Jason English
Friday Happy Hour: Children’s Books & Story Ideas
by Jason English - November 14, 2008 - 11:52 AM
bloghead_fridayhappyhour1.gif

charlotte-book.jpg1. When it comes to pretending to read for the sake of a photo, my daughter is in the 99th percentile. She’s also good at not screaming during story time. However, she can always tell when I’m reading her non-children’s stuff. (Though I found it interesting, Charlotte was not a big fan of this article in The Atlantic about the Buffalo Bills possibly moving to Toronto.)

Today’s first topic is children’s books—what was your favorite, as a kid or as a parent? Any really great books or authors most people haven’t discovered?

2. Last night’s “Can Men Breastfeed?” post is getting positive feedback. I’d love for us to answer more questions like that. So, do you have any random questions you’d like to see tackled here?

3. What’s the farthest you ever walked? Growing up, my town had a fleet of school buses, so I’m not one of those walked-five-miles-uphill-both-ways people. I’m guessing my walked-home-in-the-snow story from last February won’t be hard to top.

4. One of my favorite link roundups is Interesting Pile. Seed‘s Daily Zeitgeist is another good place to find great stories. For TV news, TV Tattle is the best. For TV news news, there’s TVNewser (though there’s more than just links) . Do you have any favorite sites like this?

5. What not-yet-released movie are you most excited about?

[See previous 'Friday Happy Hour' transcripts.]

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Comments (72)

  1. 1. Loved the Berenstain Bears, both as a kid and as a parent.

    2. Who invented neckties?

    3. I walked 10 miles over and over around a high school track for a local charity a few years ago. I’ve given a lot more in recent years to feel less guilty about not walking again.

    4. This probably doesn’t count, but I like the ‘Most Emailed’ article list on CNN.com.

    5. Marley & Me, though this time I’m rooting for a Hollywood ending.

    posted by Samantha on 11-14-2008 at 10:58 am

  2. 1. I read to my kids from the encyclopedia. I learned more than I did in high school!

    2. Who decides who got on our money?

    3. I used to walk 40 blocks to work each day in NY.

    4. Fark.com

    5. Not sure

    posted by Ronald on 11-14-2008 at 11:09 am

  3. 1- i used to write a column for my local paper. i would read my son drafts. he preferred Clifford the Big Red Dog

    posted by pete on 11-14-2008 at 11:21 am

  4. 1. As a kid I really liked Shel Silverstein. “The Giving Tree” made me cry, as did “Clown of God” by Tomie dePaola. Actually anything by Tomie dePaola is awesome

    2. What kind of sound does a giraffe make?

    3. I don’t know, but i miss hiking in the mountains.

    4. kottke.org and your own morning cup o’ links

    5. Star Trek and Watchmen (geek much?)

    posted by Merinda Brayfield on 11-14-2008 at 11:32 am

  5. 1. As a kid I absolutely loved the Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper. Read it over and over. It’s the one that some claim was ripped off by Harry Potter and which spawned a horrific movie version last year, “The Seeker,” which was NOT AT ALL like the book. *grumbles*

    5. Tie between Watchmen and whatever the next Batman movie will be.

    posted by Brooke on 11-14-2008 at 11:43 am

  6. 1. Favorite book as a kid? Loretta Mason Potts by Mary Chase. It’s a kind of weird wonderful story. Loved it so much my sister got me a copy for my birthday a couple of years ago
    2. Why do we still have pennies?
    3. 15 miles – my son, d-i-l, sister an I tramped ALL around Chicago one day
    4. newsoftheweird dot com every monday
    5. The Time Traveller’s Wife

    posted by JaneM on 11-14-2008 at 11:46 am

  7. 1) Where the Wild Things Are, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, anything by Leo Leoni.

    posted by Lindsey on 11-14-2008 at 11:49 am

  8. 1) My favorite book as a child was called “Bendabalina” (or something like that, I no longer have the book — wish I did). It’s about a cat who wore a pot on her head and, as a result, heard all directives wrong. One day her mom goes out and leaves her in charge of the household. She asks Bendabalina to complete a bunch of chores and watch over her siblings. Because of the pot-hat, she hears everything wrong and winds up doing ridiculous things all day long. Apparently, I had selective hearing as a child (today they call it ADD) and my father called me Bendabalina anytime I was not listening. Does anyone else remember this book??? I have been searching for it for years now. I might have the name wrong…

