Top Ten Best Bookish Memories

Mama’s first Top Ten Tuesday! I’m so excited to participate in this one because bookish memories are some of my favorite kinds.

1. Jimmy’s Boa Bounces Back – My first grade teacher gave me this book with a sweet note inside. I still have it.

2. My dad builds me a bookshelf. – When I was in elementary school, my dad brought home a bunch of wood and made me a huge bookshelf. I had it for years and years–until I left home for grad school, in fact. My parents and I share a place, and I asked him if he could build another one. This one would be for my daughter.

3. Royal Reader – When my daughter was in first grade, her class had a Royal Reader program. An invited grown-up (usually a parent or other family member) would come to the class, walk down a red carpet to the throne, get a crown, and then read a story to the class. Then, the teacher would lead a discussion about the book, and the Royal Reader got escorted out. IT WAS AWESOME. I don’t remember what book I read, but it was so fun.

4. My daughter dresses up as Nyara from Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters – First grade again! The kids dressed up as characters from their favorite books. My daughter chose Nyara (the kind daughter). We had to work together to fashion something appropriate since we didn’t have any traditional garb. But it worked. Her classmates got it, and she was thrilled so I was, too.

Bonus! I just discovered you can read/listen to the book here. Such a great book.

5. McNair Fellow Research Project – In undergrad I got accepted into my school’s McNair Scholars Program. During the summer of my junior year, I participated in the Fellow program, which meant I got to complete a research project. My topic? Series teen fiction. Specifically, investigating why the main characters were always blond. I’m not a big research person, but re-reading some of my favorite series and doing research on teen/romance lit was a lot of fun.

6. Introducing my daughter to picture books I loved as child: Frog and Toad Are Friends, Danny and the Dinosaur, and The Great Big Elephant and the Very Small Elephant just to name a few. These make the list because she actually enjoyed them as much as I did–even if she was initially resistant.

7. Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows release – I left a party to go pick up my book. My friend (who hadn’t read the books yet) went with me. I regret nothing.

8. Friday evenings at Borders  – Almost every weekend, my daughter and I would go to Borders. I miss Borders so much, guys.

9. Friends of the Library Book Sale – Twice a year, the Friends of the Library host an awesome five-day book sale. IT IS AWESOME. Typically, my daughter and I go every year. When my friend (the Deathly Hallows one) was in town, we would go together with our bags and our srs bzns shopping faces. So many great used books/movies/games. So much money spent with all the proceeds going to library programs. Everybody wins.

10. Meeting Walter Dean Myers – I met Walter Dean Myers  when he came to town to participate in a presentation with a bunch of other authors. He signed my copy of Monster. Best day ever.