Gramps and Gran and just fell in love with the book all over again. But Creech has other wonderful books, and other favorites included Chasing Redbird and Bloomability and The Wanderer with Absolutely Normal Choas being pretty awesome too. I've read more of her recent stories now that I'm older and I gotta tell you — Creech is still made of WIN. (Read my Memory Monday post all about Sharon Creech here)

I also loved The Babysitter's Club. I've already posted about that in a Memory Monday as well, but once again, I loved that this could be real. My girlfriends and I decided that once we were old enough to babysit, we would form our own Babysitter's Club, and it would be great. (It never happened, since I moved before I was really old enough to babysit and I wasn't really interested in the series anymore when I was old enough.)

And then, one of my largest reading phases was Mary Higgins Clark. Oh how I loved Mary Higgins Clark. I know that technically her genre is mystery/thriller, but it's also very definitely realistic fiction and I was obsessed. I inhaled her books, all of them and just buzzed with the reality of serial killers, the potential to be buried alive (which has always been one of my personal nightmares and only got worse after reading Moonlight Becomes You) and the knowledge that anyone out there could have a hidden side to themselves.

I could go on and on. Contemporary Fiction has always been a huge part of what I read. I have always loved it and gravitated toward it. There is something about reading about people who could be me, or who I could meet on the street that just calls to me, just really gets to me. I love it. And even as a young kid, I was drawn to Contemporary and a lot of the time, even when I was young, I was really drawn to those heartbreakingly real and achy stories.

So yes. Contemporary is my genre, now and forever. There are other genres that I love but nothing will ever replace Contemporary.

What better bookish memory to talk about on Halloween than R.L. Stine?! Seriously. When I was a kid he was the big deal. In 5th and 6th grade, all the kids I knew were reading R.L. Stine. We were too 'old and mature' to read the silly old Goosebumps books, but those Fear Street stories were deliciously creepy and freaky, especially because really, for the most part, it was stuff that could actually happen. No creepy nasties under the bed. Oh no. We are talking psycho crazy best friends, stalkers, wannabees and more. Some of them did dabble a bit into the paranormal, but it was all much more subtle in the Fear Street series than in Goosebumps.

I remember reading his Seniors series. One of the girls in the Fear Street senior class has a vision, of all the seniors lying in coffins by graduation day. Some people believe her, because apparently (if I'm remembering right) her family has a history of eerily accurate visions, but a lot of people scoff. And then, one by one, the seniors do start dying. The beginning of each book includes a 'yearbook page' with all the senior pictures. And with each new book, more and more of their pictures are altered as the students die.

There were 12 books, and I read 10 of them. This is the only series to date that I remember knowingly reading out of order. The books were in such high demand by all the morbid 5th and 6th graders out there, just itching to get their hands on the books that if you waited to read them in order, you'd never get a chance to read them at all. But I did resist the last book in the series, wanting the conclusion to be the actual conclusion. But book 10 never came and never came, and then I moved and no one in Idaho seemed to be as consumed with the thrill of R.L. Stine the way the kids in Western Washington were and the library didn't carry the series and I couldn't find the books and so I just... never finished reading them. I still don't know if the whole senior class ended up dead. I have no idea how it ended. And ya. It bugs.

Any of you read R.L. Stine? What about the Seniors series? For how popular I remember them being as a kid, I have met very, very few people since then that have heard of them, let alone read them. Makes me wonder if I exaggerate their popularity in my mind, but somehow doubt I could be misrecollecting the annoyance when non of the books were on the shelves, or the only one you could find was the one you'd read three books ago or who incredibly exciting it was to find a new one sitting there, just waiting to be snatched, read and inhaled by you!! Don't ask my why, when I had my library card memorized by age 9 because I put so many book on hold, I didn't think to put these books on hold, because I couldn't tell you. But I can tell you that the searching, the looking and the finding was so exciting, almost as much fun as reading the books themselves. This is definitely a series I'm going to have to revisit. Maybe I'll actually read them in order this time. At the very least, now that I can't remember any of their names or stories, at least I'll know if someone manages to escape the vision.

Today's guest is Kelly, an author who I recently started chatting with some on Twitter. She's got a fun story to share about reading books that are way too old for your reading level!

Okay, this is so not Little House on the Prairie.

When I was bored as a kid, I read anything. The ingredients on the Count Chocula cereal box. (Sugar, corn syrup, chocolate.) Star magazine at the grocery store. (Fave: Stars Without Makeup.) I just read whatever was near.

I know you are smart ---because you are Ashley’s friends – so you know this is headed for a huge parental fail. (And no, Miss Nasty, it is not porn.)

So this woman moved in across the street from my family. She was young and had a baby and thought I might be a good babysitter until she realized I was only nine and just tall. But I couldn’t help noticing the floor-to-ceiling bookshelf in her living room. She caught me staring at it and told me I could borrow any book I wanted, anytime.

Any book. Any time. Yeah. This woman really needed a babysitter: She was issuing bribes to nine-year-olds.

So what made me choose what had to be the oldest, dustiest, least girly book on the shelf- — Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood? Sure it was a genius non-fiction account of a murder in a small town on a Kansas prairie, and I had just finished Little House on the Prairie. Coincidence? Capote wrote it with research help from Harper Lee, author of To Kill A Mockingbird. Some people even whispered that she wrote it for him, that’s how good reviewers thought it was.

