Books we read in school as a kid in elementary
Posted by Gera1976@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 136 comments
Well as i turn 50 i was trying to remember books i read when i was younger. Obviously there were many books that we all read or had to read as an assignment. But i had to search for a couple online because i really forgot there names. Here were a couple i was able to find. I’m glad i found some so i can recommend to my younger family members
DumberBlonde@reddit
Grammar school for me was K-4. I was reading comic books, Mad, and Cracked. Middle school 5-7 I got all into Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, and so... My final answer is: Where the Red Fern Grows
realityguy1@reddit
You guys lurned to reed?
Relative_Soil7886@reddit
I was reared on “The 5 Chinese Brothers “, “The very hungry caterpillar”, “Caps for sale”, “Tikki Tikki Tembo”among others.
jackieO2023@reddit
I frequently out of the blue will recite “ Tikki Tikki Tembo no surendo….”! lol
time2sow@reddit
Hell yes to the 5 chinese brothers i can still feel the wonder of looking at... a dry seabed? I wasnt quite reading on my own then but i was on my way
DrKlahnsRightHandMan@reddit
I loved any survival book. My Side of the Mountain, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Hatchet, etc. Definitely Sign of the Beaver. Just seeing that cover brought back a ton of memories.
DearGabbyAbby@reddit
My Side of the Mountain and Island of the Blue Dolphins - love those books. I still have my copy of My Side of the Mountain.
I’ve never heard of Sign of the Beaver, but I still love reading survival books so I’ll look for that even if it’s a kids book. I recently read Hatchet and series of the same character. Also a kids book but I liked most of them
SlutForDownVotes@reddit
Check out Henry Mazer. My two favorites of his books are Snowbound and The Island Keeper.
DearGabbyAbby@reddit
Will do, thanks for the recommendations!
DrKlahnsRightHandMan@reddit
I recently bought a battered copy of My Side of the Mountain for 2 bucks so I could reread it.
youngkpepper@reddit
The true story of Island of The Blue Dolphins is incredibly sad.
Gera1976@reddit (OP)
I loved island of the blue dolphins it’s forever engraved in my memories
Full_Mission7183@reddit
"My Side of the Mountain" was my favorite book for years.
I've wanted my own falcon since reading it.
Annonnymee@reddit
Old Yeller.
Ngdawa@reddit
Who's "we"?
time2sow@reddit
Not at all. It went from from cat in the hat to flowers in the attic, carrie, interview with a vampire by way of beverly cleary and judy blume and kids horror and world myths
TwistinInTheWind@reddit
I've never heard of any of those
Southern_Common335@reddit
I still have my copy of Brighty!
Better_Power_9913@reddit
I was among the last of the boomers and don’t remember any of those. I was too busy reading Encyclopedia Brown, the Hardy Boys, and Alfred Hitchcock’s Three Investigators
darth-vagrant@reddit
Negative-Appeal9892@reddit
Read this in 9th grade (assigned reading) and then went on to read all of Zindel's work.
Legion1117@reddit
I think this book was responsible for more student trips to the giant dictionary our teacher kept at the front of the room.
If we didn't understand a word and asked what it meant she'd make us go up to the dictionary, look it up and read the definition out loud for the entire class.
(Mine was "slaked," which I suppose is some kind of proof that making us look the words up rather than just telling us the meanings made them stick in our heads longer since it's been more than 35 years and I still remember the word and the definition. lol)
blueberriesnburdock@reddit
That’s so weird! I just remembered a bit of that book a couple days ago and had to Google to find the title. I hadn’t thought about it in decades before that.
CityCabCat@reddit
I did not read any of these
Dan-68@reddit
Same here.
Boo-Boo97@reddit
I think I was in third grade when I came across a copy of Bridge to Terabithia. I was NOT old enough for that book. But then 20+ years later the movie comes out and everyone is so upset about how it ends. All I could think was, didn't you read the book?
Hellvira138@reddit
Island of the Blue Dolphins and When the Legends Die
Boo-Boo97@reddit
I loved Island of the Blue Dolphins. I wonder if I still have a copy?
