Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Heart of A Child Challenge


I'm hosting this one at the request of another blogger who is unable to host at this time. The rules--if you can call them rules--are my own, however.

Heart of a Child Challenge

How many? Read 3 to 6 books
When? from February 1, 2008 to July 14, 2008
What? Books and authors that you discovered, loved, or adored as a child. How am I defining "child"--I'll be generous. Anything and everything that you read through the age of 18 would qualify.
Why? Because sometimes it's fun to reread books and see if they still hold the same "magic."

To sign up, simply leave a comment on this post.

Further rules:

You DO NOT have to have a list.
You may overlap books with other challenges. I'd actually encourage you to overlap books with other challenges.
You may use audio books for this challenge.
You DO NOT have to have a blog in order to participate.
You will be expected to comment occasionally on your progress. I'll be posting update posts once a month or once every six weeks between February 1rst and July 14th.
Comments are meant to be friendly and chatty. Just be yourself. This is nothing to stress about.
All books must be rereads.
It is your choice entirely if you want to focus on picture books, chapter books, or longer novels. If you read adult books as a teen, then those books would qualify as well.
This challenge is all about YOU discovering how much you've changed, and how much you're still the same.

What will I be reading? Primarily, I hope to read the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary; The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder; The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis; The Anne books by L.M. Montgomery. Christy by Catherine Marshall might prove fun. And Mandy by Julie Edwards. And I would love, love, love to revisit the Sunfire Romance series. And maybe just maybe Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell. I doubt I'll read all of them by July 14th. I KNOW I can't read them all by July 14th. But these books are all books I'd like to read throughout the whole year.

Participants so far:

Sharon G. (NovelChallenge Group)
Vasilly (NovelChallenge Group)
Kim (Reading Keeps Me Sane)
sprite
Iannah (NovelChallenge Group)
Jenna (NovelChallenge Group)?
Karen
SuziQ (from Blogging My Books)
Sam's Book Blog
Amanda of A Patchwork of Books
Pam of sidewalk shoes
Debi
Cath
Veronica
Teen Book Review
Margaret of BooksPlease
Callista
Brooksideelaine
Kim from Page after Page
Sarah from In Need of Chocolate
Jan in Edmonds.
Kirsten Murphy.

49 comments:

Kim said...

I am going to partcipate in this challenge. After all this is where my love of reading began.

soleil said...

this is interesting. i don't know if i should sign up for another challenge, but there are some books that would be really fun to revisit.

Anonymous said...

Ooh! I can't wait to start! I'm thinking some Laura Ingalls Wilder, Louisa May Alcott, and some Frances Hodges Burnett will be in order.

Anonymous said...

I'll sign up but I'm not sure I remember a lot of what I read before 18. I didn't love reading the way I do now!

Karen

samantha.1020 said...

I'm in!! I'm been thinking about reading books like this...

SuziQoregon said...

I'm officially in :-)

Posted my list here

pam said...

Oh, I'm in. I'll have to think about this, after all that was a pretty long time ago!

Debi said...

Couldn't resist for long! Here's my list. (Yes, I know I didn't have to make one, but I did anyway.)

Cath said...

Can you include me please? My list is here.

Anonymous said...

Do you know where I can get that print? I would love to put it in my daughter's room!. Thanks!

Becky said...

I found the image through google searching. But further research--in an attempt to answer your question--led me to a wikipedia page where it says it is an image now in the public domain that was illustrated by
Jessie Wilcox Smith
.

A google search on Jessie Wilcox Smith led me to art.com. The print is called "Books in Winter". Other sites might have it as well.

But now that the artist and title of the piece are known, perhaps you can find it.

Anonymous said...

Thank you!

Veronica said...

I'd love to participate in this challenge! This is such a good idea, to reread those childhood memories.

Anonymous said...

I know I'm a little late to this and that I probably don't technically qualify, being under eighteen, but I'd love to participate! I've slightly modified it (so it has a younger age deadline!) and posted at http://teenbookreview.wordpress.com/2008/02/02/heart-of-a-child-challenge/.

BooksPlease said...

I just can't resist this challenge, Becky. I'll think about which books to re-read, just have to check which ones I still have. I know I have the Katy books and Heidi.

Kathleen said...

Okay got my list up! You can see it here.

Anonymous said...

heyyy! I know I'm rather late signing up, but may I may I? I'm thinking baby-sitters club, malory towers, midnight blue, a wrinkle in time, are you there God it's me margaret...

Kim said...

Ohhh! Just was browsing through your blog and found this challenge. I am totally going to participate--I know I can come up with at least 3 books I enjoyed as a child. :)

Kim

Kim said...

My list is up! Looking forward to re-visiting some past "friends". :)
*smiles*
Kim
http://pageafterpage-kim.blogspot.com/2008/02/small-little-challenge.html

Anonymous said...

Ooh this is lovely, I am always re-reading Anne of green gables anyway and others so this is a challenge I should manage to do easily.

Sarah said...

I saw this when I followed a link here from Semicolon's Saturday Review of Books. I'd love to join. I've already planned several re-reads of childhood favorites as read-alouds for my daughter.

BooksPlease said...