But I learned that in college. That torn old cover didn’t have blurbs and stuff all over it like books do now. I remember choosing In Cold Blood because it was the thickest book on her shelf. I thought it would last the longest.

Oh please. I inhaled it. It was the most compelling book I had ever read. It scared the crap out of me, and I let it. I liked it.

So yeah, it was totally inappropriate and completely over my head and what was wrong with that neighbor– post-partum depression? Where was my freaking mother? Did she not vacuum under my bed?

But you don’t have to be an adult to know when you are in the grip of a good story. Your body will tell you. As you stay up late. As you keep running to the dictionary to look up words like “motivation” and “Death
Row.” As you fall asleep in your Count Chocola the next morning and dream not of counts or vampires, but of ropes and knives.

Why do we love books that scare us so much? Why do we love movies that make us cry? Why do we eat cereal full of chocolate and sugar?

I don’t know. But I think my neighbor did.

Kelly Simmons is the author of two novels from Simon & Schuster that are only a little scary: Standing Still and The Bird House. Her website & blog are at www.bykellysimmons.com. And she is grateful to have
cool twitter friends like Ashley.

Haha! That's ME!:) I'm a cool Twitter friend!:) If you want to experience some of the fun that is Kelly on Twitter, you can in my blog!

Today's Memory Monday guest is one of my favorite people to chat with! Katelyn is hilarious and fun and I always leave our conversations with a smile on my face. I'm so excited that she's my guest today, so let's show her lots of love!!

BIO

My name is Katelyn and I’m the crazy blogger behind Katelyn’s Blog (catchy title, huh?). When I’m not reading, my time is mostly taken up by my family (3 brother + 2 sisters + 3 dogs = LOTS of madness), college (hope to become a high school math/English teacher), and working (I’ve got to pay for my book/shoe/food addictions somehow).The only two things that keep sane during my crazy days are books and music. I love to read anything young adult but my heart beats a little stronger for contemporary fiction. I am a total fan-girl to Sarah Dessen, Melina Marchetta, Jennifer Echols, Simone Elkeles, We The Kings, Taylor Swift, and Augustana. You can always ask me for a book or music recommendations because I’m pretty awesome like that!

MEMORY POST

When Ashley first asked me if I wanted to do a Memory Monday post, I instantly said HECK YES! I love Ashley hard core so it was a no-brainer. However, when I got to thinking about what book-loving memory I would like to talk about, I drew a complete blank. My initial instinct was to make up a corny story of how my grandpa taught me to read (my grandpa teaching me to read is not made up but the books he used would have most likely been complete fibs because I can’t remember any of them! *insert sad Katelyn here*) but then my morals got the better of me and I decided to tell as much of a truthful memory as I could. I then proceeded to call up my best friend Kati. It was in the middle of dialing her number that I was struck with inspiration. Kati is my best friend. Kati loves to read much like myself. Kati and I have shared great memories with books. It was the biggest Ah-ha moment EVER!

Kati and I have been best friends since the sixth grade. That is nearly NINE years! Over the years we have shared a crazy amount of laughs, a few tears, and more than enough AWESOME memories to last a lifetime, and yes, many of those memories do stem around our book-loving nerdiness.

There have been many times where I’ve thrown books into Kati’s hands simply saying, “Read this now, you will love it,” and she has done the same for me. One book, or series in fact, is called The Secret Society Girl and it is written by an author I simply adore, Diana Peterfreund. Kati told me I would read the whole series within a few days, laugh my butt off, want to it be a movie, and then move to Hollywood because I’ll want to put my superb (HAHA!) acting skills to the test so I could play the main character, Amy. Well let me tell you, Kati couldn’t have been more right! This series is downright hilarious and I will recommend it time and time again to any person off the street.

In this series, we follow a young woman named Amy as she struggles through her last two years at a major university, Eli College. During the end of her senior year, Amy is “tapped” into a secret society that up until that point was an all male society. Throughout the course of the four book series, we see Amy as she tries to make it through her classes, her roles in the society, and her fair share of relationship issues. Amy’s outlook on life, her sense of humor, and the way she speaks her mind will have you rolling on the floor laughing. However, for Kati and I, this book has become so much more than just an enjoyable read, it has become a tradition for us!

Every year the two of us girls go on at least one trip together. A few years ago my family, along with Kati and I, went to Tennessee to stay in a log cabin. The year after that, Kati and I flew out to California to visit her aunt. Just this past spring, we took a trip to Myrtle Beach with Kati’s mom and her best friend. While all these trips were unique and special in their own way, there was one important constant between them and that is The Secret Society Girl series went wherever we went. Every time we would pack to leave for a trip we would make sure that Amy and all her society members were packed in the suitcase too. It always started off with Kati reading the first book while I read a different book I brought on the trip. After she was finished with the first book, she moved onto the second book while I started the first. By the end of our trip, we would both have the series read, and a whole slew of memories to remember years later.

Now when I re-read The Secret Society Girl series, I am reminded of all the fun times Kati and I shared on our trips together. I can think about the creepy caves we went to in Tennessee and our fun times at Dollywood. I remember nearly drowning TWICE in California and all of the great food we ate (yummmm!). And I can now look back on our trip to Myrtle Beach and think of the ducks we fed, the seagulls that tried to eat me, and the crazy sunburns we got in the most uncomfortable places.

