Ramble

I ranted in the last post so I thought I'd ramble in this one. A quick disclaimer though: I have been a reader and a book collector all my life and a bookseller for the last 14 years or so. While I love books I am strictly plebeian, I don't have any training as and Educator or in the Literary fields. What I write on are my own observations, experiences and opinions, (and boy do I have a lot of opinions!)

When I first became a bookseller I gravitated very naturally to the children's books. My rationalization was that the books I loved as a child would be books and authors that other people would remember also. Instant market research yes?

Well the following is a quick list of the authors and books the love of which made me what I am today: a fifty year old woman with 22,000 children's books in her house, who's commute to work takes 30 seconds and is accomplished in jammies, robe and fuzzy slippers.

In no order, chronological or otherwise:

• E.B. White CHARLOTTE'S WEB (Thanks to my 3rd grade teacher for reading this out loud)
• Claire Hutchet Bishop TWENTY AND TEN
• Marie McSwigan SNOW TREASURE
• Andre Norton CAT'S EYE
• Edward Eager HALF MAGIC
• Philippa Pearce TOM'S MIDNIGHT GARDEN
• Joan Phipson THE BOUNDARY RIDERS
• Francis H. Burnett THE LITTLE PRINCESS and THE SECRET GARDEN
• Norman Juster THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH
• Carley Dawson MR. WICKER'S WINDOW
• Scott O'Dell ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS
• Hugh Lofting DR. DOOLITTLE
• Madeliene L'Engle A WRINKLE IN TIME
• Elizabeth Pope THE PERILOUS GARD
  

Odd that I never can remember what day it is or even at times what decade I'm in, but I remember vividly reading, and re-reading each of these books. And 0f all the books listed, the only one that I still have not been able to find as a dealer ( first edition in collectible condition) is MR. WICKER'S WINDOW. Still looking though!