Submitted by Christina S

Doodle Bears: stuffed animals you could draw on. I have a theory that the trend of drawing on your friends after they’ve passed out stems from growing up with Doodle Bears. Of course, the phallic scribbles on your friend Jeff’s forehead will take more than a quick rinse in the washer to clean it off…

Submitted by cutekitten

Brian Jacques’s epic fantasy series Redwall was a cross between Watership Down and Lord of the Rings. I remember getting into a big fight in fourth grade over which of the books was best (it’s Martin the Warrior, obviously). Anyway, Jacques is still writing Redwall books and is now working his 21st addition to the series.

Update: Featured Comment

redreh sez:

GOD, these are the books that really, really got me into reading. I was lucky enough to get to meet Brain Jacques when he came to read in my town–he signed my 10th anniversary copy with hearts over his ‘i’s; I think I’m still just a little bit in love with him.

As for the best book in the series, I know that Martin the Warrior, Mossflower, Mariel, and Pearls of Lutra are some of the best, but Redwall, with Matthias, and all his adventures in that first book (not to mention Basil Stag) still have a special place in my heart. (It’s like A New Hope to Empire Strikes Back–it may not be the best movie, but I love it so!)

Anyway–EXCELLENT choice for nostalgia. It’s not just childhood for me–its true love.

Submitted by Laura F

Jannell Cannon’s children’s book Stellaluna was an enchanting story about a baby fruit bat separated from her mother. She ends up in a nest of birds, who teach her how to fly (which is kind of like the bat equivalent of being raised by wolves, I guess). Anyway, Stellaluna remains in our hearts as the world’s second coolest bat.

Submitted by Trinity Fish

Ant Farms were totally fascinating – watching the ants build their little ant society through the provided sand. Unfortunately, watching them build their Ant Metropolis was not as fascinating as watching them rebuild it…
Don’t lie to us, it’s a commonly known fact that for children the temptation to shake the Ant Farm heavily outweighs the moral implications of doing it. It’s only messed up if you didn’t feel at least a little bit bad about it afterward. Seek help if you yelled, “pwned!” when you were done.

Submitted by Kimberly A

Not only was Horton Hatches The Egg yet another epic Seuss story, many of us also remember the epic Merry Melodies adaptation. This was one of our favorite stories, since it’s so silly. Everyone knows that elephants can’t climb trees and if they could, Horton would have crushed that egg once he got up there.