During each trip, The Secret Society Girl series seemed almost like an afterthought but looking back now I can see that is not the case. By reading this book during each trip with Kati, I am able to easily recall all the awesome times we had together. Each time I read it I am reminded of something funny that happened, which with the two of us is quite frequent. I am reminded of just how lucky we are to be able to share so many amazing moments together. But most importantly I am also reminded of just how great my best friend is. (It is cheesy I know, but it is the truth!)

I’d like to thank Ashley for having me today! Let it be known that if Ashley were to live in Michigan with us, she would have no doubt been an exceedingly perfect addition to mine and Kati’s pack!

Katelyn, you are SO welcome! I loved this post and am once again reminded (that's what, 5 times now?) that I need to give this series a read! Thanks so much for sharing your crazy fun memories with us!:)

There were always a lot of books at my house growing up and the books ranged from the youngest picture books to heavy adult books. My parents have a really pretty collection of leather bound books that I used to sit and just stare at.

There were a lot of picture books around my house and I used to simply love going through them and reading them. A lot I 'read' for the first time when I was far to you to recognize even basic words, but I loved them just the same. And when I learned to read for real and was able to figure out for myself where the stories went? Love.

One of the picture book 'series' that was frequently at my house, both because we owned a bunch and because we'd get them from the library were the Berenstain Bears books written by Stan and Jan Berenstain. I loved the stories of Brother and Sister.

It wasn't until I was much older that I started realizing the books were actually quite useful as teaching tools. Don't ask me how I missed it before, but with names like The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room, or The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies and The Berenstain Bears and Too Much TV the messages seem to me now to be kind of hard to miss. (And I will say that my parent's reaction to the 'gimmies' at the grocery store was much better. In the book, Mama & Papa end up buying a treat every time they go to the store, but only one. At my house, if you threw a giant fit in the grocery store, Mom would leave her full cart of groceries in the middle of the aisle, leave the store and you just knew you were SO busted. And I tell you what — it only ever had to happen once)

But I digress.

I remember reading The Berenstain Bears and the Sitter and thinking it was so ominous. This big mean lady come to watch the children. And I remember finishing the book and still finding the cover and the idea to be unpleasant, even though she really ends up being a nice woman. (As a related [ish] side note, I was really hard on babysitters...)

There are so many stories to read and so many adventures to have with these two cubs. There are stories for every occasion, every holiday and every... parenting crisis a person can think of and it just makes me happy to think of these books again. They remind me of being young, of sitting around and seeing books left lying on the floor (along with Mercer Meyer's Little Critter Books, but more on those later) and I have all kinds of fun memories of growing up tied to these books.

Anyone else remember reading these? And did you know you were being 'taught' when you were younger, or does that come as a surprise to you to?

Today's Memory Monday guest is Kate, who recently had her 1 year Blogversary over on her blog, Literary Explorations. We were initially going to swap guest posts and have them go live on the same day, but life gets crazy sometimes.:) So, here is a link to the guest post I wrote for her, about the amazingness that is Contemporary Fiction, and here is Kate, talking about one of her favorite books from childhood. And what do you know, it just so happens that this, is a book that's been banned/challenged numerous times over the years. Let's hear it for celebrating Banned Books Week!:)

Bio:

I'm Kate and I am currently working on my Master's degree in Middle Childhood Education. My favorite genres are historical and realistic fiction. Philippa Gregory, Sandra Gulland and Lauren Willig are just a few of my favorite authors. When I'm not reading or studying for class, I love watching classic films, discovering new wines, and swing-dancing.

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I’ve always been an avid reader, but wasn’t often drawn to the classics. I felt forced to read them in school and even now I’m more likely to pick up the latest YA publication instead of a Jane Austen novel. Now I know there are some good classics out there and I have read my fair share of them, despite my initial hesitations. However most of the time I enjoyed the classics I stumbled on outside of class, the
only exception being To Kill A Mockingbird in 10th grade since I loved Gregory Peck’s role in the movie. Unfortunately this post is not about that novel, although it would have been very appropriate for Banned Books Week. Instead I’ll discuss the book that counted towards all my personal reading requirements in 8th grade English class, Gone With the Wind.

On a whim, I checked out this ginormous book from the library and had all 1,024 pages of it read within a few weeks. I can’t remember if I read the book first or saw the movie, but all I know is that it forever shaped my impression of what a historical novel should be. Rhett and Scarlett are still one of my favorite literary couples and I liked how the novel ended. I was horrified when the sequel Scarlett was published
because it just ruined a perfectly good story for me. The book has to end when Rhett says he doesn’t give a damn because that makes sense. Scarlett realized too late that she was in love with Rhett instead of Ashley and shouldn’t get a second chance to be with him in a sequel. I’m surprised that Margaret Mitchell’s estate
signed off on another book but I guess they just wanted the money from the book sales. Whenever I see Scarlett in stores I can’t help but point it out to whoever is with me just because it’s that horrible of a novel.

