Childhood Favorites...Caddie Woodlawn

Childhood favorites. Everyone has a favorite book or author from childhood. A book that touched them or changed them. A book that perhaps initiated their love of reading and put them on the path of libraries and learning.

Books: Childhood Favorites is a monthly series focusing on beloved books from the past. 

Donald Zolan, Quiet Time.

Some books just resonate with you and Caddie Woodlawn was one of those for me. Originally published in 1935, the story is based on the author's grandmother and her childhood adventures. I'm not sure how old I was when I discovered Caddie. Easily elementary school age.  And I adored her.

I loved how she was a Tomboy and just wanted to be with her brothers. I was very much an outdoors child. I loved that her father convinced her mother to let her do just that, because there would be time later for her to learn all the things important to a young woman.

I remember Caddie and her brothers swinging on the rope in the barn and putting eggs in the cousin's shirt so when she fell into the hay, the eggs cracked.

Because it was pioneer times, there were conflicts with the Indians. I remember Caddie realizing how difficult it was for the little boys who had an Indian mother and white father. She shared her turkey sandwiches and used her own money to buy them each a comb and handkerchief.

That act of kindness resonated with me and I remember it to this day. I learned that compassion was important and that it didn't matter what race a person was or what color their skin was. That person was important. It was the way I was raised and to have the books I read just reinforce that principle was important to a school-age girl.


What about you? What is one of your childhood favorites?

Comments

  1. I don't remember reading this one, but it sounds cute. I do remember reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder books incessantly, as well as Laura Goes to Camp by M. Sachs and The Egypt Game by Snyder. They're all such great books...they still make me smile.

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    1. I loved Marilyn Sachs. In fact, I have a Childhood Favorites post scheduled for her sometime in the future. Laura was my favorite.

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  2. Laura Ingalls Wilder books were my favorite as a child and I'm currently reading them to my daughter and loving them again. I read Caddie Woodlawn as a kid because of the Little House books, but I don't remember much about it. I need to reread it!

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  3. Caddie was one of my favorites; the book was set near my mom's hometown of Durand (which gets mentioned in the book). I liked Caddie's spunk and the fact that she did something. I guess the same reason I liked Jo best of the Little Women and really prefered Little Men to Little Women

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    1. Jo is my favorite as well. I have this thing for strong, spunky women in literature!

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  4. I thought I remembered you liked this one too

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