# What were your favorite books as a child?



## Capt Worley PE (Aug 19, 2009)

When I was a little, tiny Cap'n my Grandma used to read me (and teach me how to read) books on her big four poster bed. I cherish the memories as well as the stories. A few of my favorites were:

Ferdinand the Bull

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Mary Ann

Ookpik

Millions of Cats

Color Kittens

Tootle

The Pokey Little Puppy

Little Toot

What were some of y'all's favorites?


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## roadwreck (Aug 19, 2009)

Mine's the Best


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## snickerd3 (Aug 19, 2009)

The little engine that could

Fast Frog

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs (a movie is coming out soon)


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## nashbmattPE (Aug 19, 2009)

Robert the Rose Horse

Dr Seuss ABC's

Are You My Mother


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## Chucktown PE (Aug 19, 2009)

Now that I have kids I'm able to re-read some of my favorites. We go through 3 or 4 books a night so I have quite a list:

The Butter Battle Book (one of my favorite Dr. Seuss)

The Cat in the Hat

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Scuffy the Tugboat

Uncle Remus Stories, i.e. Brer Rabbit

Peter Rabbit

The Chronicles of Narnia

The Giving Tree

Where the Sidewalk Ends

The Little Red Hen

Jack and the Beanstalk

Another vote for The Little Engine that Could

The Three Little Pigs

Green Eggs and Ham


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## Chucktown PE (Aug 19, 2009)

On another note, my wife goes to the library with our kids (3-1/2 and 1-1/2 years old) every week to get new books. Apparently they had a program during the summer that if your parents read you 20 books (obviously ours can't read yet) you would receive a gold medal. 15 books a tee-shirt, 10 books a set of crayons, and I can't remember what the prize for 5 books was. I was thinking to myself that this was rather pathetic. 20 books. Come on. A children's book takes 5 minutes to read. So 3 or 4 stories a night, plus 1 or 2 during the day before naps is still only 20 to 30 minutes of reading a day. I think they should have set the bar a little higher.

I also forgot to add Curious George to the list.


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## Dexman1349 (Aug 19, 2009)

Dr. Seuss, Clifford, Curious George, and Richard Scarry books always stand out as long time favorites.

Like Chucktown, it's a great feeling being able to read these books to my kids. We go through about 5-6 per week.


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## Supe (Aug 19, 2009)

Goosebumps!


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## Capt Worley PE (Aug 19, 2009)

Richard Scarry...I was a huge fan of Huckle and Lowly Worm!

All the Beatrix Potter Books (but Peter Rabbit was a fav)

Uncle Remus

Little Black Sambo (for a while my parents asked if I wanted tigers and syrup for my waffles)

Scruffy the Tugboat (thanks, Chuck. i couldn't remember if it was Tuffy or Scruffy)

The Pants with Nobody in Them

Plain Belly Sneeches and Star Belly Sneeches


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## EM_PS (Aug 19, 2009)

Dexman1349 said:


> Dr. Seuss, Clifford, Curious George, and Richard Scarry books always stand out as long time favorites.
> Like Chucktown, it's a great feeling being able to read these books to my kids. We go through about 5-6 per week.


ditto to that - haven't quite the kids into the Richard Scarry books yet, but i'm sure that'll come, they both love books on construction equipment &amp; trucks, and I remember Scarry had one of those.

I also loved Where the Wild Things are, and the Mercer Mayer books - favorite Seuss books were I had trouble getting to Solla Sollew &amp; The Lorax.


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## FLBuff PE (Aug 19, 2009)

My dad read Rudyard Kipling's 'Just So Stories' to me as a kid. I will be reading that to mini-Buff when she is older.

Encyclopedia Brown

Goodnight Moon has become a fave at the Buff household. I didn't read it as a kid, though.


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## Chucktown PE (Aug 19, 2009)

Forgot about the Sneeches as well. That is definitely one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books. I still laugh out loud at Sylvester McMonkey McBean when I'm reading that.

Other good ones are On Beyond Zebra, Horton Hears a Who, Happy Birthday to You, and Oh The Places You'll Go (for inspirational material).


