Forget-Me-Nots: Anything by Paula Danziger

 

Forget-Me-Nots is a feature on my blog for highlighting books I enjoyed in childhood and the teenage years that I don't see getting much attention nowadays.

I read a lot of Paula Danziger's books when I was younger: There's a Bat in Bunk Five, This Place Has No Atmosphere, Earth to Matthew...they're pretty much all awesome. Paula Danziger writes with wonderful humor and lively dialogue, capturing the ups and downs of adolescence perfectly.

She's also written some books for younger readers, like her Amber Brown series. I know I had a copy of You Can't Eat Your Chicken Pox, Amber Brown when I was a kid, and quite enjoyed it :D Just the title is fantastic!

Anyone else have fond memories of Paula Danziger's books? Which were your favourites?

Forget-Me-Nots: The Ramona Series

This is a feature on my blog for highlighting books I enjoyed in childhood and the teenage years that I don't see getting much attention nowadays.


Okay, who remembers loving this series by Beverly Cleary?  I adored Ramona's adventures – she was so feisty and opinionated and always getting into trouble! I admired all of her escapades because I was not nearly as bold as she was growing up. (Although, she is a younger sister and I am too...so I totally related to her in terms of that.)

The series starts off with Beezus and Ramona:

 Description from Goodreads:

"Nine-year-old Beezus Quimby has her hands full with her little sister, Ramona. Sure, other people have little sisters that bother them sometimes, but is there anyone in the world like Ramona? Whether she's taking one bite out of every apple in a box or secretly inviting 15 other 4-year-olds to the house for a party, Ramona is always making trouble--and getting all the attention. Every big sister can relate to the trials and tribulations Beezus must endure. Old enough to be expected to take responsibility for her little sister, yet young enough to be mortified by every embarrassing plight the precocious preschooler gets them into, Beezus is constantly struggling with her mixed-up feelings about the exasperating Ramona. 

There's no one in the world like Beverly Cleary, either. This terrifically popular author of over two dozen children's books has withstood the test of time for generations, as her many awards, including the Newbery Medal, attest. Two books in the Ramona series, Ramona and Her Father and Ramona Quimby, Age 8, were also named Newbery Honor Books. Louis Darling's wonderful ink illustrations are the kind that will stay with a reader for a lifetime."

But my favorite has to be Ramona the Pest (I don't know how many times I re-read this book). This was the cover of my book, isn't it so cute? Sorry for the poor quality, I couldn't find a better image.

And the original illustrations were fantastic too!

I remember I was really sad when I finished off Ramona Forever... But as I was looking up the books now, I see Beverly Cleary wrote another book way later called Ramona's World, that I don't think I've ever read. So I am going to have to pick it up!

Ramona fans, anyone?

Forget-Me-Nots: The Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series

This is a feature on my blog for highlighting books I enjoyed in childhood and the teenage years that I don't see getting much attention nowadays.

The pick this week:

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty Macdonald (and the others in the series: Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle; Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm; Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic)

Amazon's description of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle:

"Everyone loves Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle lives in an upside-down house and smells like cookies. She was even married to a pirate once. Most of all, she knows everything about children. She can cure them of any ailment. Patsy hates baths. Hubert never puts anything away. Allen eats v-e-r-y slowly. Mrs Piggle-Wiggle has a treatment for all of them.

The incomparable Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle loves children good or bad and never scolds but has positive cures for Answer-Backers, Never-Want-to-Go-to-Bedders, and other boys and girls with strange habits."

I loved these books as a kid, but I think I might enjoy them even more as an adult now - because they're all about curing kids' behavioural problems! However, it's tackled in a way that, from what I remember, usually doesn't come across as preachy, perhaps because it contains a good dollop of humour. The problems run the gamut from "Thought-You-Said-itis" to heedless breakers and never-want-to-go-to-schoolers. While some of the solutions are too easy (giving the kids a magic pill or powder) there are some very ingenious cures as well.

Also, the name? Priceless.

Anyone out there remember this series?