My youngest son’s favorite childhood picture books

October 29, 2024 — I asked our son, Trevor, some questions about his favorite childhood books and this exchange is the crux of this week’s blog post. 

A couple of Trevor’s favorite children’s picture books were Old Black Witch by Wende and Harry Devlin and Miss Suzy, by Miriam Young. I received both of these books in the mail through a Book of the Month Club when I was a child. Our basement bookshelves are full of my childhood books and theirs. 

His favorite characters were the witch, and he added, “I also like the burglars.” In Miss Suzy, he recalled, “I like the toy soldiers.” 

Trevor especially appreciates “the artwork,” which is what make Old Black Witch and Miss Suzy, favorites. He’s memorialized these special memories as tattoos! 

Other memorable childhood books of Trev’s include poetry collections by Shel Silverstein, like Where the Sidewalk Ends, The Goosebumps series by RL Stine and the Junie B. Jones books by Barbara Park. He added, “there are so many.” 

The feeling Trevor associates with his favorite stories and being read to as a child, generally, is “comfort — just being a simpler time.” 

I’m elated that our boys have such warm memories of us reading together from childhood, a part of our nightly routine, as we got them ready for bed. I share these cozy memories with them, snuggled up on our bed or their beds, together, as we embarked on new adventures and entered other worlds in the pages of a book. Such a fascinating concept, how these letters form words, sentences, paragraphs, chapters and entire stories, carefully preserved within the often thin volumes. Pulled from their shelves and opened, these books have the power to take us to places around the world, rocket us into outer space, pull back the veil to imaginary worlds, and beyond. Imagine — there’s really no limit.

My author event and book signing on Saturday at Brewed Awakenings was slow. A friend who lives nearby, Amy Klettner, came by and saved the day, purchasing two books, one for her new grandchild and another for her best friend’s new grandchild. The event coincided with pre-game time for the rivalry between Michigan State University and University of Michigan. There were some people in the cafe (and coming and going), but no one approached my table. As my two hours neared the end, I emboldened myself to get the attention of a couple of the patrons (one with a young child) and share postcards and bookmarks with them. Before packing up, I walked over to a couple of the tables to pass out my postcards, too. There’s a fine line, I think, between being too quiet and too pushy. I hope I was somewhere in the sweet spot. The Brewed Awakenings owner, Kim, is so kind and supportive. She had a table and chair, markers and crayons set out and outlines of larks for children to color. I really appreciate her and the other shops like hers, who are welcoming and encouraging to local authors and artists. 

Amy bought a pumpkin pie chai latte and a Frankenchai for us. Because they both sounded so good, she asked me to choose. I went with the fun name, of course, and it was delicious! Tim also made an appearance and show of support, which was really nice. The cafe is only a few minutes down Michigan Avenue from us, the only current holdup being the ongoing (and going and going) construction of the roads. Amy hung out for the rest of the time there, keeping me company. Thanks again for everything, Amy! 

Next week I’ll be at the Ann Arbor Community Bookfest at the A2 Library, Sunday, Nov. 3, 10a.m. - 5 p.m. with the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. You can always see my schedule on the homepage of this website. 

I’m keeping this post short and sweet. Speaking of sweet, it’s nearly time for Halloween trick or treat. And while we’re on the subject, this week, we’ve watched the original “Hotel Transylvania” and “Hotel Transylvania 2.” There are many celebrity voices, they’re clever and funny stories and fun animation. From time to time, I really enjoy watching the various Halloween-themed shows featuring pumpkin carving and baking competitions. Have you seen any of these? What these artists can do with pumpkins and baked goods is pretty outrageous and spectacular! 

I bumped into my illustrator for Into the Thicket yesterday. We go to the same gym. He said he’s taken over their dining room as his studio for the book’s illustrations. I was happy to hear that but acknowledged that his wife probably is not. He said she’s given up! At any rate, this will come to an end. I’ll probably go over to his place in a couple of weeks to take a look at the illustrations. I’ve seen his progress on several more illustrations via email, most recently nighttime scenes, and I’m really excited personally, and for when the book is published, to share it with you. 

I’d love to hear from you about your current or previous reading routines with your children and any special memories of that precious time. I’d love to include some in an upcoming blog post. 

Apparently, Trev is not alone Vintage Books My Kids Love blog

Davey’s faves to follow at a later date :D