I was lucky, my parents read to me. It was mostly my mother, but my father did too, occasionally.

I grew up in a house full of books, and trips to the library were a regular part of my childhood. The Scholastic book order was another cherished source of books, and my mom was generous with my orders.

My love of books hasn’t diminished. My home library is bursting, and my classroom library is full of terrific titles. I still get excited about the Scholastic book order, only now I’m the teacher.

Here are a few titles from my childhood that stand out, in no particular order.

Babar the King by Jean de Brunhoff

A dapper elephant King and his Royal court captivated me as a little girl.

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

I so wished I had a magical crayon like Harold!

If I Ran the Circus by Dr. Seuss

I really wanted to visit the Circus McGurkus. This was the first Dr. Seuss book I knew.

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

Maybe this was the start of my aversion to monkeys?

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McClosky

This is such a sweet and gentle tale with fabulous illustrations.

There are so many more, but these stand out in my mind right now. What are some of your favorites?