Beloved Childhood Books

Looking for the perfect gift for someone you care deeply about?

Seems to me that all of us who read avidly now also read avidly as children. What were your favorite books "way back when"? And, perhaps more important, what were that person's favorite childhood books?

Among my many favorites were everything I could get my hands on that involved circuses, including one about a youngster in Florida called Sand In Her Shoes. Then there was a gem called "Sawdust in His Shoes" about a young circus performer. Lord, how I wanted to join the circus.

There were a lot more, including (just a few):

Babar the Elephant
Parasols is for Ladies
Stone Soup
Goodbye, My Lady
Black Beauty
Secret Garden 
Mrs. Mike



One of the most successful gifts I ever put together was a stack of books from a used book store. The recipient had made comments through the years about her favorite kids' books. I strongly recommend doing a little conversational probing and perhaps assembling a similar inexpensive but very meaningful gift.