The #6degrees meme is hosted at Books are my Favourite and Best.
This month the chain begins with Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary. I know about this series of books, but haven't actually read them. Despite missing this series, when I was young I certainly loved reading books about girls who were always making trouble. One of my favorites was Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren. Another favorite troublemaking girl from my childhood reading is Eloise by Kay Thompson. That book was illustrated by Hilary Knight and the illustrations are what make a good kid's book totally fabulous. Hilary Knight also illustrated Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald. I absolutely LOVED the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books when I was in elementary school. I suspect Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is the kind of person those other delightful trouble-making girls will grow up to be.
"Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle lives in an upside-down house and smells like cookies. She was even married to a pirate once."
That fact brings me to a book about pretending to be a pirate: As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales about the Making of the Princess Bride by Cary Elwes. While Elwes's book is the true story of making a movie, Fear in the Sunlight by Nicola Upson is a novel which takes place on the set of Alfred Hitchcock's Young and Innocent. This novel is part of Upson's wonderful series based on the life of Josephine Tey. Among other things, Tey wrote A Shilling for Candles, the novel upon which the Hitchcock film in the Upson novel is based.
You know, I thought I hardly ever read any children's books as a kid, but I do remember reading Pippi Longstocking! Thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteI really like this chain, and the way your thoughts have taken you.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know betty MacDonald had written children's books; when I was a child my mother was a big fan of The Egg & I, but although I have a copy I've not yet read it.
I absolutely LOVE Eloise, though i didn't discover her until my own children were little. The rhymes, and as you say, the illustrations, are so clever and funny.
The only book I've read by Jospehine Tey is The Franchise Affair, and it didn't really float my boat so I feel I must have missed something. I'd heard about Nicola Upson's books - I believe Tey was quite an interesting woman?
Here is my chain: https://sconesandchaiseslongues.blogspot.com/2021/05/six-degrees-of-separation-may-2021.html
The Tey books read a bit dated and are not everyone's cup of tea. The Upson ones are much more modern-feeling and Tey was a fascinating character. I didn't know The Egg and I was MacDonald. I haven't read the book, but loved the old movie which I think is based on it.
DeleteVery nice chain. We discovered the Eloise books when our son was young, and we still have our copies of those books. I have only read the first of Nicola Upson's books, but I have the next two and should read them sometime too.
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