"Say hello to your friends..."

While perusing the web over the past few years, I noticed that there are a lot of nostalgia blogs, especially for childhood books.  I have spent hours on end reading through these entries and commiserating.  It feels good to know that you're not the only one who has mulled over certain plots or noticed continuity issues or just really really wanted to strangle some characters.  If only you guys were around while I was 8-12! 

I started reading at 2 and read everything I could get my hands on.  By age 6, I was reading Judy Blume who became a personal writing hero for me.  I got piles of books from the library, ordered from the book club slips that would come around in elementary school, went to book fairs, got books for my birthday and Christmas...nothing made me happier.  I even won the MS Read-a-thon in 5th grade.  Being able to do charity work for my mother's illness by reading?  Perfection. 

Naturally, being a young girl in the 80s, I was obsessed with the Baby-Sitters Club.  I ordered them in 3's from the book club in 2nd grade ('88).  My first was Boy-Crazy Stacey, then Claudia and Mean Janine, and Kristy's Big Day.  I got Dawn and the Impossible Three and Kristy's Big Idea separately, and then I finally filled in Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls, The Truth About Stacey, and Mary Anne Saves the Day.  I got Logan Likes Mary Anne! and took The Ghost at Dawn's House, Kristy and the Snobs, and Claudia and the New Girl from the library.  I got Goodbye Stacey, Goodbye and was heartbroken.  Then I started getting the books regularly as they came out (along with the Super Specials), with only a few from the library.  By book 60, Mary Anne's Makeover, I was just done.  I couldn't understand why the girls were so rude to her, and I had moved on to Stephen King by that point anyway.  I didn't know what a ghost writer was, but I did notice that Ann M Martin was "gratefully" acknowledging manuscript preparation quite often. 

Reading other people's blogs gave me the incentive to raid thrift stores, flea markets, and used on Amazon for books.  The chain of thrift stores by me sells paperbacks for $.35, and I often leave there with at least four.  I just filled in my gaps for BSC #1-13, and I am ready to cry with happiness.  Those were the best years.  That's when Ann M Martin really gave her all and created such thoughtful and fun books.  I didn't mind Mallory and Jessi, but Stacey was my favorite and I missed her.  Welcome Back, Stacey! made this young girl so happy.  My mother always complained about Chapter 2 and the typical setup and description of the club members, but I loved reading all the clothing descriptions.  Now I just gloss past it, as it really did get lazy.  I never made it to when Dawn moved back to CA or when Abby joined, but I just picked up the book about Abby's bat mitzvah.  She seemed like a character I would have related to.  I don't tend to pick up too many of the books from the time period I didn't read unless they seem pivotal or interesting. 

Don't get me wrong, I've been picking up plenty of other non-BSC books as well.  My copy of Are You There God? It's Me Margaret is completely tattered, and I found my exact edition from 1986.  Joy!  I found The Pig-out Blues, a book I have been searching for over 15 years for.  I found some more Sleepover Friends and giggled at the Sweet Valley Twins.  I found old Christopher Pike, Fear Street, and old library books.  One of my greatest finds was the same hardback cover of Anastasia on Her Own that I had gotten from the library.  I wish Anastasia Krupnik was my best friend.  Those books still have me laughing at 30 years old, perhaps even more so 22 years later.  I even looked just like her!

I just read The Ghost at Dawn's House this morning, and I can't believe it's been at least 20 years since I've read it.  It felt like yesterday!  It felt comforting and warm.  I plan on reorganizing my 80s-early 90s books in my shelf proudly and starting to blog more frequently about them.  They won't be all BSC, trust me.  I plan on definitely doing the first 13 and selective ones after that (probably mostly Stacey and Claudia).  And there will be nothing about the Little Sister series here, I HATED Karen Brewer.

One series I feel is sorely forgotten is the Who Killed Peggy Sue series by Eileen Goudge.  I have all 4 and will be having some fun with those!  I swear they capitalized on Twin Peaks with that series in 1991.

Eee, I'm all excited.  I have intended for this blog to be a mixture of topics for a long time now, and old YA lit is a big passion of mine!