Bookies Part III

Last installment....let's roll.

BEST "I READ IT AS A CHILD AND IT NEVER LEFT ME"

Winner - The Wheel on the School, Meindert DeJong. This is officially the only book that I have ever read in one sitting, which is weird because I'm a book freak. I picked it up randomly from the school library one day in the 4th grade, and I just couldn't put it down. My mother was worried about me, I remember. I don't know why it fascinated me so much. It's about these kids in a Dutch fishing village, and they want to bring storks back to the area to nest, so they put wheels on all the buildings. Doesn't that sound bizarre? If you are one of my readers with children, you should get this for your kids. Kids apparently love storks and Dutch fishing villages.

1st Runner-Up - Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O'Dell. I read this one for the first time in the 2nd grade, but my fondest memories are from when my 5th grade teach read it to the class. She had an excellent reading voice. Karana, an Indian girl, lives for years all by herself when she is left by her tribe on an island in the Pacific. It's just remarkable. Like Castaway for the little ones. When the dog died.....oh my gosh, I can't stand it, even now. This book is serenity in written word. The island itself is as much a main character as Karana. Epic story. Read it. 

2nd Runner-Up - The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System. We all remember these books and movies. I can still remember the opening credits. Magic School Bus days were always my favorite days at school, and this was my absolute favorite book. I bet I read it about 50 gagillion times. I'm a bit of an astronomy nerd, and this is where it all began. On each planet, it showed how your weight would change based on the fluctuating gravitational pull. So much mind blowing information for someone so young. You can bet that my children will have these books memorized before they hit pre-school.

MISCELLANEOUS (I couldn't get them to fit in one particular category, but I love them just the same)

Winner - Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden. I love love love love love this book! I read it over and over again. The imagery here is unparalleled. After reading it, I feel like I've actually walked the streets of pre-War Kyoto. It's the story of a poor young girl from a fishing village who becomes Japan's most celebrated geisha. The glitz and the glamour is countered by the harsh realities of life as an entertainer and, of course, the effects of WWII. And underneath it all, there is a truly touching love story that you don't even realize has been unfolding until the very end. Now, I will say that while I quite enjoyed the movie version, most people do not, so don't base your opinion of the book on the movie. The book is much better. Read it...NOW.

1st Runner-Up - The Gargoyle, Andrew Davidson. This book haunts me. I find myself thinking about it even now, over two years after reading it. It was a bit of a heavy read, so I haven't mustered up the emotional strength to read it again, but it's on the long list. It's a really crazy complicated love story that's speckled with tales from past lives and a heavy influence from Dante's The Inferno. The ending is just so sad an beautiful. Please read it, and don't give up on it after the first few chapters. You'll be glad you hung on.

I'd love to give a 2nd Runner Up, but I'm tired of typing, so that's all you're gonna get! I think I'm done with the Bookies now. Hope you enjoyed =)