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Hi everybody, and welcome to a new Top Ten Tuesday!
Today’s all about childhood favorites, and boy did I enjoy taking a walk down memory lane. I forgot about some of these books until writing this post and writing it made me want to reread all of these though sadly I don’t own most of them anymore. Thinking about this list does confirm to me that I’ve ALWAYS been a reader and though book slumps may occur from time to time, I shouldn’t worry about them. This love of books has been going strong for 33 years and is obviously not going anywhere anytime soon 🙂 So for now, walk down memory lane with me as I present: my childhood favorites!
The Babysitters’s Club series by Ann M. Martin
This series is the first one I ever became addicted to. I remember that they were available in our grocery store when I was a kid, and my parents would buy me one most times when I went with them to the store and that was the highlight of my week.
Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine
For someone who mostly shies away from horror as an adult, I sure was addicted to creepy stories as a kid. I think I had most of the Goosebumps series, as well as the next one…
Fear Street series by R.L. Stine
Yep, 11-year old me couldn’t get enough of these creepy kind of series.
De Griezelbus series by Paul van Loon
The creepy book series I loved and reread the most were De Griezelbus series. (It’s a Dutch series that is very loosely translated as ‘The Scary Bus’). In this book a teacher and his students are invited by a famous writer for a special ride in ‘the scary bus’ where the writer tells scary stories. Not only that, but something is up with the writer as well… I loved these book so much and would actually love to reread them again!
The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton
I had these books at my grandparents’ house, and though I hardly remember anything from them, I do remember I loved going to my grandparents so I could go adventure with the Five.
The Dolphin Child by Patrick Lagrou
A Dutch book that translates as ‘The Dolphin Child’ about a boy who had a special connection to dolphins and swam with them was another childhood favorite. I would have given anything to be able to swim with dolphins myself.
Animorphs series by K.A. Applegate
I also loved, loved, LOVED this series about a group of kids fighting aliens invading their planet by turning into animals (a gift given to them by another alien). I’m still peeved that these weren’t all translated into Dutch and I never got to finish the series. This disappointment did start me reading in English more though!
Free Fall by Joyce Sweeney
This was by far my favorite book in high school. It’s a story about four boys who go exploring a cave together and end up lost inside. It’s a very emotional book about survival, but also friendship and well, we all know how much I’m a sucker for great friendships.
The Tiger Orchard by Joyce Sweeney
Another YA book by Joyce Sweeney I was addicted to as a kid was The Tiger Orchard, about a teenager who gets these nightmares about a tiger and an orchard among other things, that have something to do with his past.
City of the Beasts series by Isabel Allende
This lesser-known series by Isabel Allende was one of my favorites in my early high school days. It was my first YA fantasy read before I even knew the meaning of YA fantasy.
Tell Me:
which books are your childhood favorites?
Any we have in common?
I’ve heard so many people (bloggers, on Goodreads) talk about “The Babysitter’s Club,” but I don’t think I’ve EVER read one. It’s always fun to look back at and revisit our nostalgia favorites. Now if only I’d re-read some… 🙂
Haha yeah writing this post made me want to reread alll of these, but when that’ll ever happen I have no idea 🙂
I loved the Babysitters Club (wow Claudia was so cool)
Claudia was cool indeed!
I have Goosebumps on my list too. I think I might have read some of the babysitters club too but the girls in there were a bit too far removed from me I think. I don’t think I read the animorphs books but I remember the tv show very well.
Goosebumps were so much fun! Haha, I remember I loved the Babysitters Club, but I never babysat a day in my life myself 🙂 The Animorphs tv show was so cheesy fun 🙂
I enjoyed this topic too once I got going. 🙂 The Babysitter’s Club sounds fun- I think a lot of people enjoyed those, I see them mentioned a lot by bloggers. Same with Enid Blyton’s stuff. Fun list!
It was such a fun topic to revisit all those old favorites and see that so many of us enjoyed them as kids 🙂
Babysitter’s Club was everything. I wanted to be them so bad. I also loved some of the Fear Street books. Great list.