One-Earth9294@reddit
Yeah I read Brighty in 6th grade!
Beneficial-You3416@reddit
Deenie and Tiger Eye. They were a little bit older than elementary school but I was an advanced reader.
im-just-meh@reddit
DearGabbyAbby@reddit
Yes 🙌 great book! I still have my childhood copy
SGFCardenales@reddit
Never play with fireworks with your friends
Bibliophilewitch@reddit
This one messed me up. 🥲 I actually have a copy of it on my bookshelf now.
Gera1976@reddit (OP)
I read that in high school i totally forgot about this book
DearGabbyAbby@reddit
Ditto
KK1998Pgh@reddit
All the Jim Kjelgaard books
HelicopterDiligent55@reddit
Thank you! I remember reading all these dog books as a child but couldn't remember the author for the life of me!
KK1998Pgh@reddit
I kept them all and passed them on to my kids.
Mistervimes65@reddit
Another children’s book where a child dies. I was not ready.
MarchOk5420@reddit
How did the kid die?
Mistervimes65@reddit
Allergic reaction to blackberries iirc
HermioneMarch@reddit
Omg this book scarred me.
Mistervimes65@reddit
Same.
Sallydog24@reddit
I had brighty, read it to my son too
Sibby_in_May@reddit
I had the Misty and the Brighty books and horses. The books went missing in a military move 😡 I had passed them on to my kids. A LOT was stolen in our last move. I also had many of The Black Stallion book series in paperback and I had my mom’s hard cover horse books like The Black Stallion, King of the Wind, and I had the Billy and Blaze books. Uncle Wiggly’s Airship, Little Women, The Three Musketeers, some amazing illustrated fairy tales books. Trixie Beldon (they are on Libby now), Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, the Bobsey Twins.
Gera1976@reddit (OP)
I’m sorry they went missing
Sibby_in_May@reddit
Thanks.
Absynth421@reddit
Bunnicula
Gera1976@reddit (OP)
Omg the vampire bunny that would suck the carrots and they would turn white
-Morning_Coffee-@reddit
Just finished this with my first-grader. That dog uses many unusual (old-fashioned?) words.
alayeni-silvermist@reddit
Maverick-Mav@reddit
I cried at the end. Was thinking why is this a children's book?
youngkpepper@reddit
This book, The Yearling, Old Yeller, The Red Pony...all penned by authors who thought the Journey To Adulthood needed the brutal death of a beloved pet to be complete.
There was a sequel to Old Yeller, Savage Sam. In that one the dog lived but the kid's horse got shot out from under him by Indians, leaving 10 year old me to conclude that the author hated animals.
SamHandwich0@reddit
Yeah- school was all about trauma in the 80s...now it's all about avoiding trauma.
I dont think either approach is correct
b-lincoln@reddit
I picked this up at Barnes and Noble and went to that chapter. 40 years later, I had to set it down as it still brought the tears. Trauma for 11-22 year olds the world over.
this_kitty68@reddit
Ugh. This book broke me.
andyr072@reddit
Huh huh, you said beaver.
Ttthhasdf@reddit
My son is 22 now, so this happened 17 years ago. When he was in kindergarten, the class was making paper mache animals for a forest diorma. My son was assigned the beaver. Do not ever, ever sit down with your spouse and kindergartner in front of a computer and say "let's find some pictures to start with" and type "pictures of beaver" into google.
jfrankparnell85@reddit
“Ward… don’t you think you were a little hard on the Beav?”
andyr072@reddit
BlownCamaro@reddit
Not a single one.
BlueGreenRust@reddit
The title of the third one sounds like he's starting up a rap-battle to the cat.
AdditionalTip865@reddit
Newbery medal? Uh oh, that cat's probably a goner
AdditionalTip865@reddit
Looked it up: surprisingly, it sounds like the cat lives
JoyousZephyr@reddit
A cat dies, but not That Cat.
IDunnoReallyIDont@reddit
Boxcar children! The Indian in the Cupboard!
