Book Blogger Hop No. 126: Favorite Children's Book Author

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop,

hosted by Billy @

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer!

This Week's Question

Who is your favorite children's

book author and why?

(Submitted  by Kitty @ 

Vicarious Bookworm)

My Answer

I haven't read any children's books in recent years, but I do have VERY fond memories of reading some great ones! My two favorites are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll, and Classic Fairy Tales, by Hans Christian Andersen. So these are also my two favorite children's books authors.

I happen to own the Barnes & Noble Collectible Editions of both books, and would like to read them again! (The B&N Collectible Edition of the Carroll book also contains Through the Looking Glass, which I have not read.) 

When I first read these books, I did so in Spanish, as a child in Cuba. I do have both books still, although, sadly, they are a bit on the worn side.....I need to locate the Lewis Carroll book, which is somewhere in my personal library. I was unable to find a picture of it online. As for the Andersen book, I DID find a picture, which you can see below.

These books gave me lots of hours of enjoyment when I was a kid. Back then, I believed the stories were all true, too. Lol. It was VERY disappointing to me when I found out that wasn't the case....But these books, along with some others that I read back then, such as condensed versions of Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer and The Prince and the Pauper, plus Little Women, really hooked me into reading for life!

These two authors really captured the "feel" of fantasy from a child's viewpoint. In the case of the Wonderland book, I immediately related to Alice, for example. Here was a little girl getting into fascinating adventures, and I totally envied her! I also felt her emotions very strongly as I read. Whenever the Queen of Hearts yelled, "Off with his head!" or "Off with her head!", I was really scared!

As for Andersen's stories, my favorites were "The Snow Queen", "The Emperor's New Clothes", and "The Steadfast Tin Soldier". The first and the third of these dealt with relationships of the heart. The first one featured a boy and a girl who were close friends, while the third one featured two toys who were able to feel like real, living people, and loved each other. This one has a rather sad ending, though, and I've never forgotten it. Even back then, I had some interest in romance, although I wasn't aware of it, lol.  

As for "The Emperor's New Clothes", I thought it was hysterical at the time. Beneath the humor, though, there was a very important statement about political hypocrisy. This, of course, was something I didn't catch back then. I just thought it was VERY funny for the emperor to be walking around without a stitch of clothing on! Lol.

Below you will see pictures of the B&N editions I now own, plus the Spanish translation of Andersen's stories that I originally read, and also still own.

  

What are your thoughts on

this topic?

If you're participating in this hop,

I'll go comment on your 

own BBH post.

If not, I will then comment on one 

of your blog posts!

Thanks for visiting!!!  
 

Book Blogger Hop No. 107: Books I Have Cuddled With

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop,

hosted by Billy @

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer!

For more information, and 

to find out the topic of next week's question, click HERE.

This Week's Question

Have you ever slept with a favorite,

beloved book under your

pillow, or cradled in your arms?

(Submitted  by Maria @ 

A Night's Dream of Books)

My Answer

Oh, yes!! These are part of my treasured childhood memories!

The first book I remember doing this with was Heidi, by Johanna Spyri. This book not only tells a WONDERFUL, very sweet tale, in which a little girl goes to live with her grandfather, but it also has sentimental value  for me.

When I was around 10, I came down with the measles, and had to stay in bed for a few days. Of course, I could not go to school. Well, one night, I got a very nice surprise...... When my dad came home from work, he went to see me in my bedroom, and presented me with a copy of Heidi! I had been feeling glum because I was bedridden, but Dad really cheered me up by giving me the best gift a bookworm could ever hope for!! So of course I started regularly sleeping with this beloved book in my arms! 

I wish I knew where it disappeared to..... it got misplaced somewhere along the way.... I LOVED it so much, too!! I would really love to get another copy of it, although it won't have the same sentimental value of the original. However, I've looked all over the Internet, and have been unable to locate the same edition. I wish I could go back in time and thank my Dad again.... that was such a thoughtful, loving thing for him to do! I have never forgotten this, either! 

Amazon Hardcover Copy

This is not the original edition my dad bought me, but I have just ordered it from Amazon, as it expresses my feelings toward him. When my dad hugged me, I felt safe, loved, and that all was right with the world.

The edition pictured above has a rather poignant feeling for me, too, because I wish I had had this kind of relationship with my maternal grandpa, as well. Sadly, he was never affectionate with us kids, and was always very serious. I realize that he had a lot of stress related to our forced move to this country, but still.... I do wish we could have been closer to him.

Another book I can remember cradling in my arms was Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell. Mom bought me this one. I saw this book at a Winn-Dixie store. It was very reasonably-priced at the time. Well, I began to pester her to buy it for me, and she laughingly gave in. This book marked the beginning of my great love for horses, which has stayed with me to this day, although, alas....I have not been lucky enough to actually own a horse.... Still, I treasured this book, and also went to sleep with it cradled in my arms. Oh, how I wish those days were back.......                          
             

This is the EXACT edition Mom bought me. It, too, disappeared. I have not been able to find this one online, either. However, I do own another, very beautiful edition of this childhood gem. It doesn't have the same sentimental value, of course.

At least I still have the books I was able to bring with me from Cuba, when we came to the States! 

This is the edition I own now. I really must re-read this novel, especially since it holds such special memories for me.

Some of the most wonderful, touching memories in a bookworm's life have something to do with books. That has certainly been the case with me, and I'm sure there are many of my fellow bookworms who also have precious bookish memories! 

Although I haven't cuddled with books again since I grew up, I have from time to time HUGGED beloved books! And there have been several of them, too, such as the books of The Twilight Saga, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, the Harry Potter books, as well as some HIGHLY beloved classics such as Jane Eyre!! 

What are your thoughts on

this topic?

If you're participating in this hop,

I'll go comment on your 

own BBH post.

If not, I will then comment on one 

of your blog posts!

Thanks for visiting!!!