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## Dleg (Aug 20, 2009)

Only EM and me aren't afraid to admit we liked The Lorax? I still look back on that book as one that really stood out to me, not for its environmental message, but just for it's bleakness. That made it pretty unique among the other little kids' books. I always felt like I had just read an epic poem or something after finishing it.


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## maryannette (Aug 20, 2009)

Capt Worley PE said:


> Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Mary Ann


That was one of my favorites, too.


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## Guest (Aug 21, 2009)

I really liked:

- Where the Sidewalk Ends (collection of poetry)

- Rifles for Waite

- Watership Down (after having watching the cartoon)



error_matrix said:


> ditto to that - haven't quite the kids into the Richard Scarry books yet, but i'm sure that'll come, they both love books on construction equipment &amp; trucks, and I remember Scarry had one of those.
> I also loved Where the Wild Things are, and the Mercer Mayer books - favorite Seuss books were I had trouble getting to Solla Sollew &amp; The Lorax.


Love Dr. Seuss; espeically the Lorax!! 

When I went to see GI Joe - there was a movie trailer for Where the Wild Things Are - looked TOTALLY AWESOME!!! 



Dleg said:


> Only EM and me aren't afraid to admit we liked The Lorax? I still look back on that book as one that really stood out to me, not for its environmental message, but just for it's bleakness. That made it pretty unique among the other little kids' books. I always felt like I had just read an epic poem or something after finishing it.


I liked the Loarx too - my great grandmother started my passion for environmental stewardship. It's sad to see how that vision has been twisted and perverted - I am hoping one day it can be wrestled back from the idiots; the same idiots who thought that Gatorade was necessary for watering plants!!!

JR


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## Sschell (Aug 21, 2009)

...

the way things work

the hobbit

the fellowship of the ring

the two towers

The return of the king

Yes, I have been a nerd from a very young age.


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## MGX (Aug 21, 2009)

SW &gt; LOTR

Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good very bad day

Rudyard Kipling Just So Stories

I 'read' many astronomy books as a kid also - that meaning I got the ones with lots of pictures of planets, galaxies, etc. I tried to comprehend just how large Jupiter is but never did.


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## Sschell (Aug 21, 2009)

MGX said:


> SW &gt; LOTR


you couldn't be any more wrong.


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## EM_PS (Aug 21, 2009)

Dleg said:


> Only EM and me aren't afraid to admit we liked The Lorax? I still look back on that book as one that really stood out to me, not for its environmental message, but just for it's bleakness. That made it pretty unique among the other little kids' books. I always felt like I had just read an epic poem or something after finishing it.


environmental message. . .? :mellow: i kid, i kid because i care

yeah, it was pretty powerful for the target audience certainly. The Solla Sollew book i so liked cuz i could totally identify w/ the main character's perpetual quest to rid himself of his perceived troubles (by trying to get to Solla Sollew) before ultimately realizing that doesnt ever really happen. And then he comes back w/ a baseball bat proclaiming now his troubles are going to have trouble with him! F'n love it!


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## MGX (Aug 21, 2009)

sschell_PE said:


> you couldn't be any more wrong.


I had Star Wars books too, they even came with those crummy records that one could tear from the book's leafs.

That spinning square on my ghetto (Fisher Price) record player read the book aloud and beeped to turn the page if my memory is correct.


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## benbo (Aug 21, 2009)

I liked the Hardy Boy's but I'm pretty old so I don't even know if they have them anymore.

Strangely enough, I also loved reading Boy Scout Merit Badge Manuals. They were think little books, like Cliff's Notes, on almost every subject imaginable.


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## Melanie11 (Aug 21, 2009)

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Babysitters Club Series

Choose Your Own Adventure

All Dr. Seuss Books


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## Chucktown PE (Aug 21, 2009)

There are a couple that I read every now and again to my son that creep me out. The Happy Man and His Dump Truck is one of them. I'll try to scan it some time but the last page has the Man in a purple tank top with a flower pin and he's posing in a weird way. He looks like Boy George or something.

