For the second spot in my series, I'd be remiss not to talk about Socks by Beverly Cleary. She was a librarian who often struggled to find appropriate books for voracious young readers, so she started writing them herself. Socks was one of the later stories (1973), but it is my favorite.
Socks is one happy cat. He lives the good life with his affectionate owners, Mr. and Mrs. Bricker. Ever since the day they saved him from a life spent in a mailbox drop slot, Socks has been the center of their world. And he always has everything he needs—tasty kitty treats and all the lap room he could want! But when a new baby arrives, suddenly the Brickers have less and less time for Socks. Little Charles William is the one getting all the attention. Socks feels left out—and to show it, he starts getting into all sorts of trouble! What will it take to make Socks realize just how much the Brickers care about him?
This was one of my favorite books growing up, and based on the majority of my published books at this point, it obviously influenced my choice of writing subject as an adult. Cleary announced to young Meg that it was perfectly fine to write about your beloved cats. And I certainly have! I own an original copy (or a very early one) on my shelf still. It has been read dozens of times. Just writing about it now makes me want to pull it down and curl up with Socks again.
If you are looking for wonderful middle grade stories, anything by Cleary is a good bet. 91 million copies of her books have been sold. Ramona and Henry and Ribsy the dog, not to mention the mouse and his motorcycle, are still popular choices!
No comments:
Post a Comment