This week The Broke and the Bookish asks us to name our "ten favorite characters in x genre." I decided to focus loosely on late elementary to pre-teen books, for whatever reason.
1. Charlotte from Charlotte's Web- I know this is technically an early elementary book, but I can't talk about kids' books without somehow including my old favorite.
2. Laura Ingalls from the Little House Series- Spunky, kind-hearted, and tenacious.
3. Hermione from Harry Potter- Annoying at times, but she definitely reminds be of what I used to be like when I was younger- always wanted to please my teachers, needed to learn how to use a hair straightener, and a little sensitive.
4. Esperanza from Esperanza Rising- I really loved reading this to my students- for once they had someone to relate to (her family are migrant farmers).
5. Leigh Botts from Dear Mr. Henshaw- I don't think we've talked about my absolute adoration for this book. Everyone, no matter how old they are, needs someone to talk to sometimes... Not to mention the lunch box alarm system (genius!).
6. Max from Where the Wild Things Are (Dave Eggers edition)- I really appreciate the Eggers novel version of the story, tied to the movie. I read it to my fifth grade class and we enjoyed listening to the soundtrack while working on math.
7. Hugo Cabret from The Invention of Hugo Cabret- I love the fact that he manages to have a nice side despite the need to survive on his own.
8. Stacey McGill from The Baby Sitters Club- I loved all the BSCers for different reasons, but for some reason I thought Stacey was the coolest. She was grown up enough to manage her diabetes, was from New York, and was a math whiz.
9. Nancy Drew- Who didn't go through their house looking for secret passages after reading the books? Nancy was smart, brave, and had a hunky boyfriend.
10. Catherine from Rules- I read this story to my fifth graders, appreciating how it dealt with autism. Catherine, the protagonist, struggles to cope with being the older sister to an autistic brother, but manages to do so despite the obstacles.
Great list. Yes, Hermione is annoying, isn't she? I guess that's part of what makes her such a great character. Enjoyed reading your list. I think favorites from childhood never stay far away. They're always peeking round the corner, ready to come out and play again.
ReplyDeleteNancy. I loved her. I blame her for the first book that made me stay up way too late at night reading, or it might have been Little Treehouse.
ReplyDeleteLaura and Hermione are also two must-includes on this list. I loved both of them.
Great list! Thanks for sharing.
Good list, I love Hermione, Hugo and Nancy Drew as well.
ReplyDeleteYes to Laura I-W! Great choice.
ReplyDeleteLoved Laura Ingalls. And Nancy Drew. What a go-getter.
ReplyDeleteHere's my list: http://annabelsmith.tumblr.com/post/43458405509/top-10-tuesday-favourite-speculative-fiction
I'm getting all kinds of nostalgic reading your list! So many great kids books and characters. I never read The Invention of Hugo Cabret, but I've heard really great things about it.
ReplyDeleteYour list is great! It has so many of my favorite characters from when I was younger: Laura Ingalls, Max, Fern, Nancy Drew. This makes me want to go back read these books again. :)
ReplyDelete