:ghey:

Not that there's anything wrong with that.


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## benbo (Aug 21, 2009)

benbo said:


> I liked the Hardy Boy's


I should be more specific. I like the Hardy Boys *Books*

After reading the comment about Boy George I figured I didn't want anyone getting the wrong idea.


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## FLBuff PE (Aug 21, 2009)

benbo said:


> I should be more specific. I like the Hardy Boys *Books*
> After reading the comment about Boy George I figured I didn't want anyone getting the wrong idea.


Who, us? :angel:


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## tymr (Aug 23, 2009)

benbo said:


> I should be more specific. I like the Hardy Boys *Books*
> After reading the comment about Boy George I figured I didn't want anyone getting the wrong idea.



:rotflmao:


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## Capt Worley PE (Sep 11, 2009)

Wow! The woman who wrote _The Burning Bed_ also wrote one of my childhood favorites, Arty the Smarty.


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## Chucktown PE (Sep 11, 2009)

My wife picked up this book for my 3-1/2 year old at the library last week. It is awesome, definitely one of my favorites. You get to talk like a pirate for 40 pages.


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## cement (Sep 12, 2009)

I had one book:


but at least I was read to every night.


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## Capt Worley PE (Sep 14, 2009)

Kinda along the same lines....


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## TouchDown (Sep 14, 2009)

I haven't seen it and can't believe it's not listed yet...

Where the Wild Things Are






And I saw a preview a few weeks back at a movie, where they're coming out with a movie...


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## Capt Worley PE (Sep 14, 2009)

Would anyone really say goodnight to a bowl of mush? I've wondered that since I was three or so.


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## engineergurl (Sep 18, 2009)

The Giving Tree... now that I'm older it's still my fav book.


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## Santiagj (Sep 21, 2009)

Lord of the Flies


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## Supe (Sep 21, 2009)

Santiagj said:


> Lord of the Flies


One of my favorites. Poor Piggy.


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## MA_PE (Sep 21, 2009)

The Yellow River by I.P.Daly


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## Capt Worley PE (Sep 21, 2009)

Brown Spots on the Wall by Hoo Flung Doo.


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## Chucktown PE (Sep 21, 2009)

Worst book ever: Rainbow Fish

I'd like to kick the piece of shit, socialist, lard ass that wrote that book in the nuts (assuming it was a dude that wrote it).

My son's preschool read that book last week and had a Rainbow Fish themed week. I damn near had a heart attack when I heard about it. I assume they did shit like redistributing school supplies and having communal lunches.


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## csb (Sep 21, 2009)

How do you really feel about the book?


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Sep 21, 2009)

Capt Worley PE said:


> Brown Spots on the Wall by Hoo Flung Doo.


Is he related to Wun Hung Lo?


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## Flyer_PE (Sep 21, 2009)

Fifty Yard Dash to the Outhouse

Written by Will E. Makit

Illustrated by Betty Wont


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## FLBuff PE (Sep 21, 2009)

Flyer_PE said:


> Fifty Yard Dash to the Outhouse
> Written by Will E. Makit
> 
> Illustrated by Betty Wont


Not sure that I want to see those illustrations.


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## ElCid03 (Sep 21, 2009)

My parents would let me watch any movies about "PG" growing up, but they never sensored what I read. I read _The Hunt for Red October _in forth grade. Much better than Dr. Suess.


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## Capt Worley PE (Jan 22, 2013)

Anyone remember Timothy Turtle of Tookalook lake?


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## pbrme (Jan 22, 2013)

^ Nope. But Highlights were my favorite at the doc's office. I remember wishing I could have a home subscription.


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## Capt Worley PE (Jan 22, 2013)

The only part of Highlights I like was Goofus and Gallant. My sister got a subscription one year.


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## snickerd3 (Jan 22, 2013)

talk about bumping an old thread. MInisnick loves dr suess...me not so much anymore now that I have to read it. HFS they are long stories. THe lorax is his favorite. He has the book, both versions of the movie and the stuffed animal.

