Favourite book of your favourite series.

Well, I know that my choice for favourite series was kind of juvenile given the number series out there, but I don’t care. When I think back to those years, I have to give credit to Laura Lee Hope (no such person, by the way – you can read the story about the books and their creator here) for giving me the gift of independent reading at an early age. Of course I left those books behind, but I loved them and they have a special place in my heart.

So, if I had to pick my favourite book from that series, it would have to be The Bobbsey Twins and the Secret of Candy Castle. I do not remember a blessed thing about this book’s plot (essentially they were all the same anyway; the two sets of twins solved some sort of mystery either around their home or while on vacation, which they seemed to do a lot, vacation I mean). What I do remember. vividly, is the cover of this book. I was thrilled when it turned up on my birthday. I don’t know where this candy castle was, but I seem to recall that someone disappeared in it and the twins had to figure out where he went – secret passages and doors were involved, I think. (And what kid doesn’t like those?)

By today’s standards, The Bobbsey Twins are pretty lackluster heroes. Today’s young readers have Harry Potter and cohorts and Katniss from The Hunger Games to admire. But it is impossible not to have affection for the first books that you curled up with, those books you read alone but never felt alone reading.