Monday, July 1, 2013

Vintage Books


Tucked into my son's closet, between his bath robe and his t-shirts, is one of my favourite collections -  the books I enjoyed as a child.

We put them on a bookshelf behind closet doors a few years ago. I didn't want to box them and forget about them. I wanted to share them with my kids when the time was right. But, we had to keep them out of sight for the most part because our kids tend to destroy everything in their paths.


Now my son is 11, about the age I would have been while reading these books. Unfortunately, I don't think the interest is there. I tried to tempt him with "The Hardy Boys" because I loved the "Nancy Drew" series so much. I'm afraid he feels he is just too sophisticated for these old-fashioned tales though. How do you top "The Hunger Games" after all?

There's still the girl child anyway. Many of these books belonged to my mother, so I'd like to carry on the tradition. I want to start with Lucy Maud Montgomery's "Anne of Green Gables." It was published in 1908, yet I found it so engaging as a child in the eighties.  I think the plucky orphan Anne is one of the most amazing characters in the history of literature, and I was always carried away by the descriptions of flowers, trees and nature's secret hideaways. I hope my little girl will find it just as appealing today.

What was your favourite book as a child?


Why must people kneel down to pray? If I really wanted to pray I'll tell you what I'd do. I'd go out into a great big field all alone or in the deep, deep woods and I'd look up into the sky-up-up-up-into that lovely blue sky that looks as if there was no end to its blueness. And then I'd just feel a prayer.
Anne of Green Gables


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30 comments:

  1. Great collection! My favorite classic book was Secret Garden. I would day dream about that story all day when I was younger.

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  2. I loooove Anne with an E and really hope my children are interested. I've kept all my childhood books too and my son has made his way through most of Enid Blyton but he's not really interested in the books with a different story each chapter, he much prefers a series with the same characters throughout.

    I kept my Trixie Beldens, I only had a handful and always used the library but about ten years ago I found most of the set on eBay. I think I'm missing one book.

    Even though my son reads off in his room, I still entertain the thought of reading aloud to both kids all cosy in bed, except my 5yo daughter likes to be very vocal during read alouds...

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  3. i never really took to the 'trixie belden' series but i could not get enough of nancy drew and her adventures! i still have a mix of my mom's old ones and re-issues from the eighties stored away. i just don't have the room for a a lovely display shelf like yours yet.

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    1. I had them boxed up in the basement for many years. It's hard to find the room for all this stuff!! :)

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  4. I just passed by Anne's house last week!! Anne was one of my favourites and my daughter's too, we've read the books numerous times. Have you been to Green Gables??

    Of course I loved Nancy Drew too and had a few Trixie Beldon as well.

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    1. Of course, YOU have to be an Anne lover, don't you? Yes, I have been to Green Gables. We have been to PEI only once though.

      I noticed a sign on the 404 for an L.M. Montgomery museum. I'll have to look into that. I guess she lived in Ontario after?

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    2. I've noticed that sign too, I think that might be a place to check out, some day!!

      Yes, she moved to Ontario with her husband, he was a minister.

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  5. Wonderful Collection <3

    Happy Day!

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  6. Cool! I have a much smaller collection and just organized a few if them on the (high!) shelves of what will be the kid's room. I loved Anne if Green Gables, Little Women, The Wizard of Oz, The Narnia Series... and also Nancy Drew of course (though I'm not sure those hold up). I still find myself cracking open the classics (recently Peter Pan and The Secret Garden), they never feel dated.

    I'm amazed by your blogging pace, I took a few days off and can hardly catch up... you're on fire!

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    1. Little Women was one of my absolute favourites! I so loved the character of Jo. I never did read the Narnia series.

      I'm catching up on my posts at the moment. I won't sustain this pace too long though. ;)

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  7. The Velveteen Rabbit.The story gets me all teary every time.

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  8. The Maud Hart Lovelace series of Betsy-Tacy books were my favorite. Then of course Beverly cleary, Little House, The Velveteen Rabbit, Danny Dunn books, Nancy Drew...I could go on and on as I often reread my childhood favorites. Those hidden back rows where we can't see the titles are sooo tantalizing!

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    1. I never read the Betsy-Tacy books but I remember that Sarah Ban Breathnach mentions them in Simple Abundance. I loved the Little House books too!

      I was so lazy, I should have reorganized the books before taking pictures. I didn't even look at the back row. ;)

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  9. My brother (just turned 12) LOVES The Hardy Boys, but he's a queer one, hahaha. I grew up with Little House on the Prairie and the American Girl series. Loved loved loved them!

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    1. That's great that he loves The Hardy Boys. My son thinks anything I like couldn't be good. ;)

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  10. That is so nice that you kept your childhood books and your Mother's books, also! I don't have my exact books, but I have collected vintage copies for my library. For me it was Walter Farley and The Black Stallion series or Jack London or Lassie Come Home. I loved animal stories as I wanted to be a veterinarian someday. Instead I became the Mother of 4, and that is sometimes equivalent to a zoo! Anne of Green Gables is also a favorite and the PBS series was wonderful. My children loved it, even the boys. Some stories pass the test of time. xo

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    1. I think it would have been cool to become a vet too! But, yes, parenting is sometimes like running a zoo...and I only have the two kids. I can imagine what you have gone through!

      I didn't know you would have seen the Anne series on TV in the U.S. Nice to know. :)

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  11. definitely the little house on the prairie series for me--I also love maud hart lovelace--Ruth Chew she wrote about witches--and Beverly Cleary--some of my FAVES!! I still chug through them with my boys too

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    1. Cool. I'll have to check out the Ruth Chew books! :)

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  12. Oh, I loved Anne of Green Gables, too, and Little Women. Nancy Drew was also among my faves. Glad you still have books from your childhood. Susan

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    1. All of those books have strong female characters. Must be why we love them!

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  13. I loved Nancy Drew and The Little House on the Prairie series. I saved some of my old books and my daughter read a few, but she too had other books that caught her interest more. I still have a few Nancy Drew books but I think they will be looking for a new home soon. Thanks for linking with TTF.

    Linda

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    1. Yes, I think that will be the case with my kids too. They like the new stuff. :(

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  14. How wonderful!!!! TFS!!! Joe and I have many of our books saved that we shared with our children and when they have children...I do believe they are going to have their own library with all of the books in my home : ) hugs...TFS!

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    1. Another book addict like me, huh? I hope your kids aren't minimalists. ;)

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  15. i love the shelf full of those vintage books. looks very inviting to just pull one out and start reading. i remember liking Anne of Green Gables very much as a teen, although I only watched the tv series. I hope you little girl get into it too!

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    1. Yes, I really want to watch the Green Gables movie with her soon. It's so good! :)

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