...hope he doesn't became a tree hugging hippie because of it. ;-)


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## kevo_55 (Jan 22, 2013)

Nice bump!!

Right now, Mini-Kevo likes "Go Dog Go."

But, she also likes flipping the pages of my _really old _CERM_. _Oh yes, she's gonna be an engineer.


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## YMZ PE (Jan 22, 2013)

kevo_55 said:


> Nice bump!!
> 
> Right now, Mini-Kevo likes "Go Dog Go."
> 
> But, she also likes flipping the pages of my _really old _CERM_. _Oh yes, she's gonna be an engineer.




I get asked "Do you like my hat?" several times a day now.

FWIW, I used hubby's 2001 CERM when I passed the PE in 2011, so it's still beneficial. I should read it to the kiddles.


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## SCarolinaNiki PE (Jan 22, 2013)

My absolute fav as a little kid was The Curious Little Kitten.

MiniSC is loving Ladybug Girl Dresses Up, right now. Mostly b/c she likes to find the page with Lulu as the tiger just so she can hear us say "Roar". Hubby and I joke that every time she brings us the book we here the line from Shrek Ever After: "Do the roar!"


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## OSUguy98 (Jan 22, 2013)

YMZ PE said:


> I get asked "Do you like my hat?" several times a day now.


^ This... 2-3 times a day... Mini-OSU gets mad if we don't reply "No, I do not"


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## Dexman PE PMP (Jan 22, 2013)

Each of my kiddos come home each week with at least 2-3 books from the school library. Different ones each time, no real theme, although my son (2nd grade) started bringing home the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, so we got him a copy for Xmas.


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## goodal (Jan 22, 2013)

My 9 yr old has just discovered the joy of reading. We got him a series of 9 books on his birthday that we thought were on his reading level. He had them done in less than two days. He is devouring everything he can get his hands on. I remember those days. I am ashamed to say I only read one or two books a year now.


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## YMZ PE (Jan 22, 2013)

As a kid, I devoured every Louis Sachar book. The "Sideways Stories from Wayside School" trilogy had a huge influence on my sense of humor. And as an adult, I was pleasantly surprised at "Holes" for its serious subject matter.


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## envirotex (Jan 22, 2013)

Never read Mike Mulligan until I had kids...It was Mr. Tex's favorite as a kid, and my kids love it...It was a a beautiful red steam shovel.

I read Dr. Suess over and over again when I was very little, and got hooked on mysteries and thrillers by reading my grandparents' Agatha Christie collection when I would go to stay with them during the summer...


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## kevo_55 (Jan 22, 2013)

When I could really start reading, I enjoyed the "Calvin &amp; Hobbs" books.

I think I still have "Revenge of the Babysat."


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## Lumber Jim (Jan 22, 2013)

*Hank the cowdog *was my favorite book series as a kid. I read every book in the series that the library had and even had them borrow the books that they didn't have from the "big city" library.

I loved these books and had a difficult time finding a new series of books to read after I finished them all. Little House on the Praire and Goosebumps just didn't capture my interest or imagination as much.


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## pbrme (Jan 22, 2013)

When we were old enough, my parents used to take us to the library every weekend. I checked out every book on UFO's, bigfoot, bermuda triangle.. etc. that I could get my hands on. I never read them cover to cover, but would scan the pictures and the ocassional testimonials sections. Still kinda do that, but not like a freak or anything.


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## jeb6294 (Jan 23, 2013)

Mom still has my copy of "Little Black Sambo" from when I was a kid. For some odd reason I don't think that is in print anymore. I made sure she kept it in case it is worth some $$$ someday.


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## Ble_PE (Jan 23, 2013)

Mini-ble1 loves his bedtime story and he has a big basket of books in his room that he picks from every night. What he wants to hear varies, but he has loved Winnie the Pooh, The Berenstien Bears, Curious George, etc.

When I was little I loved The Pokey Little Puppy and my mom still had the same book that she used to read me, so I've read it to mini-ble some. When I got a little older I was into The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books. We would go to the library and I'd check out 10 of those at a time and finish them all in about 2 weeks. I miss reading and have been doing some in my alone time the past week and a half. I've made it though one Crichton book and am reading a Preston book now.


