Childhood Favourites

I was on forums for the University of Guelph people starting next year, and there was a thread on what your favourite books were as a child. Here is my post:

Ooh, books. When I was a kid, my parents thought i was going to be an athlete until age four when I learned to read and became a nerd through and through. My favourite stories as a kid are ones my dad read to me and then I would read over and over again by myself.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Read most of them dozens of times (still read them) and the last one only once, because it made me so sad

CHarlottes Web: cried every time

The Egypt Game: I even bought it for my little sister

The Hobbit: When my dad read it to me at age 5, it scared the schnitzel out of me, but I've read it many times and I looove the poetry and adventure

The Lord of the Rings: Did anyone else have parents who read you stories like this when you were 7 or so?

A Wrinkle in Time: I stayed up all night to read it. First book that I did that for, and now it's a habit.

Hans Christian Anderson Fairytales: My grandma gave me a beautiful book of them

The Shy Steggosaurus of Cricket Creek: It's not well known, it's 60's pulp fiction, but it still makes me cry.

Calvin and Hobbes!!!

I can go on forever. I don't know how I'm going to leave my family books here next year...They might mysteriously migrate to my room over the course of the year... how strange :S

I don't think I've ever thought about how much these books influenced me. When I was a kid and I was angry or sad or just couldn't deal with being a loser anymore, I would pick up one of these books, or any book. And then I could let go.
I had adventures
I had friends
I was in a totally different world, and that world let me sit and listen and watch. It told me secrets and let me tag along.
When my siblings wouldn't speak to me, Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy would. Well not so much Susan, but that's a long story.
When I felt like a freak because I couldn't fit my mind into the forms my school and religion told me I had to, Meg and Charles Wallace told me that I was better off than them.
That's what books were to me.

Here's some more of the books that I have personal attachments to:

Invitation to Short Stories: All around good book, beautiful little stories that make me laugh and cry
The Chrysalids: So grade 9 isn't my childhood, but it was thrilling anyway
The Cosmic Trilogy by C.S.Lewis
Ella Enchanted: I know I've mentioned this before, but it's one of those books that was almost more real to me than reality
Jane Eyre: I think the fact that this book is in first person is what makes it so attractive. I think the book is now chemically bonded to my mind.


So anyway, ROAD TRIP TONIGHT!
YEEEEHAAAAAA