Even though the movie is 4 hours long, it still is a very condensed version of the novel. Rhett and Scarlett are the main focus and although it takes place during the Civil War, it’s more of a romantic drama than a war movie. If you’re looking for an accurate portrayal of the war, you won’t find it in Gone with the Wind. I signed up for a Civil War History class this quarter and so far neither Rhett nor Scarlett have shown up. In fact we have yet to study the actual war and it’s been three weeks, but that’s another story.

Gone with the Wind taught me a limited history of the Civil War, but most importantly I learned not to disregard certain books just because they were older and contained a ridiculous number of pages. The classics can be ok reads, but I still can’t help being picky about which ones I’ll give a chance. Since blogging I haven’t picked up any classic novels to read but I did buy a 1936 edition of Gone With the Wind at a used bookstore that I plan on re-reading and reviewing. I might even do a book to film comparison since I haven’t posted one in awhile and need to re-watch my Collectors Edition for my research paper about how the Civil War is portrayed through film.

Thank you so much Kate. I admit that I've never read Gone with the Wind, or seen all of the movie (although I have seen most of it). I started the book when I was around 12, and was shocked to read that Scarlet wasn't actually pretty, because I thought the actress in the movie was gorgeous! It's definitely a book that I've been meaning to actually read for a long time! Hopefully I'll be able to sneak it in soon!

Banned Books Week is coming up soon, and I decided that it would be fun/awesome to have some Memory Monday posts about banned books that I remember reading and loving as a kid.

When I was younger (early elementary school) my older sister (2 1/2 years older) belonged to a book club at her school. That was the most grown up think I could think of at the time (other than real grown up stuff, like jobs and houses and all that stuff) and I was in awe. This also meant that I stole the books she brought home behind her back, because she hated that I would steal borrow them. (I only wanted to be like her...)

Anyway, one of the books she brought home was Annette Curtis Klause's Blood and Chocolate. Now, I'm not sure if any of you have read it. And what you think of it is largely going to depend on personal preferences, age you read it etc. But I love that book. Like, a lot. I don't even really like paranormal (partly because it all feels incredibly the same to me) but this was my very first werewolf story. Ever. And wow. Was it different from what I had previously read.
I've always been an advanced reader. Always. English and language comprehension have always been my highest standardized test scores and I'm really good at contextually figuring out what is happening when I need to. So I understood everything that was going on in this book. And honestly, looking back I'm not sure if that's really a good thing... But that's a whole 'nother story.
As a whole, this book has nothing terribly inappropriate in it for a teenager. But — I read Blood and Chocolate when I was 10, maybe 11. And the content is a little mature for an 11 year old. It's an book geared toward older teens, but I didn't care, because I felt so grown up reading it. I was a little bit scandalized by the many innuendos I came across, especially the few that I was old/mature enough to know were supposed to be, but still too young/inexperienced to fully grasp what they meant.
I've reread this book more than once since then, and I still kind of love it. The story of Vivian is one that can really resonate with a lot of teens, because although none of us are werewolves falling in love with human boys, most teenagers feel like they don't belong in their own skins, in their own lives and that's hard. Vivian simply had a specific and physical difference that she had to live with, so it's easier to see.

I do understand why parents might have a hard time with this one — There are a lot of sexual references (some more on the inappropriate side) as well as quite a bit of swearing, teenage dropouts, crass dialogue etc. But, it's also the story of a bunch of teenage werewolves who sometimes, believe they are better than/above normal humans because they are stronger. But it's also a book that teaches us a lot about what it means to be human and how important personal choices are (both themes that are explored in her vampire novel, The Silver Kiss, which I also love probably even more than this one). It's not a book that's going to be for everyone, but it's definitely one that I'm glad I read, even if I should have waited on it until I was a little older.

Alright guys — Seriously. Today's Memory Monday blogger is one of my favorite people to chat with. Shannon blogs at Books Devoured and I love reading her posts. She's made of win. Like, for realz folks. If you don't already talk to her or follow her, you should (link to her Twitter) . She has an awesome post today!

Bio:

I read and I blog about it. My Life motto... What would Jackie O do?

My name is Shannon and I am the one to blame for Books Devoured. I am a pretty eclectic reader but I have been reading a lot of YA lately. I'm 32 & a Home Schooling Mom to 2 children.
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I was excited to be asked to guest post for Memory Monday. There is only one problem, my memory is awful! I had an idea to change it up a bit so I hope you will indulge me.

I had a great childhood mostly because I had an amazing Mom. She indulged my love of reading with tons of books! I do at least remember having tons of Babysitters club books! They were my favorite. Besides buying me books, I remember seeing my mother read throughout my childhood. It was always ingrained in me that reading was important. Now that I am a mother, I do whatever I can to form those book memories for my children. I make sure that they see me reading. Not only that but they see that I make it my free time priority. I don't just read by myself though, I read to them and with them as well.

When each of my children were really little, their favorite book was But Not the Hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton. I read that book so many times that I can still recite it. I never minded because I knew at the end of the book when I got to their favorite part (But, YES the hippopotamus! But not the Armadillo) I would be rewarded with their laughter. There is no sweeter sound to a Mother than her child's laughter. The more we read that story the more of it they remembered and before long they could recite it too. Their favorite book series for me to read to them now is Skippyjon Jones by Jufy Schachner. Though I have a suspicion they only like it because I do my best to use lots of funny accents when I read them!

