Nostalgia pt. 2 💛

Welcome back to Undomesticated Words for more nostalgic reads! Last time, I listed and briefly described six novels that I found nostalgic, and this time I list seven more with a little section at the end of more throwback books that I didn’t quite have time to include. Enjoy!

The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi: This series was recommended to me by a friend, and I instantly fell in love with it. It narrated the adventures of three siblings who could see magical creatures through a special eyepiece that they discovered in the creepy house they just moved into. The kids find that these creatures live in the same world as humans, humans just can’t see them. After this fascinating discovery, they end up going on quite a few adventures and fencing turns out to help them in an unfriendly setting. 

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein: Although very short, I feel that this book can be remembered by many of us. I remember reading it with my family and feeling touched by the tree’s love and sacrifice for the boy. The boy kind of annoyed me, though, because he seemed inconsiderate and didn’t do anything for the tree. My mom once said that this story was the author’s analogy to a parent and child’s story, and that has always stuck with me for some reason. This book still sits on my shelf today. 

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket: This intriguing series is about three rather clever orphan siblings who are faced with unusual circumstances. This is due to Count Olaf, a greedy man who wants their inheritance. (At one point this was who I thought of when someone said “Olaf,” but now I think of a talking snowman who loves summer.) Count Olaf constantly devises plans on how to take their inheritance from them, including planning a wedding, but the kids always seem to find a way to outsmart him. Snicket does a great job crafting this story into gripping books with lots of twists and turns.  

Rainbow Magic/The Rainbow Fairies Series by Daisy Meadows: This was a very long series that most people probably did not read all of. Luckily, it is one of those series that can be read in any order. The series followed the story of two best friends who were visited by fairies who specialize in all kinds of different things from bubble gum to rivers. Each book was about a different fairy and how the friends had to help them retrieve their magical objects from the evil Jack Frost. This was a big part of my elementary school years, and the way it has the same structure every book kind of reminds me of The Magic Tree House. It also makes me wonder why people, including me, would find predictable plotlines interesting.

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo: I recently reread this book, and it went by a lot faster than it did the first time I read it. Although the reading level wasn’t exactly for ninth graders, I think that the story is still sweet and cool to see progress. Winn-Dixie is a dog that Opal, the narrator, finds in a grocery store and unofficially adopts. Winn-Dixie and Opal then go throughout the city, exploring and meeting new people. It’s a charming story with a satisfying ending that warms your heart. 

Wonder by R.J. Palacio:  Wonder is a beautiful book about a boy, Auggie, who was treated badly because he was born with a face that looked different from what people consider “normal.” This book is filled with humor, reality, and love. Recently, a movie was even made about it. It follows Auggie through the struggles and victories of fifth grade. This was a read-aloud book at school for me, but I still really liked it. The themes in this book are super meaningful, and Auggie was a really nice character to watch develop.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: This book you may have read a little more recently than the others, but I thought it was still worth including. This series, which also had award-winning movies made based on it, is about a poverty-stricken girl named Katniss Everdeen who volunteers as tribute to fight 23 other people to the death. It is a dystopian fiction novel with elements of romance and action throughout the books. Many iconic items, symbols, and phrases came from this series, and it is one of my personal favorites. 

Additional Throwbacks: The Chronicles of Narnia; Divergent; Captain Underpants; Flat Stanley; Judy Moody; Cam Jansen; 39 Clues; Junie B. Jones; Bone Series; Smile; Eragon; Charlotte’s Web; The Baby-Sitters Club; The Rainbow Fish; Warriors. 

I’m sure that we read many other books in our childhoods, but these are just a few that stood out to me. Hope you found this relatable!

-Lisa