Favorite Nostalgic Childhood Reads (Heidi, Rover Boys, Little Women, & more)

You know those lovely books that you could curl up with and read all afternoon long, those stories you discovered as a little kid, tales that positively stole your heart? Well, if not, HOW MUCH YOU MISS! But if you do relate, I’m here to share a few of my all-time favorite books that are nostalgic to me because of how thoroughly I loved them as a little kid. Let me know in the comments if you loved any of these too!

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Heidi

“Little orphan Heidi goes to live high in the Alps with her gruff grandfather and brings happiness to all who know her on the mountain. When Heidi goes to Frankfurt to work in a wealthy household, she dreams of returning to the mountains and meadows, her friend Peter, and her beloved grandfather.”

(Blurb from Goodreads, linked in above title)

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An innocent, charming story about an orphan…

The setting grabbed my imaginative little self by the heart, making fall in love the idea of drinking delicious, cold goat milk and eating fresh bread, and of making cheese, and of dancing about on the grassy, majestic mountains and seeing the sunset flame the mountain peaks, and of going barefoot. (Disclaimer: in actuality, I didn’t like drinking milk and still don’t. *ducks and hides from various flying projectiles*) There are classic morals in this book, good characters to emulate, and lessons to learn. I think I reread it several times, and I remember acting out a scene from it, wrapping “sausage” and “bread” and “cheese” in a brown paper bag (I still have a thing for cool paper-wrapped packages, as all my siblings can attest. They’re so funnn!!!) and pretending to deliver it to Peter’s grandmother. 😂

The Rover Boys

Set around the turn of the century, The Rover Boys is a series written by Arthur M. Winfield (pen name for Edward Stratemeyer), all about a threesome of brothers called Dick, Tom, and Sam. They go on adventures, fight bad guys, solve mysteries, get into dangerous scrapes, and have fun with their friends and a trio of girls: Dora, Nellie, and Grace.

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Old-fashioned, schoolboy adventure and humor…

Alright. The Rover Boys series is so wonderfully… cheesy. Cheesy in a charming, old-fashioned way where you know what’s going to happen, it’s predicable, but you hang on to your seat nonetheless to follow the three boys. Not all the antics are thoroughly… moral, for lack of a better word, due to the prevalence of “getting square” and paying back for wrongs done (not a lot of the Golden Rule going on). But overall, this is an awesome series that I absolutely loved as a child. It’s one of those book series that just make me smile, even when Dora’s kidnapped and the boys are trying to save her… because you know it’ll be alright in the end. It’s a lot of adventure, mystery, and fun, with a lot of witty banter thanks to the “fun-loving Rover” (Tom), who was my secret favorite. He’s one of the reasons I’m kinda partial to the name Tom, not because I like the actual sound of the name, but because I always seem to love Toms in books.

(I once had a very vivid dream where I went on an adventure with the Rover boys. It ended with me being speared by a bad guy. Don’t ask.)

Elsie Dinsmore

“In this first volume in The Original Elsie Dinsmore Series, sweet, motherless eight-year-old Elsie struggles with several bewildering problems. She has never known her mother, and her relationship with her father is filled with misunderstanding and tears. The young girl learns to depend wholly upon her faith in her heavenly father.”

(Blurb from Goodreads, linked in above title)

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A sensitive, devout girl who lives on a Southern plantation…

Despite all the flaws this book has (*chuckles because the flaw is that Elsie…has no real flaws*), the world of Elsie Dinsmore came alive for me and became so endearing that I sped through quite a few of the next books in the series, though I sadly never got to read them all. (Lulu was always my favorite because she was actually a rather naughty little girl who had to learn painful lessons, which, of course, made the spiritual arc all the more impactful. She was relatable.) There were several relevant lessons taught in Elsie Dinsmore that I remember being inspired by, such as the importance of honesty, meekness, and forbearance. So yes, I have fond memories of reading this book and its series. (Plus, I’ve always had a weakness for family sagas.)

Five Little Peppers and How They Grew

“Times are tough around the little brown house! The widowed Mrs. Pepper has to sew all day long just to earn enough to pay the rent and to feed the five growing Peppers. But she faces poverty and trouble with a stout heart, a smiling face, and the help of her jolly brood: blue-eyed Ben, the eldest and the man of the house at the age of 11; pretty Polly, so eager to cook for the family and make everyone happy and comfortable; and the three littlest Peppers, Joel, Davie, and baby Phronsie.

“A favorite of children, parents, and teachers for generations, this heartwarming classic first appeared in 1880. Since then, it has inspired countless young imaginations with its tender tales of the ways in which courage and good cheer can overcome adversity.”