    2) In college my friends and I would carpool or take a sponsored bus down to 6th Street (in Austin) in order to drink heavily and party w/o having to drive home. Many a night I would find myself hobbling, heels in hand, about 29 city blocks up and at least another 12 city blocks over (about a 3 mile, 1 hour walk) to make my way home. Needless to say, we had lots of fun on those adventures home.

    posted by Renis on 11-14-2008 at 11:54 am

  9. 1. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
    2. ?
    3. 13.1 miles (the Detroit Half Marathon)
    4. No
    5. The Time Traveler’s Wife and Fanboys

    posted by Rebecca on 11-14-2008 at 11:58 am

  10. My 2-year old loves “The Monster at the end of The Book” which my husband and I both loved when we were kids. In elementary school I loved the Mrs. PiggleWiggle books.

    posted by Melanie on 11-14-2008 at 12:07 pm

  11. 1.) All the Fudge books, (ie Tales of the 4th Grade Nothing, SuperFudge and the like)

    2.) Why would women ever wear corsetts (sorry just came back from Texas Renn Fest)

    3.) on vacation in London, no car and too cheap for taxis or underground

    posted by lindsey on 11-14-2008 at 12:08 pm

  12. 1. Many books of “Aesop ”
    2. Can a man has two penises?
    3. 30 Km.
    4. Does youtube count?
    5. Ninja Assassin

    posted by JT on 11-14-2008 at 12:10 pm

  13. @Renis – I think you are looking for “Amelia Bedelia,” a full series of stories, readily available from any major bookseller, I’m sure. My wife and kids love them.

    1) Check out Kevin Henkes (Lily and the Plastic Purse, Wiberly Worries, among others). Totally fun to read, exploring everyday stuff for kids about school and life. The illustrations often have little things that the adults will funny too. Great stuff.

    — I’m not ashamed to admit I have read to my newborn son about PA subwoofers from the industry mag, Live Sound International

    4) I’e only recently been diggin into Metafilter (specifically AskMeFi). I know its not quite the same as some of these other link blogs (blinks? maybe) but its a great aggregate to find useful info.

    5) Transformers 2 – in IMAX. Its not that the first one was all that great, but seeing optimus and gang on a 20 ft high screen is going to be amazing.

    posted by Justin L on 11-14-2008 at 12:16 pm

  14. 1. ALL of Robert Munsch books….my kids loved them. As a parent, my favourite was Love You Forever. It always made me choke up, and I still quote it to my kids “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always; as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be”….sob.

    5. The Time Traveller’s Wife

    posted by Sheila on 11-14-2008 at 12:18 pm

  15. 3. Walked 20 km up winding mountain roads in Italy over the course of about 10 hours. And I mean UP the whole way. While recovering from the flu with 60 lbs on my back. Most grueling thing I’ve ever done. Walked the 20 km back down the next day in about 4 hours.

    5. Terminator: Salvation.

    posted by Mike P on 11-14-2008 at 12:22 pm

  16. Being in a house full of books, my daughter was read to constantly and is a voracious reader to this day.
    For babies you can read anything as long as you use the right voice.

    The book my daughter learned to read from was “Go, Dog, Go!” We read it several billion times and got in the habit of pointing at the words.

    Another standout was “Hats for Sale.” We enjoyed the part where the peddlar freaks out, yelling, “You monkeys, you! Give me back my hats!” I knew this book from Capt. Kangaroo in my own childhood.

    I walked endlessly, in all kinds of weather when I was a teenager. 10 miles was nothing.

    posted by BassMan on 11-14-2008 at 12:27 pm

  17. My dad loved to use our story time for his own selfish reading, but it ultimately work out well. My favorite memories are the months he spent reading us “Watership Down” and the entire “Hank the Cowdog” series (which I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen in a store). He also used to read Poe’s short stories. Nobody could ever retell “The Tell-Tale Heart” like he could.

    posted by Kande on 11-14-2008 at 12:28 pm

  18. 1. The Fanastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl. I read this book literally hundreds of times when I was a child. See # 5
    2. why is the number pad on a phone upside down compared to the one on the keyboard?
    3. about 10 miles, in circles mostly, as a teenager before driving priviledges could be granted
    4. newsofthewierd.com, obscurestore.com, wunderground.com
    5. The fanastic Mr Fox, which I was unaware was being made into a movie until I just googled it to get you the author’s name for this post. I’m SO excited right now! alas I must wait until next year to see it.

    posted by JLM on 11-14-2008 at 12:31 pm

  19. 1. “Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs”; the very end with the butter sunset over a mound of mashed potatoes is so good.