Shoddy_Tour_7307@reddit
Lizard Music
The Cay
Where the Red Fern Grows
Summer of the Monkeys
The Boy from the UF0
Full_Mission7183@reddit
Shocked to not see anything by Tolkein listed here. No mentions of the E.B. White (I was forced to read the "Trumpet of the Swan" in second grade and it pretty much killed any enthusiasm for reading I might have had. No one even referenced the Chronicles of Narnia, which were must reads for me and my friends.
I remember the short story "The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury making an impression.
And based on geography we all remember the tale of King the Leprechaun Pony.
im-just-meh@reddit
NotARobotDefACyborg@reddit
That one was wonderful. Marguerite Henry was such a good storyteller, and you could tell she truly loved horses and other equines.
FairBaker315@reddit
Wesley Dennis did such fantastic illustrations for the books too!
NotARobotDefACyborg@reddit
They were so detailed, and clearly drawn with an equal affection for the subject!
FairBaker315@reddit
The full color one in "King of the Wind" when Sham is first born is my favorite.
I confess, I'm an adult and have collected just about all those books in hardcover. They're timeless.
NotARobotDefACyborg@reddit
That one and the original cover of “Misty” are the best two, imho.
whateverhappensnext@reddit
Good old Sex Ed. They don't teach it like they used to...
Big_Accountant_1714@reddit
Julie of the Wolves made a huge impression on me. I still have a copy of it somewhere.
Big_Accountant_1714@reddit
I just reread Brighty last fall 😊. I was crazy for anything Marguerite Henry wrote.
vin4thewin@reddit
Hellvira138@reddit
Yessssss. I still have this one and I love it so much. I wish they would make it into a movie
xxxbrimstonexxx@reddit
mom2ajs5@reddit
Island of the Blue Dolphins. I was obsessed with it! I read it countless times as a kid. When my daughter was assigned to read it, she was like, eh. 😭
EducationalOutcome26@reddit
I remember some hardy boys books, and wanted my own junkyard to have a hideout in.
and a series of christian themed outdoor adventure mystery books, the thing i remember most was the father figure lived on a boat, thats about all I have for a memory of those, cant ever remember a single character's name. and alvin the inventor book series. alvin and his younger sister along with a sidekick solving mysteries.
those are some of the few happy memories i have from that time, life at home was not good then, most memories of those days are buried and should stay there but theres a few happy one involving books that remain.
Just-Finish5767@reddit
The junkyard hideout is from the Three Investigators series. I loved that part of it, too!
HermioneMarch@reddit
Middle school book studies: Bridge to Terabithia. The Cay. Summer of my German Soldier.
mckenner1122@reddit
The Cay!
nickfree@reddit
This be that outrageous cay, eh Timothy?
toooldforlove@reddit
I was a reader but I was also a nerd. I read mom's encyclopedia set, at the library I got on history and science books.
OrangeMustangGal@reddit
My favorite along with the Little House on the Prairie books.
tanhauser_gates_@reddit
I read a different version of this book.
this_kitty68@reddit
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.
I read a lot of books as a child, but this one I remember was for school. At home it was the Narnia books, Judy Bloom, a Wrinkle in Time and all of Madeline L’Engle’s books.
itaintme1x2x3x@reddit
Ehhh, I got the boot from elementary school and then again in middle school, and well, high school—don't judge me. They didn't exactly have the same sympathy for difference back then like they do now. But I do remember one thing from high school called "Walk About." The book was okay, but the movie had a quirk: the 14-year-old lead was completely naked. I'll tell you, that got shut off really quick. Of course, this was freshman year, so we enjoyed it—at least it wasn't too pervy for us, since we were also 14.
this_kitty68@reddit
That was the first movie I saw as a child. I think I was 4. My mom thought I would sleep through it. Nope. She said I stood with my hands on the seat in front of me for the entire movie. I watched it again recently. It’s very “artsy” and a little hard to follow. Many things are left out and left to the imagination. Other things should have been left to the imagination. The naked girl borders on child porn. I’m no prude, but it’s definitely pervy.
thonnard42@reddit
mckenner1122@reddit
Oh gosh I loved these books!!
