Deep Thinking

Years ago in elementary school my best friend Kathleen Flewelling and I read avidly and spent recess chatting about books. I was able to go to the Washta Public Library on Wednesdays and Saturdays when it was open from 2-4 p.m. to choose books because my mom became the town librarian for several years in this town of approximately 250 people. Yes, folks, the library was open 4 hours a week. My friend Kat on the other hand lived much closer to the city of Cherokee, Iowa, (population estimated around 5,000) and was able to check out more books and more often. I wish I could go back to those days lying in the grass with both of us discovering new/old authors.

Both of us had mothers and grandmothers who loved to read and we learned early on to devour everything that came our way - including the classics that were handed down to us. Not the grownup classics, but those they considered for children: Heidi, Little Women, Little Men, Jo’s Boys, Freckles, Eight Cousins, The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, Anne of Green Gables, Black Beauty, Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, and so many more. Plus don’t forget the series like the Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Trixie Belden, and my very first series ever - Cowboy Sam. (I’m still waiting for my own horse all these years later and, yes, my mother does have pictures of me in a red cowgirl outfit.)

I’d like to develop a list of children’s classics for a special book club this year. Actually, I’d like to develop four different classics lists - old-fashioned girlie classics, old-fashioned everybody classics, modern classics, and guy classics. Any suggestions for these categories? I won’t be limiting anyone to reading from one list or another and will probably change the names of the lists, but I’m going to experiment with encouraging students to try something older this year so we can write about them and visit some senior citizen centers to survey if any of them have read these titles. You see, I’m worried that we are losing our ability to talk to different generations about books. My parents are not so very interested in Pokemon and graphic novels (although my father does own his own copy of Where’s Waldo and A True Story of the Three Little Pigs).

If you are a guy, I’d especially like to hear your lists. What titles have you forgotten about but that we should bring back? Okay, give me some controversy and share some of the titles that we now deem not-PC. We cannot hide our history including historical prejudices by burying some classics. I believe we should read and confront the attitudes portrayed. Perhaps you disagree with me. If so, comment about it. I’m sure there are some people with distinct hostilities towards the Little House on the Prairie books, but there will probably be a large number thrilled to see the new photographic covers just released.

Come on, talk about it.