Back to work today, and these two lovely books had arrived for me. Unfortunately, most of my old childhood books are looking a little the worse for wear these days - as in literally falling apart in some instances. I have been attempting to obtain hard cover editions of all my old favourites for quite awhile now and have been successful in most cases.
I adored these two particular books when I was about ten or eleven and remember borrowing them from my school library many times.
Strangely, both books have undergone some inexplicable title changes over the years. When I first read "The Headless Cupid" back in the early '70s, this was its original cover and title:
In the later 70's, the title changed to this:
I can't imagine why the title was changed at this time unless it was perhaps considered too obscure for a childrens book? I have the above edition in paperback but I'm very happy with my new edition with the original title restored.
The title of the E.L. Konigsburg book was shortened for English/Australian publication. I wasn't even aware of the original lengthy title until quite recently. This was the edition I read back in the day:
Of course, just because I now have brand new hard cover editions, doesn't mean that I will throw out my old falling-to-bits paperbacks. I am a book hoarder after all!
There's no point in having these books for the sake of
having them so I started a "Favourite Childhood Books Reread" over the weekend. I hope to fit a few in here and there in between reading more "age appropriate" titles.
I started with Elizabeth Enright's "The Saturdays" which was just as lovely as I'd remembered.
Here's a list of some others I hope to read over the coming months/year. Many of these are part of a series, in which case I've only listed the first book in each series.
- Little House in the Big Woods - Laura Ingalls Wilder
- Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
- Charlotte's Web - EB White
- The Headless Cupid - Zilpha Keatley Snyder
- Five Go to Smugglers Top - Enid Blyton
- The Witch's Daughter - Nina Bawden
- Finn Family Moomintroll - Tove Jansson
- The Far Distant Oxus - Katharine Hull and Pamela Whitlock
- One Hundred and One Dalmatians - Dodie Smith
- Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
- Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley and me, Elizabeth - EL Konigsburg
- The Borrowers - Mary Norton
Looking forward to some comfort reading over the winter months!
4 comments:
As you would WELL know, all those books are my favourites too. I possibly didn't read The Far distant Oxus. Also on my list/shelf are the Carbonel books, The Owl Service and Gone-Away lake.
I think the witch title would have been dropped because of the Wiccan connotations, in the US at least.
Beautiful post. I love all the photos of your old childhood books. It's amazing how book covers can take you back, those illustrations! The books against the pink wall look particularly nice too. Well, I know it's not about the look, but it looks so good.
I love The Borrowers and the Finn Family Moomintroll. I reread the Moomintroll series most years.
I am also partial to Paddington Bear.
I'd forgotten about the Owl Service. Might have to borrow this one!
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