    4. Fark.com, digg.com

    5. The Arrested Development movie!!! Come on!!!

    posted by s on 11-14-2008 at 12:31 pm

  20. I loved Serendipity by Steven Cosgrove—she was a sassy pink sea creature with big eyes. It was published in about 1974 and Cosgrove continued to write moral stories with animal heroes, calling them Serendipity Books. But I liked the first one most.

    posted by Dana on 11-14-2008 at 12:44 pm

  21. 1) I assume young adult books count, I liked the Babysitter’s Club series.

    2)I can see why movies are usually released in theaters on Fridays, but why are DVDs released on Tuesdays? It also seems that music albums are relased Tuesday as well.

    3) 17 miles- Relay for Life

    4) Just this website. =)

    5) It was Quantum of Solace, but it was released today. Now it is Star Trek.

    posted by Gina on 11-14-2008 at 12:45 pm

  22. Seeing all these children’s book titles are bringing back the memories. :)

    1. I was a huge reader when I was little and read pretty much anything I could get my hands on. I would go to the library, get my limit of books (15 at the time), and finish them in 1-2 days. Almost every book everyone has named, I enjoyed. I was also a big Beverly Cleary [the Ramona books, etc] when I was younger. Dr Seuss, too. The first book I ever read was Green Eggs and Ham, read to my mother on the kitchen floor.

    Wow, sorry for being so long-winded. Anyway, moving on…

    3. The longest I ever walked was probably when I went to NYC for a week. I went with a *cringe* tour group, so we would ride the bus to and from the city, but otherwise, we walked everywhere. I don’t really know how far we walked, but it was a lot. On the plus side, because of a combination of a stomach bug plus all the walking, I came home ten pounds lighter. (:

    4. My link roundup includes The Mornin’ Cup of Links, Miss C’s weekend link dump, and Snopes.com’s weird news. I read a lot of blogs, so that doesn’t really scratch the surface, but the rest tend to be full articles.

    5. I want to see the Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland. That’s pretty far away, though. I’m also wondering about the movie version of Sellevision. Lastly, The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus. The movie is actually Heath Ledger’s last movie and is being directed by Terry Gilliam. Poor Terry, he always has rotten luck with his movies. ):

    Wow, that was long. I’m sorry! Happy Friday!

    posted by Myleti on 11-14-2008 at 12:46 pm

  23. @Renis
    Cat Who Wore a Pot on Her Head
    by Jan Slepian
    Out of Print
    I used to read it to my first graders… they loved it. (Check Amazon.)

    posted by jdl on 11-14-2008 at 1:00 pm

  24. 1. The Big Pets, by Lane Smith. Always soothed my daughter into quiet before bed.

    3. 8 miles into town when my sister left without me. Somehow she didn’t get in trouble, but I had to walk to work – at the age of 15. Bitter still? Maybe.

    5. Australia – love Hugh Jackman!

    posted by Julie on 11-14-2008 at 1:04 pm

  25. 1). The Celery Stalks at Midnight by James Howe
    3). I’ve never walked a shocking distance but a girl I went to college with walked from North Carolina to Peru.
    5). Inkheart

    posted by Arae on 11-14-2008 at 1:10 pm

  26. I loved “Miss Hickory”
    My daughter loves “Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big” & “The Last Bassalope” by Berkeley Breathed” and for a good scare “The Ghost of Nocholas Grebbe”

    I totally forgot about “Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs”, I’m going over to amazon to buy it right now….

    posted by Mishelley on 11-14-2008 at 1:12 pm

  27. I loved a book about Suki the peacock. Don’t know if that was the name, but my imaginary friend was Suki. My son loved Good Night Moon. Now he loves Harry Potter, Lemony Snickett and Hank the Cowdog.

