My parents, in their early college years, both wanted to be writers. My father, if I recall correctly, admired Joseph Conrad. My mother, along with her sister, aspired to be the new Bronte sisters. They went on to do other things, and only wrote for their professions. It did mean, however, that I grew up in a house of books.
Our mother read to me, and my siblings, every night. Friday was the day for weekly library visits. At some point I was allowed to walk to that local public library and did so, often, with my own library card. There was a used bookstore in the neighborhood, and in its far back were kids’ books, cheap.
[I describe both that library and the bookstore in my novel, Catch You Later Traitor.]
Every birthday, every Christmas, I received at least one book. As kids we were encouraged to have our own book collections.
It’s not really a surprise then, that on my shelves I have a few — very few — books from my childhood.
The oldest is a picture book, Giant Otto, by William Pene Du Bois. My copy was published in 1936. (It is still in print) I have a vague memory of getting this book as a gift from my father when we were visiting my grandparents’ house. He seems to have been away. It would have been during World War II, and since he was in the Coast Guard, that might explain his absence.
The second book is an “Illustrated Junior Library” edition of The Arabian Nights. On the first page of this book there is this handwritten inscription:
“To Edward from his friends. Susan. Biff. John. Ann Elizabeth. December 23, 1947.” The friends’ names are each in different handwriting.
Edward is my first (real) name and that date is my 10th birthday.
My guess is that I (and my twin sister) were having a birthday party, and these friends got together to buy me a present. Alas, I have no memory of those friends.
The third book is Old Granny Fox, by Thornton W. Burgess. This was perhaps one of the first chapter books I read on my own, the first adventure novel. I was able to buy them — the Green Meadow Series — at that used bookstore I mention above. I think they cost me twenty-five cents (allowance money) and I bought, and read, many of them. This is the only one left.
In time I would read them to my own kids.
I have little doubt that these animal stories led to me The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame. (No date on my copy) I’m not sure when I came to the book but I loved both the characters and the writing, though I did not understand the mystic pantheistic chapters. I have read the book many times, even as an adult. I still find it wonderful.
The final old book, The American Past, by Roger Butterfield, was a lavishly illustrated history of the United States, the first of its kind. My edition is from 1947, (first edition, second printing). It remains in print (10th edition) on Amazon. I am sure that my parents purchased this book as a way of teaching us US history. I can’t speak for my brother and sister, but I was fascinated by the text and illustrations and went through it countless times.
The only important childhood book I don’t have is the copy of Treasure Island I first read.
What is curious about these titles, animal stories, adventure, history, is how I find echoes of them all in my own books. It’s a reminder that the books we read when young — children’s books — can be enormously important to our lives. We keep them on our shelves or in our heads. They become a vital part of who we are, even when we lose them.
I’m lucky enough to still have these few.
What is the oldest children’s book on your shelves?
2 thoughts on “The Oldest Book on My Shelves”
I loved Nancy Drew. It was the start of my fascination with mysteries, which I am writing now for middle graders.
I always enjoy your posts, Avi. Every one of them. I wish we had met during my time as an author, but I don’t believe we ever have. Surely I would have remembered. I’m caring for my grandchildren now, so do not have my library in front of me. I have no books from my childhood, though. We were very poor. My grandmother bought me Little Golden Books and read those to me. At my two-room country school house, I recall that my favorites were Lassie Come Home and Black Gold. Yes, I adored animals. Thank you for all you do for literature and children.