Monday, December 27, 2010

All I Want For Christmas: Books and a Easy Bake Oven

Pamela Tracy here. Before Christmas, I was sitting with my best friend, Harlequin American author Cathy McDavid, and we were discussing what we were getting our kids for Christmas. Her kids are grown, yet one idea she had was so cool I found myself wanting to do the same. This Christmas, for her adult twins (twenty-somethings) she decided to buy them what their favorite toy had been from childhood. How cool is that! For her daughter, she went hunting a My Little Pony. She couldn't find the right one. Apparently, they still make My Little Pony, but not as many. I don't remember what she went looking for per her son, but she couldn't find it either. My son is five, so I have a while to wait before I can retro buy his favorite toy. Still, the discussion made me try to remember my favorite toy. It wasn't as easy as I thought. I tried remembering bedrooms and homes where we lived (because we moved a lot, I was always getting rid of toys). Truthfully, what I remembered and the only things I have from my childhood are books. See, when I went off to college, my dad retired from one job and became a schoolbus driver (in a lower-income district). Every month or so, he'd let me know that he'd given my rollerskates to some kid, given a poncho I no longer wore to some kid, given my radio to some kid... really, I'm glad he did. He did, however, know better than to give away my books! Probably, the toy I remember most was an easy-bake oven. I went looking, and yes, they do still make them, and either my memory is vague or they look very different. I know my books look different. Nancy Drew is up-to-date. The Ramona books are vaguely the same. I don't see Betsy, Tacy, and Tib. So, what was your favorite toy? Or, even better, what was your favorite book?

11 comments:

Loves 2 Read Romance - Laura said...

I still love Nancy Drew books!! I got an easy bake oven for Christmas once and yes the ones they have now look very different!

Pamela Tracy said...

I still love Nancy Drew, too. Do you remember Donna Parker? And Meg? And Trixie Beldon?

Melanie said...

Pamela, your father sounds like a great guy.
I'm not sure about the earlier books, but the last six books in the Betsy-Tacy series (the ones covering from the first year of high school to Betsy's wedding) were reissued last year, with introductions and photos of the real people and places who inspired the books. My friend Jenn and I loved those books when we were growing up, and we agreed that our Christmas presents to each other would be sets of the reissued books. It was wonderful to revisit them.

Martha A. said...

I did not get Christmas presents growing up....but for my birthday, I loved books!!! I loved Betsy and Tacy, Beany Malone, Cherry Ames, Sue Barton, and others....
I collect them now!!

Pamela Tracy said...

Melanie,
I'll have to look for them. What a great idea you and your friend had.

Pamela Tracy said...

Martha,
I've not heard of Beany Malone. I'll google the name. I do have some Cherry Ames, but I'm sure I haven't read them all. And, I've heard of Sue Barton, what was that one about?

CLM said...

Pamela, I hope you will visit the real Deep Valley some day! See link for photos: http://www.betsy-tacysociety.org/houses

Anonymous said...

What a great gift idea and I can happily report that all the books in the Betsy-Tacy series are available - the first four (inclding Betsy, Tacy and Tib) plus the final 6 and this fall the three books in Maud's Deep Valley series were reissued as well (Emily of Deep Valley, Carney's House Party and Winona's Pony Cart.

Pamela Tracy said...

CLM, I'll look into Deep Valley. Thanks for the suggestion.

Pamela Tracy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Pamela Tracy said...

I'm the loving the Betsy Tacy website. Thanks for sending me there.