    posted by Mary on 11-14-2008 at 1:16 pm

  28. I have a random question. I am a big fan of the show BONES. A few weeks ago there was an episode where the victim was a post-surgery transgender. They were able to determine that the skeleton belonged to a male due to the shape of the pelvic bone, despite the girly parts that were also present. So my question is (assuming that anthropologists can really determine sex after seeing a pelvic bone), what shape pelvic bone does a hermaphrodite have? Also, if males have and adam’s apple and women don’t, do hermaphrodites have an adam’s apple?

    posted by Bethany on 11-14-2008 at 1:17 pm

  29. 2. If an Italian person from Italy or a Spanish person from Spain or a Russian person from Russia spoke Japanese would they have an accent? Basically what I’m getting at is when a Japanese person for example speaks English they have an accent. Does it work the other way as well? Does the person from another nation other than Japan have an accent while speaking Japanese?

    On a side note if a person from the deep south of the US with a southern drawl was to speak Japanese, Korean, Italian or whatever would it sound any different than someone from Utah speaking Japanese, Korean, Italian or whatever?

    posted by Mike on 11-14-2008 at 1:27 pm

  30. I did a blog post on children’s books a little while ago – I listed 10 different books, here’s the post:

    http: / / craftyintentions.blogspot.com/2008/10/and-wind-that-sped-them-all-night-long.html

    posted by Megan on 11-14-2008 at 1:28 pm

  31. 1. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (very strange but imaginative), and anything by Roald Dahl (The BFG, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) or Eric Karl (The Hungry Caterpillar).

    posted by Amy on 11-14-2008 at 1:34 pm

  32. 1. The Giving Tree, but Someday is a new one that is really touching.
    2. Already submitted this one, but I can’t wait to find out the legal authority of TV judges.
    3. Not sure, but I walked a lot in European cities since the best way to find out about a place is to walk everywhere.
    5. Syncechode (sic)

    posted by marty on 11-14-2008 at 1:39 pm

  33. I eat, sleep and breathe children’s books – have read to my K child nearly every day of her life. 8 weeks at school, she reads at a Grade 2 level. She learned by osmosis. Yes to Kevin Henkes, yes to Roald Dahl, yes to Caps for Sale, and the wacky Amelia Bedelia. And don’t forget Frog and Toad! No to Berenstain Bears though – they are too gender stereotyped, even if they do provide morals.

    If you want to bust a gut laughing, try Lane Smith’s The Happy Hocky Family and The Happy Hocky Family moves to the Country. Postmodern Nuclear Family at it’s finest!

    posted by Marion on 11-14-2008 at 1:45 pm

  34. Favorite children’s books when I was a young adult: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, and The Phantom Tollbooth.

    Favorite picture books for my daughter, now 3: Charlie Parker Played Bebop, by Chris Raschka; The Princess and the Pea, by Lauren Childs (excellent rendition!)

    posted by James on 11-14-2008 at 1:49 pm

  35. YES, JAMES, I was perusing the comments and finally, someone else who enjoyed The Phantom Tollbooth. Most of the time when I mention that it was one of my favorites growing up I get a bewildered “never heard of it” look. I’m hoping to eventually find a way to incorporate it into my classroom.

    posted by Cameron on 11-14-2008 at 2:09 pm

  36. I was a huge Shel Silverstein fan growing up. My favorite was “The Giving Tree”.

    One of my other favorites growing up was “One Thousand Paper Cranes” by Takayuki Ishii.

    I think the movie I’m looking forward to the most is “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”.

    posted by MW on 11-14-2008 at 2:11 pm

  37. I don’t remember the title, but my favorite book was about “Pickles” a cat who is rescued from a tree and then goes to live with a nice lady but isn’t happy. In the end he ends up going back to live at the fire station and helps rescue kittens from trees!

    posted by Irish L on 11-14-2008 at 2:16 pm

  38. 1. But Not the Hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton when I was a baby, Shel Silverstein later on.
    2. Why does the MSDS for dichloromethane forbid you from mixing it with aluminum? I haven’t found any YouTube videos, so I doubt it’s an explosion…I also doubt the evolution of chlorine gas. My next step is to try it out…while hiding behind a construction barricade.
    3. I walk 40-some miles every year at ACS Relay for Life.

    posted by ERK on 11-14-2008 at 2:17 pm

  39. What a cute photo! I have one just like that of my daughter about that age.

    Some of my childhood favorites: Charlotte’s Web, Black Beauty, Island of the Blue Dolphins, the Narnia books, Seuss & Silverston books.