(Blurb from Goodreads, linked in above title)

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A sweet, heartwarming tale about family and love and self-sacrifice…

*melts* Okay, yes, that’s a mouthful of a title. BUT THIS STORY. The whole series, in fact – I just devoured the books when I was little. Looking back, it’s probably melodramatic and far-fetched, but I loved it. The strong sibling bond the children shared and the way the kids banded together (especially with Polly) to take care of each other, to help their mother, to please others…it’s just really heartwarming. Most of these books I had to read for school, and this included. Let’s just say I never felt like it was drudgery. 😀

Little Women

“Generations of readers young and old, male and female, have fallen in love with the March sisters of Louisa May Alcott’s most popular and enduring novel, Little Women. Here are talented tomboy and author-to-be Jo, tragically frail Beth, beautiful Meg, and romantic, spoiled Amy, united in their devotion to each other and their struggles to survive in New England during the Civil War.”

(Blurb from Goodreads, linked in above title)

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A beloved coming-of-age story of sisterly bonds, hard-learned lessons, and love.

I remember curling up in a creaky brown rocking chair, reading my thick, worn copy of Little Women by lamplight, and tearing up at Beth’s death. It was the first book I ever cried to. Each sister was larger than life to me, and through every chapter, my heart was held captive, through the lighthearted, fun highs, and the sorrowful, tragic lows. I gleaned solid pieces of wisdom from all the lessons the characters learned. It was also special to me because the copy I have is my great-aunt’s, from the early 1900s – the book in that black-and-white photo above! (Funny story: I shot that for a photo contest several years ago, because my age category’s theme was “outdated.” I can see why it didn’t win. 😂)

The Chronicles of Narnia

“Journeys to the end of the world, fantastic creatures, and epic battles between good and evil—what more could any reader ask for in one book? The book that has it all is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, written in 1949 by Clive Staples Lewis. But Lewis did not stop there. Six more books followed, and together they became known as The Chronicles of Narnia.

“For the past fifty years, The Chronicles of Narnia have transcended the fantasy genre to become part of the canon of classic literature. Each of the seven books is a masterpiece, drawing the reader into a land where magic meets reality, and the result is a fictional world whose scope has fascinated generations.”

(Blurb from Goodreads, linked in above title)

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Four siblings embark on a magical, heartrending adventure with swordfights, betrayal, and a Lion…

First, I’m sensing a common pattern of siblings in these books. Maybe I was drawn to these books because of how many siblings I have! XD Second, these may have been the first fantasy books I ever read. I was hooked, and surprised at how scary some of the books got. The Magician’s Nephew had me peeking over the edge of my bunk bed to see if anyone was behind me. 😂 But it was okay – there wasn’t this deep, mindless, black hole of horror, because, although the dragons existed, they could be defeated. Light won. I quickly caught on to the deeper Biblical allegory, and was struck by the beauty of it. (And I only appreciate it more the older I get!) And I suspect the lush, vibrant worldbuilding is what started my love for fantasy!

Honorable Mentions

• Anne of Green Gables – I LOVE THIS SO HARD! The only reason I didn’t include it is because I only read the full, unabridged version when I turned thirteen, and in my opinion, I was too old for that to be a nostalgic read. I read all of the rest of these when I was like eleven or under. So I don’t really have memories of this like I do of the other books, lol.
• The Adventures of Tom Swift by Victor Appleton – so similar to The Rover Boys! I heartily enjoyed these.
• ANY AND ALL Horatio Alger books like Bold and Brave, Do and Dare, and Jack’s Ward. I loved these classic, moral, rags-to-riches tales about honest, hardworking boys so much that they inspired a story of my own. Which shall never see the light of day.
• Nancy Drew! I discovered these books at my grandparent’s library (long story), and couldn’t get enough. 😂

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Books are important, y’all. Especially the ones you read when you’re little. They shape your worldview in ways you don’t see till you’re older, and can either instill morals within you, or destroy innocence. I’m so grateful to have had these good books surrounding me (shout out to my parents! 😉 ) – I can see now the good influence they worked on me.

I’m not feeling a call to write children’s books at this stage in my life…but I would love to one day, because I know from experience how important they are. If you’re thinking about writing a children’s book, BLESS YOUR HEART! You are doing an amazing thing. Good morals and wholesome stories are crucial for young ones. Let me leave you with two quotes I wholeheartedly believe…

“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.”

C.S. Lewis

“Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity.”

Gilbert K. Chesterton

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What are YOUR favorite nostalgic reads? What’s the first book you cried to? Do you love (or hate) any of the books I mentioned? Are there any books you loved as a little child that you find ridiculously silly now, or do you love them the same? Have you ever thought about writing a children’s book?