Maverick-Mav@reddit
Yes!
BMisterGenX@reddit
There was a huge cultural obsession with Native Americans in the 70s. Lasted a little bit into the early 80s also.
Consistent-Bee9738@reddit
This was one of my favorites as a kid. Reading about kids who had a hard life made mine seem a little more bearable.
MineAllMineNow@reddit
Don’t recall any of these!
Square-Wing-6273@reddit
Me either.
hesathomes@reddit
OMG Brighty!! I loved that book.
WattDeFrak@reddit
Yes! That just unlocked a memory, I’d completely forgotten about that one.
ResidueAtInfinity@reddit
Same. Mrs. Phillips read it to us in our grade 1-3 combined class, circa 1981.
Apprehensive_Judge_5@reddit
Ramona Quimby series
rharper38@reddit
My 4th grade teacher LOVED Ramona. We read Ramona ALL year.
Intrepid_Practice956@reddit
We didn't read that one by Speare, but I loved Witch of Blackbird Pond. Inspired my love/hate of Puritans.
MidnightBlueSilk@reddit
Journey to Topaz
The Endless Steppe
Sitka_8675309@reddit
The Endless Steppe!! Indelible memories. I still have my original, falling-apart copy.
heldaway@reddit
MoeKneeKah@reddit
Core memory right here
Beneficial-You3416@reddit
My Side of the Mountain. I loved that book. It was so adventurous.
Legion1117@reddit
I was thinking about this book last week!
LOVED it!!
I think I need to go find a copy and read it again.
sumthymelater@reddit
Phildagony@reddit
The Outsiders, Where the Red Fern Grows, Old Man and the Sea.
kaynkayf@reddit
The red pony
Thatwasunpleasant@reddit
My kiddo read Sign of the Beaver with her class this year!
OtakuTacos@reddit
Prior_Two1814@reddit
I Heard the Owl Call My Name.
EarthenMama@reddit
I have on my bookshelf "Nuclear Experiments YOU can do" from the 1970's. Fan-TASTIC.
Fiver43@reddit
Anyone else remember The Silver Crown? That was a weird story, but I loved it.
Haunt_Fox@reddit
Plane-Fan9006@reddit
insert over-used phrase here.....(m_m__y un__k_d!!!)
But seriously....Brighty??? I was instantly flashed back to 1st or 2nd grade, sitting on really thin orange carpet, surrounded by cutouts of The Letter People, and having Brighty in the classroom bookshelf.
Freaking mental DeLorean....wow. Thanks OP!
Gera1976@reddit (OP)
I also i was about same grade i forgot the name of the book but never forgot the murder and the burro
pariah76@reddit
I read Sign of the Beaver. Not for school, though
warrenao@reddit
I read that first one! Though I think it was an article in Penthouse.
nv-erica@reddit
Does anybody else remember “The Egypt Game?”
dawnyaya@reddit
OMG lifelong interest in Egyptology sparked
nv-erica@reddit
Same. I kind of feel like that particular book would be banned in libraries nowadays.
LadyNorbert@reddit
I read Brighty! The murder horrified ten-year-old me. I was a sucker for the Misty of Chincoteague books by the same author, so I wasn't expecting death.
Gera1976@reddit (OP)
Yes i do remember the murder i also was in 4th grade
strugglinfool@reddit
I enjoyed reading Matt Christopher around 3rd or 4th grade. His books all involve sports in some way. Hard Drive to Short is one I remember doing a book report on.
I didn't get into The Hardy Boys, but my sister read every Nancy Drew book written.
Iron_Chic@reddit
severinusofnoricum@reddit
Where the Red Fern Grows was read to us multiple years in a row. Everyone loved that book.
VanillaHuel@reddit
Brighty had his own Breyer model and book gift set!
Mr_Horrible@reddit
Elementary school we could occasionally pick our own book and mine were almost all Choose-Your-own-Adventure books.
WayPowerful484@reddit
Duh my friends call me Brighty