I value the time that I get to read to them because I know that soon they will be able to do it on their own. I try to find books that I can read to them that they will both enjoy. Sometimes that means that I might not be as much of a fan of it as they are. There has been one book that I liked more than the others and I think it made an impression on them as well. It is The Bake Shop Ghost by Jacqueline K. Ogburn. I picked that book up because it was on sale, I knew nothing about it. I might have had it in the house for a while before I even ended up choosing to read it to them. The first time I read them that book was incredibly memorable for me. It started out a bit funny, a ghost who was not leaving her bake shop and causing chaos for anyone who tried to take her place. By the end of that story I was in tears and not the funny kind; the sad, surprised, heartbreaking and sweet kind. It was probably the first time that my children had seen me cry over a book. I am truly grateful for this experience. It opened up a dialogue with my children that was priceless, both about the themes of the book and about why a book could make mommy cry. If you have children I can not recommend this book highly enough. I do suggest reading it first just to make sure your children are ready for it's contents though.

I have tried to make sure that they always have books that they like to read more than worry about what they should be reading. I homeschool them so I have complete control over their reading lives. I learned early that forcing my son to read something he does not like is not helpful. I hated seeing a book he wasn't into take away his joy of reading. Once he gets a little older that might change some but if he is not ready for The Giver by Lois Lowry then we will put it away for now and read James Patterson's The Gift Instead! My daughter picked up reading very quickly so I do hope that she loves it as much as I do. One thing is for sure, she will inherit quite a collection of books from her mother if she does!

Thank you SO much for sharing with us Shannon! I LOVE that you are so involved in reading with your kids! I think it's awesome! I'm definitely going to be looking up those two favorites of your kids!

I have always loved reading (bet that was a hard one to figure out) but I've also really loved to learn. School was always very fun and rewarding for me, and I just kinda soak up random facts, both relevant and not like a sponge. When I learned that I could combine both reading and learning, I was in nerd heaven. (but whatevs... I was always a cool nerd)

Anyway, I discovered the Dear America series, written about fictional young girls in real periods in history. At least, from what I remember all the girls were fictitious... (Some of them might have been real people, but I don't think so...) I loved these books. Like, so much. I loved them that now, anytime I go into a used bookstore, I try to find copies. Many of them are still in print, but they are paperbacks and the new covers are... not as awesome. But the original books printed were all this gorgeous hardcover with deckled edges and a ribbon bookmark. Beautiful.

And they all had really awesome names like, Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie, Winter of the Red Snow and I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly.

Each of the books were written as if they were the journals of these fictional characters. One girl lived through the sinking of the Titanic, another was a Texas girl during the fight at the Alamo, one was captured by Indians, another a girl living through the Civil War. Each of these 'girls' wrote about her experiences, living through an important part of history. There were so many of these books written and I absolutely loved them.

My parents gave me two for Christmas one year, and I read them over and over and over. I read them so many times, it's been years now, but I'm pretty sure I could still recite passages from them. Standing in the Light:The Captive Diary of Catharine Carey Logan and A Line in the Sand: The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence. I was initially disappointed, because I had been hoping for the Titanic story (at that age, I was absolutely obsessed with all things Titanic) but my parents knew that I had already read it, and wanted to get me books I had not yet read. And after I read these two, I wanted to know more, so much more about both the Alamo and what it was like for both the Indians and the settlers during the 1700s. And also — I still really miss Snow Hunter.

I also loved that the books have information in the back and what is and isn't historically accurate in the book, as well as additional information that can help guide learning about the time period — real journal entries, images, etc. It was fascinating and I loved every part of these books.

Perhaps this isn't the most coherent and detailed Memory Monday post ever, but this is still most definitely a series that I loved, a series that I continue to love, even though I haven't read any of the books in far too long. It's a series I'll also continue to buy when I see it, in the hopes that my future children will be just as interested in reading as I am.

Side note — There is another series called My Name is America, that is basically the same thing, only for boys, about boys, with boy main characters. I have never read them, because young Ashley reading these did not want to have some boy book, because, well, Duh, girls were the best (see Memory Monday post about Girls Know Best) . But I would like to buy and read them some day, both so that I can learn more about certain time periods, and so that future boy children can read them, in case they feel about girls as I did about boys.: P

Do any of you remember reading the Dear America series? What about My Name is America? I'd love to hear your thoughts on either series if you've read them!:)

Today's Memory Monday guest is Lauren, whom I adore! I love chatting with her on Twitter and we've had some pretty rockin' awesome conversations! She's got a great post today so, Here's Lauren!

I'm Lauren, a 20 something college student/bank teller/book addict. I'm an old soul with a thirst for literature and just plain reading for fun. I love my family, my friends, my boyfriend, my dog, and my books. I blog at Ravishing Reads and you can also find me on Twitter as @ravishingreads.

