Post by cyanea on Jun 16, 2011 17:17:56 GMT -5
While going through boxes in the attic, I discovered copies of a few of my absolute favorite required reading from Elementary school. I sat down to read them right there.
Where the Red Fern Grows was always my favorite because the little boy in the story resonated with me. I saved my money with dedication like he did (granted, it was for a Nintendo and not for dogs, but still). It also got me into loads of trouble with my sixth grade teacher because on a field trip, I went and read past where we left off in our group reading because fuck it, I wanted to finish. The ending made me almost cry right there on the bus. Someone told on me and the teacher flipped out and gave me detention because I finished the book ahead of the class which is honestly something I'll never understand about that teacher.
Hatchet was another book we read that year, and I read that one voraciously. I remember trying to keep myself from reading ahead, but I so desperately wanted to. I asked the teacher for permission, but she refused and gave me another book to read instead. I don't remember what it was, but I remember not liking it as much as Hatchet. That book also got me hooked on the idea of camping in my backyard. I bugged my parents for weeks and weeks until they bought me a collapsible tent for my Christmas. Once summer came around, I used it once and got freaked out at being out there by myself and never used it again.
Finally, in that year, we also read The Cay. I remember that book was the one that had EVERYONE in my class hooked. I don't remember why. The teacher asked the librarian to pull the sequel from the shelves until we were finished because everyone wanted to know how it ended and the teacher only had us read it once a week. I read the rest of that one on my own, at home, without telling the teacher. I felt so guilty afterwards (I was a real teacher's pet) but I did it anyway because fuck it, I wanted to finish.
That all happened in Sixth Grade, which in my town, was the last year of elementary school. I was looking forward to the books in Middle School so much, but I don't really remember them aside from the first Narnia which was assigned as summer reading, so they must not have been as impressive as the three above.
What were some of the books you remember from elementary school that you loved?
Where the Red Fern Grows was always my favorite because the little boy in the story resonated with me. I saved my money with dedication like he did (granted, it was for a Nintendo and not for dogs, but still). It also got me into loads of trouble with my sixth grade teacher because on a field trip, I went and read past where we left off in our group reading because fuck it, I wanted to finish. The ending made me almost cry right there on the bus. Someone told on me and the teacher flipped out and gave me detention because I finished the book ahead of the class which is honestly something I'll never understand about that teacher.
Hatchet was another book we read that year, and I read that one voraciously. I remember trying to keep myself from reading ahead, but I so desperately wanted to. I asked the teacher for permission, but she refused and gave me another book to read instead. I don't remember what it was, but I remember not liking it as much as Hatchet. That book also got me hooked on the idea of camping in my backyard. I bugged my parents for weeks and weeks until they bought me a collapsible tent for my Christmas. Once summer came around, I used it once and got freaked out at being out there by myself and never used it again.
Finally, in that year, we also read The Cay. I remember that book was the one that had EVERYONE in my class hooked. I don't remember why. The teacher asked the librarian to pull the sequel from the shelves until we were finished because everyone wanted to know how it ended and the teacher only had us read it once a week. I read the rest of that one on my own, at home, without telling the teacher. I felt so guilty afterwards (I was a real teacher's pet) but I did it anyway because fuck it, I wanted to finish.
That all happened in Sixth Grade, which in my town, was the last year of elementary school. I was looking forward to the books in Middle School so much, but I don't really remember them aside from the first Narnia which was assigned as summer reading, so they must not have been as impressive as the three above.
What were some of the books you remember from elementary school that you loved?
