World Literature

Maybe I obsessed a bit much over bringing books into my daughter Raina's life. Before I even bought a onesie or diaper, shopped for cribs, figured out how to install a baby car seat, read What to Expect When You are Expecting, or did any other nesting activity, I scoured yard sales and the internet for great deals on books to start a library for Raina. When we designed her nursery, building a floor to ceiling bookshelf topped my list for "must haves" in her room. So, you could say that the fact that Raina loves to read really doesn't shock me. What does sometimes throw me a bit is the voracity that she tears through books. She will stay up all night to finish a series. In the summer when we go to the library, I need to limit the amount of books she checks out just to insure that she will get into the pool at my mom's house. Many nights we need to give her the "It's 10pm, and you need to get up for school tomorrow so even though we made you this way with books, you must put that great book down and get some sleep" talk.

Today, my book-loving, baby girl turns 9 years old, and in honor of her birthday, I asked Raina which books out of all the books she has read stand out as her favorites. We looked at her bookshelf, and we talked about each of these books. As we chatted, she tuned me out and started rereading a book (she's still reading it now), but I did manage to get her top 10 list of her favorite books of all time (so far) with a little quote about why she chose the books that she loved best:

*These are in no particular order

1) Captain Underpants (the entire series) by Dav Pilkey-
Parent side note: I was reluctant at first with these books because of the potty humor, but seeing Raina laugh out loud when she read these in 1st grade made them okay for me. She was even okay with getting car sick just to finish one of these books. They are great for girls or boys - advanced or reluctant readers.
From Raina: "These books are so funny! They're about a superhero that flies around in his underpants saving people from crime. The names make me laugh and so do the pictures."

2) Diary of a Wimpy Kid (the entire series) by Jeff Kinney-
Parent side note: I LOVE these books just as much as Raina does. We watched the movie together as a family and loved it, too. They may better for 3rd graders and up, but Raina read most of the series when she was in 1st and 2nd grade. Boys or girls would love this series - advanced or reluctant readers.
From Raina: "These books follow Greg Heffley's life in a diary format. Funny things happen to him, and I love stories based on diaries."

3) Little House on the Prairie (the entire series) by Laura Ingalls Wilder-
Parent side note: These books bring back so many memories for me. When Raina received the first 5 books in a box set from her grandparents for Christmas, we bought the t.v. series on DVD. I remember watching all the episodes with my sisters when I was a little girl, but I did NOT remember how hot Pa was. Michael Landon makes me drool a bit when I watch these, but I also cry at the touching story lines like when Pa had to leave his family to make money because his crops died. He walked barefoot for days just to get home! Men today don't know how easy they have it. This book series is probably better for girls (and women of any age will really like looking at Pa - especially the episodes where he takes his shirt off. For real.) - advanced readers will most likely enjoy these books more since they move a bit slower.
From Raina: "I love the details and how these books tell about what life was really like in the olden days."