The first book I remember reading that stirred something in me is The Giver by Lois Lowry. Little did I know when I read it, it would be my first dystopian novel, a genre I would later fall head over heels for. In The Giver, Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back. {Summary from Goodreads }

This summary just gives you a snippet of what lies inside. I remember connecting so much with Jonas. When he felt things were wrong, I felt things were wrong. Never had a movie or book had ever made me relate so much to a character before. I remember everyone in my class complaining because it was an assigned book to read. I also remember thinking, "What the heck is wrong with you people?" I honestly think I was the only one in my entire class who read the whole book and enjoyed it. I recently checked it out at the library and reread it for old times sake. I felt like a little girl for about the two hours it took for me to read it. It is geared towards middle grade children, but even now, it still sends a chill up my spine. When The Giver started showing Jonas what the real world held — the pain, the anguish, the suffering — he was spent. But then The Giver showed him what love was. How love and peace conquered all and that was it for Jonas and me. We both knew we had to get out. To let the others know the truth. See, back in the day, me and Jonas we a team. No superhero/crime-fighting outfits. We were just armed with the truth and the ability to change the world. Lois Lowry changed my world. I think that book opened my mind and heart to reading. And my Grandma may have had a little something to do with that as well, she was a high school English teacher. But I will never forget Jonas. And as crazy as it might sound, Jonas will never forget me.

And I just want to give Ashley a special thanks for letting me be a part of her Memory Monday feature. Ashley is completely amazing and I'm so glad I've met her. <3
Aww! Thanks Lauren! I <3 you too!:)

I was trying to decide on a book pick for this weeks Memory Monday, when I got to thinking about my earliest memories of books I had actually read and finished myself. And other than picture books, which I've mentioned before, the earliest book I remember reading to myself was Bill Brittain's All the Money in the World. We read it for class in 1st or 2nd grade and I remember being interested in how the author made everything so literal.

Here, I'm about to show you how weirdly specific my memory can be. Keep in mind that I read this book over 15 years ago as a very small child.

So, the main character gets a wish granted. I don't remember why, or who grants the wish (a genie maybe? Isn't it always a genie?) Being a young boy, he wishes for all the money in the world. So he gets it. In his backyard. Pretty sure there was a Scrooge McDuck moment in there, where he goes swimming in it, but I might be mistaken. He even had Japanese money and he's crazy excited to go out and spend all him new money.

So, also being a young boy, he decided to buy an ice cream. But, when he gets there, and tries to spend the money, it goes into the cash register, but vanished right back out. This means our poor boy can't have his ice cream and he starts realizing maybe his wish was a little bit rash & somehow, he refinds this genie who I think only wanted to teach him a lesson anyway, and he gives back all the world's money. (This is about where, as this little elementary school kid I decided it would be much, much better to just wish to have exact change in your pocket, and then always wear jeans).

Not gonna lie, I'm kinda proud I remember all that from my earliest years in school.:)

Hey everyone! I have Carlyle here with us today as a guest!! Carlyle does like to be secretive, so we have an avatar, not a picture, but let's still make Carlyle feel welcome! Lots of comment love!:) (Note, I did change some of the links in this post. Anything in () is mine. I changed any url left into a link)

My favorite Childhood book of all Time.

Introducing: Jock of the Bushveld by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick

I read Jock of the Bushveld when I was about nine. This book has stayed with me thought out my life. This is the tale of Jock and his owner. It rings so true to man's best friend analogy. Jock saves his owners life, guides him though the danger of the South Africa wilderness. Comes up against a lion, and many more. In this book I found love, adventure, comedy, heartache, friendship and adventure. To date one of the best books I had ever read. This book is significant to me because I have walked where Jock and Sir Patrick once walked. I have smelt and breathed in the air of the bushveld that brought about the writer in me. Jock of the Bushveld is a legend in South Africa for his courage, loyalty and bravery. (in my blog to read the original tale!)

Jock of the Bushveld is set in the 1880s of Southern Africa, a tale of the wilderness years of the land as the discovery of diamonds and gold began to rapidly transform the political and economic dynamics of the Southern African landmass. It began as stories told to Fitzpatrick's own children of his adventures in the veld with his dog Jock and only later becoming the publication we know so well.

The most interesting part of Jock is the exploration of the open spaces of the veld of Southern Africa and its wildlife, which is done through the vehicle of the relationship between Fitzpatrick and Jock and their adventures together, mostly in the form of hunting wildlife. The particular atmosphere of both the highveld and the lowveld are so well conveyed. This is the treasure of the book and a profound impression of the land, this very land, in the blood of its people that is the core to understanding South Africans. The hunting episodes remind us of the wealth of the land (the author came to the land in search of gold and this remains a submerged vein to the story) both in its fauna and flora, amidst the collisions of its different peoples.

A true tale of friendship

This piece comes at the most appropriate time for me, as it is just been released on the big screen. Jock of the Bushveld is back as SA's first 3D animated film: (in my blog to watch the trailer.)

And as always the film only picks up on some of the aspects the book holds. After you have taken the kids to watch this film, get the book. It will soon become the kids favourite bed time story. Unlike many fairytales this book does not have a happy ending. But the lesson learnt and the story between man and dog will stay in your heart for all time.

You can read more about this amazing story on my blog, Carlyle on The Broken Series.

You can also find me on twitter @CarlyleL

I was born in Johannesburg South Africa during the terrible fashion decade of the 80's. My first poem was written in the heart of the bushveld wilderness amongst the Elephants, Giraffes and the roaring Lions that I could hear from our camp site at night. I was twelve when my pen hit a random piece of paper and my best poem was written. It is to the majestic environment of the bushveld that I owe the fire to my writing experience. As a teenager I moved onto lyric writing. I started writing my first Novel almost 18 months ago. Received a certificate from the Writing School of SA collage in 2010.My first Novel is due in 2012. I am a amateur writer, blogger and a new Author. I am a mother of two, a wife, a marketing consultant during the day, a reader at night and in my mind I am writing all the time.