Same, but adding Goosebumps & Animorphs to the list of great series.
Same, they were my role-models as a kid, haha 🙂
FEAR STREET FOREVER!!! I actually do a podcast about the Fear Street books, so I’ve been revisiting alllll the gloriousness (and not so gloriousness) that was Shadyside. I never read Animorphs as a kid bc those covers were so scary/weird!! Also, I’m a BSC fan for life. I wish Claudia was real and could be my stitch-fix stylist.
Ah that’s so great that you do a podcast, I didn’t know! Will need to check it out and relive Fear Street as well! Also, same about Claudia being my stylist, haha 🙂
The Dolphin Child sounds so interesting. Have you ever reread it as an adult?
I never reread it, so I’d definitely be intrigued to see how I’d feel about it now! 🙂
BSC forever!
Definitely! 🙂
I was a huge fan of the Goosebumps series growing up. Fun!
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
They were such a fun series 🙂
Great list! You’re not alone, I loved creepy stories as a kid, too, and I’m a complete wuss now (but also still love them?) – I really enjoyed the Give Yourself Goosebumps series, which were the choose your own adventure books. We used to go on quite long car journeys to visit family when I was little, so I loved having a book to read that had 20 different endings!
Oh those Give Yourself Goosebumps series sound like so much fun! Definitely perfect for long car rides 🙂
We have quite a few in common. I have to agree I’m sad as well that I don’t own many of them anymore. I never read Animorphs though. I always thought the covers were interesting, but never picked one up.
Ahh sorry you didn’t read the Animorphs series as a kid, they were probably my favorite series back then, but then again there were so many good ones 🙂
I really loved the Babysitter’s Club books, and I don’t think I read Animorphs, but I’m pretty sure I used to watch the show sometimes. I forgot to do this post, so I might have to share my childhood favorites in the future.
-Lauren
I forgot about the Animorphs show, that was so much fun! Looking forward to your childhood favorites post 🙂
I am very easily freaked out but I loved the Goosebumps and Fear Street books!
Same! Yet, I couldn’t get enough of those creepy books as a kid 🙂
I didn’t read any of these series, but I always remember hearing about them and wanting to! The Dolphin Club sounds like something I would have loved!
The Dolphin Kid was such a fun book, though I’d be intrigued to find out how I feel about it if I should read it again today 🙂
I could never really get into Animorphus or any R. L. Stine books (I’m a huge scardey cat) but good on you for all of these series! I love your list.
Don’t worry, I’m a huge scaredy cat nowadays too! Kid-me was way braver than adult-me haha 🙂
The Baby-Sitter’s Club is the only one of these that I got my hands on. I so wish I would have branched out, and possibly discovered my love for books much earlier.
It’s never too late to enjoy reading 🙂 Might be fun to rediscover some childhood favorites now too!
I haven’t read any of these, but I did watch some of the Goosebumps TV shows. My kids liked them too.
I don’t remember the Goosebums tv show, but it sounds like so much fun! 🙂
I loved the Goosebumps series and remember going to the store and picking out new ones. My sister and I were obsessed with the Babysitters Club. My mom got rid of our collection a few years ago, which my sister is mad at now that she has a little girl, but apparently Audible is going to releases a bunch of Babysitter audiobooks!
Yes it’s so sad when we don’t have our childhood favorites anymore. Especially if you have kids to share them with. But those Audible Babysitters sound nice!
I completely forgot about the existence of De Griezelbus until you mentioned it, and now I can’t believe I forgot. I loved that as a child!! I think I even played a game based on this?
They had a game based on De Griezelbus? I would have LOVED that as a kid! Hell, I want to reread these books so badly since writing this post that I’d probably love it now as well 🙂
I loved the Babysitters Club books as a kid <3
Ah yay Babysitters Club books! I kinda want to reread them now haha 🙂
I had City of Beasts sitting on my bookshelf for AGES, and I tried reading it like 10 times, but could never get into it! I eventually gave it away. 🙁
Aww I’m sorry you didn’t like it! I read it so long ago, I’d have to reread to see how I feel about it now too 🙂