Do you remember the first book you passionately loved? I sure do. It was “101 Dalmatians” by the wonderful Dodie Smith, that I first read when I was about seven or eight. My dad was a librarian, and he brought it home for me. I fell so in love with it that I wouldn’t give it back! He kept telling me it had to be returned, that I couldn’t keep it. So I started copying it. No, not with a copy machine, but by hand!! I was determined to write out every single page of that book so that I had it forever.

And so it began. I raced home from school every day and sat scrunched over my little desk, writing out the book, word for word. I got to page forty-five, before my dad found a way to take pity on me. He told his boss at the library what his little daughter was doing, and she finally gifted me the copy.

The pictures are of the original book, published in 1957, which I’ve had more than fifty years. It’s been moved around the planet about twenty times in countless moves: from Alberta to California, to Oregon, to England, to Pennsylvania, to Colorado and Connecticut. To New Hampshire. It’s lost his spine, and it’s a bit worse for wear. But I still read it. And still love it.

Dodie Smith, what a great writer.

Leave me a comment about your favorite childhood book – I’d love to know! A friend from high school came on to Facebook to respond on my post, saying her mad fav was “The Witch of Blackbird Pond,” so now I have to go read that! I still love kids’ books…