[HPFGU-OTChatter] Children's books (was Inside, Outside, Near Lane, Far Lane, whatever...)

[P. Alexis Nguyen]

Mary Ann:
> I never read the Dick and Jane books (I attended first grade in Montreal in
> 1974) but I had an awful lot of Bobbsey Twins books. As much as I enjoyed
> these books it bothered me immensely that the kids never aged and that they
> started the same grades over and over and over again. Nancy Drew bugged me
> for the same reason. In fact, the first book series I read where the kids
> actually aged was The Famous Five. Guess I was a stickler for realism (or
> just plain ol' anal retentive) from an early age.

Now now.  Nancy went to college in the 90s.  I never read those since
I was close to the cusp of college myself.  Strangely enough, though,
I was really into the super-mysteries at the time - that's Nancy Drew
and the Hardy Boys together for those not in the know.  Great stuff
... I think I might still like them if I weren't lazy about hunting
them down (not that "hunting" on Amazon is hard work) - there was a
time when those books demanded all my allowance money, and this was a
period of a good couple of years, too.  They were the best books and
perfect for a young girl who was convince that the sparks floating
around Nancy and Frank were going to develop into something if they
would only get rid of their significant others.  :)

I did the Bobbsey Twins, Sweet Valley High/Twins/whatever, etc teen
books, too, but Nancy Drew & Hardy Boys hold a special place in my
heart.  I read a few Tom Swift novels (it's all the same writing
syndicate anyway) and loved them but could never find them at the
library, so he just never made it into my classics list.

Good times.  Maybe I'll call home and see if my parents will send me
my "old" books - my books are in pristine condition, and I almost
yelled at my little cousin once for turning down one of the corners in
one of my super-mysteries.  I was a crazed child ... not that my
current book habits are so different.

~Ali