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## Capt Worley PE (Jan 23, 2013)

pbrme said:


> When we were old enough, my parents used to take us to the library every weekend. I checked out every book on UFO's, bigfoot, bermuda triangle.. etc. that I could get my hands on. I never read them cover to cover, but would scan the pictures and the ocassional testimonials sections. Still kinda do that, but not like a freak or anything.




I did too! Still love that kinda stuff, but a lot more jaded about it than when I was a wide eyed kid.

You ever read this?

http://www.amazon.com/The-Bermuda-Triangle-Mystery-Solved/dp/0879759712/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1358946890&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=bermuda+triangle+mystery+solved


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## Capt Worley PE (Jan 23, 2013)

I still read like a maniac. I've got two anthologies, a novel, and a book about the Our lady of Angels fire going right now.


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## Lumber Jim (Jan 23, 2013)

I wish I had more time to read these days. I used to get in trouble for keeping my reading light on way after my bed time while I was trying to get to the next chapter in a book. By the time I make it to bed now, I find that I am still up way past my bed time and I don't have the ambition to get into a good book anymore. Someday I will return to being captured in a good book and will likely be back in trouble for keeping the reading light on too late.


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## snickerd3 (Jan 23, 2013)

I tend to read during vacations and polish off book after book after book. I hate putting books down so it is usually very alte nights if I try to read during the week.


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## guitarjamman (Jan 23, 2013)

My Mom used to read to my older brother and I every night. The ones I remember most were "Harriet the Spy", specifically this version:







And all of the "Magic Castle Readers" series:






I think there were about 25 or so books in the set. I wish I still had them but figured they were great coloring books when I got my first set of crayons.


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## engineergurl (Jan 23, 2013)

I still read... a lot... the best thing/worst thing that ever happened in my electronic world was the kindle app for my phone and tablet...


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## Capt Worley PE (Jan 23, 2013)

I've been avoiding the Kindle. I can usually get books from Amazon resellers cheaper than the Kindle versions. Plus, I like the feel of a book.


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## pbrme (Jan 23, 2013)

Capt Worley PE said:


> pbrme said:
> 
> 
> > When we were old enough, my parents used to take us to the library every weekend. I checked out every book on UFO's, bigfoot, bermuda triangle.. etc. that I could get my hands on. I never read them cover to cover, but would scan the pictures and the ocassional testimonials sections. Still kinda do that, but not like a freak or anything.
> ...




I have not. Seems hokey, like: http://www.amazon.com/Loch-Ness-Monsters-Raining-Frogs


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## Capt Worley PE (Jan 23, 2013)

pbrme said:


> Capt Worley PE said:
> 
> 
> > pbrme said:
> ...


Nah, it was actually a pretty good book. I read it in eighth grade, but found a copy at a yard sale a few years back and re-read it.


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## engineergurl (Jan 23, 2013)

Capt Worley PE said:


> I've been avoiding the Kindle. I can usually get books from Amazon resellers cheaper than the Kindle versions. Plus, I like the feel of a book.






I have books too, I would never take my tablet into the bath tub with me... my husband can't understand how I can read more than one book at a time, but depending on the time of day or what kind of mood I'm in impacts what I want to read and besides I normally finish them so quickly I don't get the stories mixed up. I also tend to re-read everything every year or two since even with a library card, there just doesn't seem to be enough books to keep me entertained with out costing a ton of cash... plus many of the classics are free on kindle, and books like Little Women (I've read the thing every Christmas ever since I was about 11, it's nice to retire the duct taped book that is missing both covers and put it aside to pass down to someone)... The copies I have of the Kent Family Chronicles are getting that way only after 5 years but I refuse to pay for the e-books when the series cost me so much in paperback...


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## envirotex (Jan 23, 2013)

Isn't there a another thread for books?

&lt;---goes to search...

and here it is...

http://engineerboards.com/index.php?showtopic=19009&amp;&amp;page=2


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