    Favorites of my daughter and myself as a Parent: Are You My Mother? (her first reading alone – before school), the Little Bear books (the show is great too), Milo and the Mysterious Island, A Day With Wilbur Robinson, and the Winnie-the-Pooh books and poems by Milne.

    She’s now really into the Magic Tree House, Junie B. Jones, Jigsaw Jones, and Disney Fairies series.

    The “Ology” books are cool too, but we’ve only read the “Mythology” one so far.

    posted by Nerak on 11-14-2008 at 2:24 pm

  40. 1. I’m a 32-year old, non-emotional dad, and I can’t get through The Giving Tree without choking up. I’m a big fan of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and Bear Hunt.

    2. Who decided what books made the cut for the Bible?

    3. 20 miles. On a multi-week hike, on trail with shelters spaced about 10 miles apart. Got to where we planned to stop for the afternoon, but the spring we were going to use for our water source had dried up. We were feeling good and so pressed on to the next shelter.

    4. Morning Cup O’ Links.

    5. The Road. Single most affecting book I have ever read. Very interested to see what the director will do with the movie.

    posted by Matt on 11-14-2008 at 2:45 pm

  41. 1. nana upstairs and nana downstairs by Tomie dePaola

    2. what’s the longest amount of time someone has spent (unwillingly) on a deserted island?

    4. morning cup o’ links!

    5. ?

    posted by shannon on 11-14-2008 at 2:51 pm

  42. 1. I loved the Barenstein Bears books!!! Also anything by Beatrix Potter, the Miss Nelson books, and A Cricket in Times’ Square. I also had a flippin’ sweet children’s picture dictionary (yeah, I’m a big nerd).

    5. Quantum of Solace (I know, it just came out today, but I haven’t seen it yet!) and Marley and Me (my brother works for the production company that made this one, and he tried to get my parents to buy one of the Marley dogs)

    posted by MW on 11-14-2008 at 2:52 pm

  43. I was reading at a very early age and had a voracious appetite for books. I read EVERYTHING, even the back of boring cereal boxes. Favorites were Anne of Green Gables, the McGurk mysteries, My Father’s Dragon, the Redwall books. . . Just about anything I could get my hands on.

    I imagine by the time I have children, they’ll be hearing bits of my dissertation as their bedtime story goodness. : /

    posted by andrea on 11-14-2008 at 3:57 pm

  44. I forgot about “meatballs”, I also loved “Chicken Soup With Rice” (I remember beaing confused when those “chicken soup for the soul” books came out)

    My current favorite kids books (that I read to my goddaughter) are “The Monster at the End of This Book” and “Molly Lou Mellon” which is totally worth picking up if you can find it.

    posted by Emmie on 11-14-2008 at 4:06 pm

  45. 1. “Bronwen, the Traw and the Shape Shifter” – a poem by James Dickey with the most incredible illustrations by Jesse Watson. My son is 10 now, and even now he’ll sit still for a reading of it. It’s amazing! If you haven’t read it, you must. It’s the single most beautifully illustrated book I’ve ever seen.

    3. I grew up in the Sierras and we lived at the top of a big hill. The school bus stop was 2 miles from the house and we trudged to and from every day – even when there was 8 feet of snow on the ground. The mornings weren’t so bad – it was downhill – but at the end of the day the last thing you want to do after a full day of school and a 45 minute bus ride is walk up a steep hill in the snow. And when we got home – to the geodesic dome we built ourselves – we had to bring in wood and start a fire in the stove because we had no central heating and it was as cold inside as it was outside.

    4. televisionwithoutpity.com and gofugyourself.com. I’m a huge fan of snark.