I have total confidence that you will love Jock of The Bushveld as much as I did, and still do.

Thank you so much Carlyle for joining us today for Memory Monday! This sounds like such a sweet story!:) I'll have to look it up!

I always read the books my parents gave me for Christmas and my birthday. Some of it was because I was genuinely interested in the book and really wanted to read it. Other times it was because I didn't want to hurt their feelings. And still other times it was because I was so bored and so without books to read that I was willing to read whatever was sitting on my shelf.

I used to watch the Winnie-the-Pooh TV show when I was up and it was on, partly because I liked it, but also because it was on. Tigger was my absolute, hands down favorite. I liked some of the other characters, and really didn't like others, but Tigger was my favorite. Because I really liked Tigger, my parents decided that this meant I love all things Tigger...

Because I enjoyed the show, my parents decided to get me The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh. I was thrilled! (A book! A big book!) And then, I saw the illustrations. I was so confused! I told my mom they had done it wrong. So I had my first conversation about changes being made to an original work to draw in new audiences and attract new reader (or watcher) ship. I was disappointed. As you can see from the cover, each of the animals in the story look different from what most of us (at least those around my age are used to). While disappointed at first, I did get used to it and now I love them just as much.

And I loved the book! I read the whole thing and would use it to read stories to my little brothers at night. Because of this, my parents decided that Tigger should be a theme. And for the next several years, every Christmas and most birthdays had some sort of Tigger themed... something. Sometimes it wasn't too bad, or weird — I got stuffed animals and The Tigger Movie . But other gifts were strange. Like the hook rug kit with Tigger's face on it. Nothing about me has ever suggested that I would enjoy making a hook and eye — latch/hoop square, even if it had Tigger's face on it. Or the completely impractical backpack with an interior about the size of my fist (but it's TIGGER!!)

It lasted for a long time too, long after I had outgrown Winnie the Pooh.

But even with that, I still love Tigger, and I still loved reading stories to my little brothers from the complete tales. It makes me want to go dig out my copy of the book from storage so that I can start reading it to my nephews too.

I know this Memory Monday ended up being more about the aftermath than about the book itself, and I'm being a little silly with it, but that doesn't change how much I really, genuinely, did love this story. Winnie the Pooh is one of those timeless, classic stories that never gets old, that should never be forgotten, and should always be loved. (Although, I am fully willing to forget the existence of some of those terrible new TV versions. *shudder*)

Hey all! I have one of my favorite bloggers here today for Memory Monday! April is hysterical to talk to on Twitter and I've discovered that I really trust her overall opinion on a lot of the books we both read. So, here's April, sharing her Memories!

I'm pretty sure it's not possible to be an American product of public school and not remember those awesome Scholastic orders. Once a month a new order from with different possibilities — posters and trinkets for the not so bookishly-inlcined, and shiny books for the readers — would be given to every student. Those of use who loved reading would bring it home and beg hard for books.

I remember most of the time my parents would let me pick something cheap off the order form, counting whatever booked I picked as allowance.

However, one time, they offered up the holy grail to me and let me pick the gift that kept on giving. That's right. I got to get the Boxcar Children set, which let me tell you was baller. It came in this awesome red cardboard boxcar and you would get three books from the series at a time per month, and put them in the boxcar since that was it's purpose. Y'all I think this was the beginning of my being excited about the mail, because after the very first month, the books were delivered to the house. I remember waiting for the monthly package and I would pretty much rip through the adventures of Benny, Jessie and the other kids whose names I totally don't remember, probably because they did not have awesome pink teacups and kind old RICH Grandfather Alden. And those kids would solve mysteries and chill in their Boxcar.

Did any of you get any special Scholastic order? Let me know about your fondness for that monthly order form in the comments!

Bio: April is kind of a big deal and blogs at Good Books And Good Wine. She reads everything under the sun, with a strong preference for YA, fantasy, and romance novels. She works in community education and likes unicorns. You can check out her twitter here.

I know I mentioned in a previous Memory Monday (click to read) about how much I loved Mary Higgins Clark while growing up. My mom handed me my first MHC the summer after 6th grade and I was hooked. But, there were only so many MHC books and I soon finished her back list. By 9th grade I had read everything she'd written, but was still desperate for some more awesome murder mysteries.

My mom suggested I try Agatha Christie. It makes sense, right?! I'm pretty sure she's like, the mother of all murder mysteries. My school library had two shelves just for her, so I decided to just go pull a random book off the shelf. I don't remember the title of the book, but I remember being disgusted. Her main character, Hercule Pointe (?) spent the beginning of the book complaining about the dentist. That was certainly not what I had been looking for. I was horrified and upset. Who wanted to read about a grown man complain about the dentist! I was about ready to give up on Ms. Christie when I found And Then There Were None.

I don't remember if it had been a recommendation or just a lucky grab but I read through that book in horrified fascination. 10 people are sent to a mysterious island where their host never shows up and a record begins to play, informing everyone that they had been invited to the island because they had committed a murder and gotten away with it. Justice had finally caught up with them and they had been invited to die.

