Monday, February 15, 2010

Books and Games of Elementary School

Tetherball and Four Square tournaments were a regular part of recess in grade school.  There were also a couple of games played on the ball field like "Steal the Bacon" or "Capture the Flag" that involved a lot of running. Our elementary teachers were masters at keeping us occupied.  I remember winning and losing at all of these games about equally.  It didn't take superior athletes to succeed.

Books were also a big part of my childhood.  My teacher (Grades 1-4) read all of the Little House books to our class.  The last book of my 4th grade year was These Happy Golden Years.  I still love those books. When I first started reading, I also remember reading a lot of Cowboy Sam books. 

Those were the books I read at school.  At home, I read  Pollyanna, Little Women, and other books from Mom's childhood. From the hometown library, I read every little orange biography I could get my hands on.  Other girls were reading mysteries--all the Nancy Drew or Trixie Belden books.  I read a few of those, too; however, I preferred reading about Louisa May Alcott, Jane Addams, Martha Washington, Nancy Todd Lincoln, Virginia Dare, and Lotta Crabtree. 

I like fiction.  I just like it better when it is based on real people and events.

For Monday Memories at Planet M

6 comments:

Gayle said...

It's great that you remember the books you read as a kid. I have always loved to read, but strangely, I don't have much of a memory of the books I read in elementary school, and I don't remember the teachers reading to us at all.

holybovine said...

Gentle Ben, Follow My Leader, Hellen Keller and the Little House books are ones I remember from grade school. Also one about three little boys in Holland, or somewhere there abouts, called Flicka, Ricka and Dicka, or something like that. Wish I could remember it and find it to read again.

Steve Gravano said...

One of my favorites was the Boxcar Kids. I think there was a series, But I only remember one book.

Mrs. E said...

Holybovine, I don't remember that Holland book.

Steve, I loved the Boxcar Children, too! (And there was only one book when I was in school. By the time the girls were in school it was a series.) And that reminds me that I loved "Heidi," "Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates," and "The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew."

And I have to say, Gayle-- how sad that your teachers didn't read to you! It was the best part of the day for me!

Shannon said...

What about Heads Up Seven Up and Red Rover? Loved those games and when I help out with Bible School we are sure to play a round or two in my group. I was blessed with a librarian that encouraged me to read everything and just kept feeding me more and more books. Little House on the Prarie, Boxcar Children and any book that had to do with horses. The Black Stallion series, Black Beauty and My Friend Flicka - don't remember any Dutch boys though. : )

Katie @ Can't Get There said...

I had the same teacher for 2nd and 3rd grades (there was a lot of shifting at my very small school) and she read to us every day after lunch. So did my 6th grade teacher. Little House, the Bunnicula series, Shel Silverstein, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory... so many favorites. I remember devouring the Anne of Green Gables series, too. The Judy Blumes, the Beverly Clearys...oh, I wish I had kept a list!