    5. Twilight. I haven’t read the books and I could not POSSIBLY care less about the movie, but I teach middle school at an all-girls school and I just want the kids to stop talking about it all the time.

    posted by Kristin on 11-14-2008 at 4:08 pm

  46. 1) I read as many of ‘The Boxcar Children’ series (by Gertrude Chandler Warner) as I could get hold of. I guess there are more than 100 books out there by her and others.

    2) As a young teen I always wondered…What is on the other side of the universe? I guess that’s a question that even Mental Floss can’t answer.

    3)I walked a large portion of the Appalachian trail in New York as a teen and young adult. Don’t know how many miles it was but I felt I was going up and down more than forward in the trip.

    4)Every day I do Mental Floss and Miss C’s site. On Sunday I read ‘Post Secrets’. A must read….people send in postcards to the site telling of their deepest secrets.

    5)Star Trek in the spring.

    posted by Owen on 11-14-2008 at 4:11 pm

  47. I can’t believe only one person is looking forward to Harry Potter!! Where are my fellow Potter-philes??

    posted by beth on 11-14-2008 at 4:15 pm

  48. @JDL — that’s the book, i looked it up, saw the cover, and recognized it immediately. her name was Bendemolena, not Bendabalina as i thought.

    you have made my day! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!

    btw, i was also a big fan of “Miss Nelson is Missing,” “Frog & Toad are Friends,” “George & Martha,” and “Sylvester & the Magic Pebble.”

    great books!!!

    posted by Renis on 11-14-2008 at 4:34 pm

  49. 1. I still have something of a soft spot for Curious George. Who wouldn’t want to own a monkey? Not to mention a big yellow hat. Also, I rather like that one Chris Van Allsburg book that was a collection of pictures, titles and setences, all from

    2. What is the evolutionary purpose of facial hair? (I’d also ask about why guys can’t have multiple orgasms but women can, and what the evolutionary purpose of it is, but that’s just asking for mental_floss to be blocked at schools.)

    3. On a vacation to San Francisco this summer, I apparently got shin splints from walking around Alcatraz and Fishermen’s Wharf. I should probably walk more often.

    4. I rely on mental_floss for interesting links, especially Miss Cellania. (How’s that for sucking up?) Other than that, I just rely on the links people put on forums.

    5. I second The Road. I’m trying to read it now, and I honestly cannot figure out how it can be made into a movie. Way too much internal thought, without a lot of action or dialogue. Should be intriguing to see the trailer.

    I’m also kind of interested in “Revolutionary Road,” “Up,” “Frost/Nixon,” “The Wrestler,” “Gran Torino,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Defiance,” “The Brothers Bloom,” and whatever gets nominated come Oscar nominations.

    posted by Sillstaw on 11-14-2008 at 4:42 pm

  50. D’oh! I forgot to amend the first answer. I was going to mention the Chris Van Allsburg book with thirteen titles, each with one sentence and picture, supposedly written by a man who gave them to Allsburg and disappeared. Googled it, and it’s “The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.”

    ReCaptcha: “sausage floor.” Yum.

    posted by Sillstaw on 11-14-2008 at 4:45 pm

  51. @Mike – I had a Spanish Teacher (college level) who was Japanese and had a very heavy accent.

    It was not easy learing Spanish from him.

    posted by Renis on 11-14-2008 at 4:50 pm

  52. 1. I always enjoyed Goodnight Moon and Alexander’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, but my favorite was always Fox in Socks. Try reading it out loud as fast as you can. That, my friends, is a challenge.

    5. WATCHMEN. 3/6/09 Be there.

    posted by Kieran on 11-14-2008 at 5:18 pm

  53. 1. I loved the Berenstein Bears, Dr. Seuss, Amelia Bedilia, and a book called the Painter’s Cat that had really nice pictures. It was all about he pics for me when I was younger lol

    2. What is the order of military ranks? I’ve always been to lazy to find out. I’ve also pondered the big stuff, like quantum physics and how scientists are able to see and measure things so monumentally tiny like quarks.

    3. 14 miles. A summer recreation group went on a hike up Hurricane Ridge (a local mountain) in August. They gave us two whole rest breaks, each for about 3 minutes without shade. I’ve had an aversion to hiking ever since.

