Chapter 12 - A Child's Garden of Verses

While we love the beach periodically we have to get out and enjoy some of the other wonderful sights close to us. Taking a walk through Brookgreen Gardens is one of our favorite things to do. A short 45 minutes drive from North Myrtle Beach, Brookgreen is alive with color year round (my picture is from December). I love their Children's Garden and feel like I am in "The Secret Garden" whenever I am there. If I had been lucky enough to have a garden like this as a child I would definitely have been found here reading all the time. Some of my favorite children's books are below. I urge you to read them now to your children, your grandchildren, or just for yourself.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson - This story fascinated me as a child. How could it not? A dead man, a sea chest, a journal, a map, Long John Silver, innocent Jim Hawkins, and a sea adventure - what's not to like? Think of Stevenson as a 19th century Clive Cussler for kids.

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren - Pippi is another captivating read. She is red-haired, freckled, unconventional, and superhumanly strong. Eleven books in all, it is hard to run out of Pippi's adventures.

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes - I think this one was of the books which got me so interested in history. Johnny, an apprentice silversmith, injures his hand in an accident and has to find other work. He serves as a messenger for the Sons of Liberty and soon finds himself involved in many events during the American Revolution.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - This is a book I reread once every few years. The story is of the March family as they soldier through the Civil War each doing their part to help the war effort. I love the fact that they are not perfect: Meg - a little vain; Jo - quite headstrong; Beth - very shy; and lovable, talented snob Amy. They were as real to me as any school friends.

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett - Perpetually rated as one of the top 100 children's books of all time, this is the story of young Sara Crewe. Sara is enrolled into a boarding school in England after living in India with her wealthy father. Captain Crewe pays for every indulgence for his daughter. When he unexpectedly dies, Sara is relegated to being a maid as the boarding school. Get out the tissues for this one!

What were your favorite reads as a child?