I've just posted about Mr Blossom's Shop by Barbara Euphan Todd on my blog.
See http://booksplease.blogspot.com/2008/02/mr-blossoms-shop-by-barbara-euphan-todd.html

I hope this is the place to let you know??

Jan in Edmonds said...

I'd like to join this challenge and re-read my Trixie Belden books which I'm also doing for the Read it Again challenge. Thanks for having me.

Kirsten Murphy said...

I just stumbled on this challenge and am hoping I can still participate! I definitely want to revisit: Sam the Firehouse Cat, The Westing Game, and The Dollhouse Murders.

Anonymous said...

I am in! Can't wait to start! I am building a list right now in my head of things I will get to re-read! I will have to blog about them as well too! Fun Stuff!

Courtney

Unknown said...

Becky - you selected the perfect graphic for this challenge. Could you let us know what it is from?
Kathleen Molloy - author
Dining with Death

www.diningwithdeath.ca

Becky said...

I found the image through google searching. But further research--in an attempt to answer your question--led me to a wikipedia page where it says it is an image now in the public domain that was illustrated by
Jessie Wilcox Smith.

A google search on Jessie Wilcox Smith led me to art.com. The print is called "Books in Winter". Other sites might have it as well.

But now that the artist and title of the piece are known, perhaps you can find it.

SuziQoregon said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
SuziQoregon said...

OK - lets see if I can get the link correct this time :-)

Finished my first book for the challenge today - From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. I still love it.

My Blog Post

samantha.1020 said...

I just read my 1st book for this challenge: Deadly Intent by Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew Files, Case 2). I loved this series when I was younger and it was still fun to read! http://samsbook.blogspot.com

Sam

KT said...

I would like to participate in this one. I've never done a challenge before, but it sounds fun (and one I should be able to accomplish). I love re-reading books from when I was younger. Thanks.

Cath said...

I've just posted my first post for The Heart of a Child challenge. It's here:

http://read-warbler.blogspot.com/2008/03/enid-blyton-for-heart-of-child.html

SuziQoregon said...

Finished my second book for the challenge today - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Still love it and it's still better than either of the movie versions.

My blog post is here.

Jan in Edmonds said...

#18

Trixie Belden and the Mystery of the Midnight Marauder - Kathryn Kenny

Challenges: D.E.A.R., 100+, Book a Week, 101 in 1001, Heart of a Child, Read it again



I’m re-reading this series of books from my childhood. This is number 30 and takes place during a weekend in March. Trixie’s almost twin, Mart, is a suspect in this story of someone who’s been vandalizing and stealing in Sleepyside-on-the-Hudson, New York. He’s also secretly been the Miss Lonelyheart’s columnist for the Campus Clarion. The victim’s are Wimpy’s, the hamburger joint in town and the Wheeler mansion. Each time the marauder strikes he or she leaves a message in bold black paint of where they’ll strike next. Trixie and Honey hideout at Crimper’s Department store for the next episode until they realize the department store is not the marauder’s next target but the Crimper residence. Can they get there in time to stop it and catch the thief?



“Trixie could see the street outside alive with policemen…. The figure stood stock still. A burly man hurried toward him. ‘This time we’re caught you, Mr. Midnight Marauder!’ Sergeant Molinson sneered as he shone his flashlight into the intruder’s white face. And Trixie saw that it was ….”



Jan (in Edmonds)

Cath said...

I've just read Anna Of Green Gables for this challenge - the post is here:

http://read-warbler.blogspot.com/2008/03/anne-of-green-gables.html

SuziQoregon said...

Finished #3 today - Tree Wagon by Evelyn Sibley Lampman. My blog post about this book is at this link.

This was the last of my initial list, but I'm having so much fun I think I'll continue and maybe read Harriett the Spy and The Borrowers if I can fit them in before the end of the challenge time frame.

:-)

Kim said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kim said...

I just finished another one for this challenge. It is called The Crystal Tree and was my all time favorite book as a child. After re-reading it, I found it to be as charming as ever!
My review can be found on my book blog, Page After Page:
http://pageafterpage-kim.blogspot.com/

KT said...

I finished my first book and posted a review on my blog.

BooksPlease said...

I just posted a review of The Secret Garden. See here

http://booksplease.blogspot.com/2008/04/secret-garden.html

KT said...

I just posted a review of Hatchet and The Secret Garden.

whatktreads.blogspot.com

This has been fun. Thanks!

SuziQoregon said...

Couldn't stop at 3 - just finished The Borrowers by Mary Norton - loved it all over again.

Anonymous said...

I am going to join this one it sounds like alot of fun.i already havea few in mind that I am going to revist.

Anonymous said...

I just posted my review for my first book for this challenge Ramona The pest you can read the review here
http://danisbookshelf.blogspot.com/

SuziQoregon said...

Finished my last one today - Harriet the Spy - another enjoyable read down memory lane.

Thanks for this challenge, Becky!!

KT said...

I finished up my last book and posted a summary today. Thanks!

Unknown said...

I am interested. Besides Beverly Cleary, I want to re-read some of the books that Maud Hart Lovelace wrote (Betsy, Tacy and Tib). Judy

Kathleen said...

Here's my first book for this challenge, Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary

Jan in Edmonds said...

I finished my 6th Trixie Belden book yesterday and have now completed this challenge! Thanks Becky for hosting this for another person. It was a fun challenge.