    4. I have a huge list of favorite sites that i visit routinely. There’s Mentalfloss, Neatorama, Cracked, Fail Blog, I can has cheezburger, Cake wrecks, photoshop disasters, a bunch of webcomics like dominic Deegan, Applegeeks, two lumps, kawaii not – you get the idea.

    5. Bolt sounds like a fun movie. I’m a huge Pixar fan. I’m pretty out of the loop in movie news, so I don’t really know what’s coming up. Though the Time Burton Alice in Wonderland myleti mentioned caught my attention.

    posted by heather on 11-14-2008 at 6:45 pm

  54. Hey! I just checked out Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs (1978) and you guys are right – what a totally wierd, awesome book! The illustrations are just like Mad magazine in the 1970s. Thanks guys. I think my crazy princess will be delighted – she’s just as wacky as me.

    posted by Marion on 11-14-2008 at 6:54 pm

  55. andrea – You reminded me that I completely forgot to mention the Anne books in my favorites, I loved those as well!

    There probably are just too many to name really.

    Oh, there are also the Indian in the Cupboard books.

    posted by Nerak on 11-14-2008 at 7:06 pm

  56. The book about “Pickles” is called The Fire Cat, by Esther Averill. I loved it as a child too!

    posted by Julie on 11-14-2008 at 7:47 pm

  57. 1) Too many to count but A Bargain for Francis by somebody Hoban is definitely in the top 10
    2) There are a lot of questions today about hermaphrodites and it made me wonder if a hermaphrodite could impregnate themself?

    posted by Linds on 11-14-2008 at 8:31 pm

  58. I love Miss Piggle Wiggle, and Cricket in Times Square, and the Little house books, and the narnia books, and the Borrowers, and all the Beverly Cleary/Judy Blumes….

    HARRY POTTER NEEDS TO COME ON WITH IT!!! and I’m not talking about his Broadway weenie showing either. We want the movie.

    posted by Kristi on 11-14-2008 at 8:48 pm

  59. 1. I can’t remember the name of it, the book was about a little blonde girl in pink pajamas wandering around the house and carrying a baby blue blanket with her.

    As a parent I read “where the Wild Things Are” so many times my husband and I can still recite it by heart.

    2. History of legos. I’d love to know how the bane of my existence came about.

    3. Walked was 4 miles in brand new cowboy boots. I went for a walk to break them in and just wandered. My generation rode bikes more then walked, and I would ride more then 4 miles on a daily basis.

    4. Here, Cracked, cyanide & happiness, and evil beet are my daily 4

    5. mine is a toss-up, the rest of the Potter series and the rest of the narnia series. I have’t had a chance to see the next Narnias they have done, but I;m going to try this weekend!

    posted by Lorelei on 11-14-2008 at 9:42 pm

  60. There is a annual walk between Gold River, BC and Tahsis BC. It is called “The Great Walk” and finishers receive “the burning boot award”
    It is 63.5 km (39.4 miles)
    I walked it in 2002 at the age of 15.

    posted by Gipoun on 11-14-2008 at 10:24 pm

  61. 1. I had lots of books as a kid but I think one of my favorites A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
    The longest I’ve walked? I think of two, one was a volksmarch when I was 9 and that was 10k (a little over 6 miles) and when I was 11 I walked from one town to the home I had on base (I was an airforce brat) and that was about 6.5 k which is about 4 miles. That didn’t include the other walking I did just wandering about before I walked home because I missed the bus, which resulted in going “zu Fuss” (by foot)
    4. Growabrain is one of my favorites for links
    5. My excitement for movies? Harry Potter is one, another is the new Star Trek Movie and a big one I am interested in seeing is Alice in Wonderland which is being made by Tim Burton.

    posted by Sarah C on 11-14-2008 at 10:32 pm

  62. 3. 1200km, the Canadian Great Divide Trail thru the Rockies, over one summer.

    posted by Paula on 11-14-2008 at 10:38 pm

  63. 1. Robert Munsch. My favourite will always be “Mortimer Be Quiet!”, also the Lil’ Critter Books, B. Bears (Brother and Sister bear were totally me and my brother when we were little), Betrix Potter and any A.A. Miline. YA – Wrinkle in Time, Narnia (mum read those to us when we were like 6)…I could keep going…

    2. mmm…

    3. In my Christian Elementary school we had walk-a-thons every year. 25 mi, all day and it usually ended up being on the hottest day of the year. I hated every damn second.

