ReaderCon 2013 Filipino Friday (2): Kids and Books

I haven’t been blogging in the past days, sorry. It’s because I rarely have time to be in front of my computer in the past days because I haven’t been home for the past days. Well, I’m sort of home, because I’m with my entire family, but I’m not really home home, because I’ve been in Guam since Monday. I’m here because it’s my dad’s birthday today (Happy birthday, Papa!), so we’ve been busy catching up and going around and shopping and just having a chill (working) vacation. (Don’t worry, I’ll blog about my bookstore visit here soon)

Anyway, so there. Hello, friends! It’s time for another Filipino Friday!
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Week 2: Kids and Books. What were your favorite books as a kid or while you were growing up? Do you still read children’s books? If you could give your younger self a book to read, what would it be?

I talked about this first book that started me reading when I was featured in Monique’s The Spark Project over at marginalia. I am honestly trying to go back even before that, and I think I blogged about it in last year’s Filipino Friday, about how my dad read Pepito the Catfish to me when I younger. But if there was one book that I really, really loved and that I read over and over again, it is A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

My original copy is lost, somewhere. But this was the cover I owned, and it looked almost as dilapidated as this. :D

My original copy is lost, somewhere. But this was the cover I owned, and it looked almost as dilapidated as this. :D (image source)

I was influenced in part by that cartoon series shown in the morning, and I really, really loved Sara Crewe. I remember reading this book during summer afternoons, when I had no other book to read at home, and then I remember rereading this book while I was in school after I finished a Math quiz. I even remember my Math teacher scolding me for reading a book that is not a text book in school, and threatened to confiscate it. (Boo. I mean, they should be happy that I’m reading a book, and I’m not checking my Math notes so I can change my answer.) But anyway, I’m pretty sure it was the first classic book that I read over and over again, and I still feel comforted when I read it again a few years back.

Other than the usual Sweet Valley and Animorphs, I remember also growing up with some Enid Blyton books that my mom got from a book sale. I remember really loving The Secret Island, so much that I bought another copy of it when I can’t find the one my mom gave me. I also really liked the two Famous Five books I read: Five on Finniston Farm and Five Get Into a Fix. And even if I only read one book in this series, I really loved Last Term At Malory Towers. I’m currently on a mission to get the first six books in the series so I can finally read the entire thing. :D

So if I could give my younger self books, what would I give? I think I would give my younger self some of the best YA books I read now, like Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli and Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta. I would also give myself some fantasy, because I rarely read fantasy books when I was a kid, and then I would give my younger self some local books as well, like the Interim Goddess of Love series by Mina V. Esguerra, and Voices in the Theater by A.S. Santos (whose second book, Corpse in the Mirror is coming out soon. Yay). And definitely a copy of A Little Princess. :D

22 days till the ReaderCon! Have you seen the updated program? And the confirmed panelists and facilitators? So excited to attend these panels. I hope you are, too! See you at the ReaderCon on November 9, 2013 at the Rizal Library! :)

 

4 Thoughts on “ReaderCon 2013 Filipino Friday (2): Kids and Books

  1. Loved the story of “A Little Princess” (because of Shirley Temple’s movie) though I’ve never read the book. I’m putting it now on my To-Read list! :)

  2. Yes to Stargirl! :)

  3. Bummer my library doesn’t have any Blyton books …I’ve seen several FF posts on him/her! I’ll have to check my bookstores. –A Little Princess ..love the cover ..my library has the 1995 & 2006 edition ..cover not as pretty as the one you have here.

  4. Pingback: Filipino Friday #2 Kids & Books Round-up | Filipino ReaderCon

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