They start to die, one by one and the ceramic Indian figurines being to disappear at the same rate. Not only that, but there is a poem — Ten Little Indians- and each death follows a line in the poem (stung by a bee= death by hypodermic needle etc). Everyone is scared, trying to figure out who the murderer could possibly be. And they know it has to be one of the ten. They have searched the entire island and there is no one else there. And, they are in the middle of an incredibly violent storm and there is absolutely no way to or from the island until the storm blows out.

I can remember being beyond fascinated as I read this book, but waiting, waiting for the next death, the next clue, so that I could figure out who done it. But I couldn't. There were a few times I thought I had it figured out, but then that character would die, or would be talking to another character when someone else was murdered.

I reread this one again a few years ago, and I loved it. I loved being able to watch the character interactions knowing the ending, knowing who was really behind the murders and being able to pick up on a bunch of clues I had missed the first time around.

I tell you what — this is a phenomenal book. If more of The Agatha's books are like this, it's easy to understand why she's still recognized as one of the greatest suspense writers.

Today for our Memory Monday guest, I have Gale! She's an author with a really interesting back story! Check out her bio and hear her talk about childhood favorites!:) Here is a link to her blog- http://www.galeminchew.bravejournal.com

My Bio:

Gale Minchew is a licensed psychologist who resides in East Texas with her husband and two children. In her professional practice, Dr. Minchew specializes in issues related to children and families. However, over the past couple of years, she has consulted with adults and children who have experienced a broad range of paranormal phenomena, as well.

Over the past 14 years, Dr. Minchew has written several works of fiction, in addition to completing a dissertation. While she has become adept at technical writing through her professional practice, Dr. Minchew’s heart is with young adult fiction. She strives to provide a cross-over experience that engenders the creativity and interest the adult population craves while upholding some of the core values that are so lacking in many of the current works of young adult fiction on the market. Shadows of Destiny is Dr. Minchew’s first published fiction novel.

The Sidewalk Ends Here…

I don’t remember any books from my childhood. At least, that’s what I thought. When I first tried to conger up memories of reading, I drew a complete blank. Yes, I couldn’t think of one single book! So, I decided to delve a little further into my mind and came up with the cute teddy bear board book my mom read to me as a toddler, Cinderella, and The Princess and the Pea. I still have that little teddy bear book and will always cherish it. But, can that really be all I remember reading as a child? Pulling those memories from the frayed edges of my mind soon buried me under a wave of book covers and authors. Oh! What about the Sweet Valley High series by Francine Pascal? I read that series incessantly during my teen years. I remember spending so much money on those books…and it became a challenge…buying, reading, and arranging all those books on my shelf in chronological order. Then, a little further back I remembered some required reading from middle school…Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume and the life and writings of Edgar Allen Poe. I admit, I didn’t care for Judy Blume, but I was fascinated with Edgar Allen Poe…The Raven, The Tell Tale Heart, The Masque of the Red Death, The Pit and the Pendulum, and so on. But, I still wonder why they had Poe as required reading for a 13 year old! It was probably my fascination with Poe that led to my interest in crime/suspense/mystery novels. So, it was only logical that by high school, I had moved on to Dean Koontz, Stephen King, and Anne Rice.

I continued to ponder the books I read as a child and found that with all the authors, titles, and genres flowing through my mind, I continuously returned to fourth grade. It was a magical year, I suppose…a time for trading stickers with my friends, staying out of the clutches of boys chasing girls on the playground, and my first introduction to poetry. Now, I admit I would have done almost anything to not go outside for recess, as you can imagine! Quite coincidentally, my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Joyce Sigler, had an exciting project for me and a friend in lieu of play time. At recess, she would tape a large sheet of white paper on the wall and place the overhead projector in just the right spot for maximum size. She would then place a transparency on the overhead glass, and my friend and I would carefully trace the letters and drawings onto the plain white paper. That simple job made me feel important! And, unbeknownst to me at the time, I learned about poetry and how to make that funny little lower case ‘a’. I mean, who really writes an ‘a’ like that? Ultimately, I ended up reading the entire book from which the transparencies were made. What an exciting experience at such an impressionable time in my young life!

You may wonder what poetry could possibly fill a fourth grader with so much excitement. This poetry was magical, complete with funny drawings…a book filled of stories such as Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who would not take the garbage out, a crocodile who went to the dentist, and little Peggy Ann McKay who was so sick she could not go to school today! Yes, Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein became my favorite book that year. That year became one of my most memorable years in school and, by my estimation, served as a catalyst for my growing love of books.

I now share Mr. Silverstein’s books with my own children. Not only Where the Sidewalk Ends, but A Light in the Attic, Falling Up, and The Giving Tree, as well. Will my fourth grader have the same memories about reading these books as I have? Probably not, but I hope to make an impression as great as that given to me all those years ago by one very special fourth grade teacher and Shel Silverstein!

What a fun post Gale!! I'm pretty much the only person I know who didn't love Shel Silverstein growing up, and I tried to read him a while ago and... eh. Still don't love. But I loved hearing your story! And even though I don't love Shel, his are definitely books I'll have for my future kids! Thanks so much for guesting for me today!