    4. Morning Cup O’Links. People always wanna know where I get the things I post on my blog.

    5. Am I the only one who wants to see Monsters vs. Aliens? Oooo Iron Man 2 plz. Hope it’s not junk.

    posted by Joanna on 11-15-2008 at 5:45 am

  64. I am going to answer just the first question because I have so much to say about it. My favorite children’s author is Lloyd Alexander, most famous for his Chronicles of Prydain series. I fell in love with his books when I was young, and he is still on my list of all-time favorites. Although most of his books are for older children, he wrote a picture book called “The Fortune Tellers” that is wonderful (and also happens to be illustrated by my favorite illustrator, Trina Schart Hyman). I was devastated when he died last year because I had always hoped I would get to meet him. Alas.

    posted by Kelsey on 11-15-2008 at 1:07 pm

  65. 1. Another vote for Phantom Tollbooth! Such a great book. I also loved Time Cat and Island of the Blue Dolphins, as well as the ‘classics’ (Where the Wild Things Are, etc)

    3. I walk a lot these days, since we have no car, but the one that stands out in my mind was during one of my trips to NYC. I was at the American Museum of Natural History, and wanted to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The map made it look very easy. However, the paths aren’t straight and I have a horrible sense of direction! I ended up walking diagonally across the park – away from the Met. (!) Then had to walk all the way down to the Met.

    4. I usually just come here for my links!

    5. Probably the new Bond movie. It won’t be out here until the end of the month.

    posted by Dawn on 11-15-2008 at 3:44 pm

  66. 1. My first favorite book was Dr. Seuss’s ABCs, which my parents had memorized and would recite from the front seat of the car as I turned the pages in the back seat. Then I loved a book called The Penguin That Hated the Cold, which I memorized from hearing my parents read and then would pretend to read it myselft.
    Other favorites were: Miss Rumphius, Caps for Sale, Ming-Lo Moves the Mountain, Why Mosquitos Buzz in People’s Ears, A Chair for My Mother and Ben’s Trumpet.
    I recently spent a very long time in the children’s section of the bookstore rediscovering these books while looking for a gift – I had forgotten how great they all are!

    posted by Nikki on 11-15-2008 at 6:45 pm

  67. Anyting by Roald Dahl was great for me, when me was aged 4 thru 12, and i still go back to him whenever i want something fun and easy to read.

    posted by Carolina on 11-16-2008 at 12:06 am

  68. 1.) Cully Cully and the Bear

    5.) Public Enemies (w/Johnny Depp, etc.)

    posted by Caroline on 11-16-2008 at 1:45 am

  69. 1. Many people have mentioned our favorites. Have to add Maurice Sendak’s ‘Pierre’. Various books of nursery rhymes. Marc Brown’s ‘Monster’s lunchbox’ and his Arthur series. Mercer Mayer’s ‘Me and my little brother’. ‘Oh my a fly’ (pop up book). Can’t believe no one mentioned ‘Cat in the hat’ yet. Although Dr. Suesses ‘ABC’ was the first book I and two of my kids ever read. ‘Little Bear’ series by ??? Minarik?, illustrated by Maurice Sendak.

    3. 19 miles in a day camping. Including climbing two 2600 foot rise mountains, and about half with a 30 pound backpack. Another shorter trip with 30+ pound backpack including, 2000 foot rise in 1.1 mile and 3000 foot decline (around 7 miles) all in the mud and rain.

    posted by Stew on 11-16-2008 at 7:57 am

  70. I LOVE Inhertince triology, Narnia, I used to like Baby-sitters Club. Who decided what to put in the Bible?

    posted by Sara on 11-16-2008 at 3:09 pm

  71. I don’t think anyone has yet mentioned my favorite: Doctor DeSoto by William Steig. My kids also remember fondly the “Fudge” stories and anything by Dr. Seuss.

    posted by BeachBum on 11-16-2008 at 3:46 pm

  72. I have four kids and love kids’ literature. I write my reviews in a blog.

    http://www.kiddylitter.com

    posted by Amy on 6-29-2009 at 4:51 pm

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