Today is Operation Teen Book Drop! What Was Your Favorite Book When You Were a Teen?

Today, April 16th is Operation Teen Book Drop, in which 8,000 books will be donated to teens in hospitals across the country in celebration of Support Teen Literature Day. You can show your support for Operation TBD '09 by dropping a book from your own library, along with a bookplate you can download from the Readergirlz site, in a public place. Who doesn't have a book that they can spare to spread the love of reading? Find out more about the operation here. (the book I dropped on NJ Transit this am was snatched up immediately!)

Coincidentally I found out about Operation TBD just as I am reading an advance copy of an absolutely fabulous new book that revisits great teen literature: Shelf Discovery: The Teen Classics We Never Stop Reading by Lizzie Skurnick of Jezebel's Fine Lines column. I heart this book so much. There are so many books in here that I loved and still re-read -- my copy of Madeline L'Engle's A Ring of Endless Light is in tatters and don't get me started on her Arm of the Starfish (I think my mom still has the poster I made for that one). Beverly Cleary's Fifteen and Sister of the Bride felt like they were written for me. Sidney Taylor's All-of-a-Kind Family -- oh how I longed to be part of a Jewish family growing up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan when I read that entire series. If you grew up reading in the 70s, you will find so many books in here that you loved, and Skurnick's essays Illuminate why we loved them and what we can still learn from them.

But Shelf Discovery is much more than a collection of all the great books teens should read (though it is that and they should). What makes Shelf Discovery unique is that it celebrates the art of re-reading the books we devoured as teens. My husband definitely thinks it's odd when I hunker down with Betsy-Tacy whenever I'm feeling blue (or, I just want to indulge) but as Laura Lippman writes in her foreword to the book: "at night, mind soft and eyes bleary, I am likely to crawl into bed with a beloved book from my youth, something I almost know by heart. The familiar words soothe and relax far better than any over-the-counter sleep aid." And later she writes, "we should not be ashamed of re-reading our favorite books, only of re-reading them thoughtlessly."

What book from your teenage years do you still re-read, or wish that you did? Post a comment and tell me. I have 15 ARCS of Shelf Discovery to give away to 15 people randomly chosen from all comments received by midnight April 17th. Shelf Discovery goes on sale on June 30th, for a taste of the book, check out Skurnick's Fine Lines essays here.

And don't forget to drop a book for Operation TBD and then join the Post-OpParty on the ReaderGirlz blog at 9 pm EST tonight!

Comments

[Jenne]

I love to read Louisa May Alcott's books again and again. I know I was reading them in intermediate school through high school through my twenties, etc.

[Julie P.]

I read To Kill a Mockingbird every few years, but I'm finding that I love to re-read books from my childhood with my daughter like Laura Ingalls Wilder, Nancy Drew mysteries, and soon some Judy Blume! Most of these were when I was a tweener, but I think I read many adult books during my teens. I'm so glad that there are so many terrific YA books out there now.

[Liyana]

I'm still a teenager, but one book I always will read from my childhood is the Harry Potter series. It feels good to revisit Harry once in a while, and it's amazing how much my perception of Harry Potter has changed over the years. \

[Julie E.]

First, I'd just like to say I've read some of Lizzie Skurnick's columns on Jezebel and am absolutely DYING to read this book. I grew up in the 70s/80s, so a lot of the books she talks about are familiar to me, and she even reminded me of some I've forgotten about. I'm kinda bummed it's not out until end of June. But maybe I'll win an ARC! (If I like it I'll buy another copy when it comes out.) :)

Anyway, when I think of favorite YA books, I immediately think of Ellen Conford: Hail, Hail Camp Timberwood; And This Is Laura; Dear Lovey Hart, I Am Desperate; Seven Days to a Brand New Me. I liked Beverly Cleary's YA books too. And Izzy, Willy-Nilly by Cynthia Voight. I also loved All of a Kind Family, although I was younger when I read those books. And Ellen Emerson White's books! Friends for Life was my favorite, although the President's Daughter books were good too. And Lois Duncan, of course. Clearly I could go on all day.

[Mary Cunningham]

I loved the Lord of the Rings trilogy and still read the books.

Also loved To Kill A Mockingbird and reread it.

Mary
http://www.cynthiasattic.blogspot.com

[Anita Liberty]

I wish you were friends with someone who'd written a YA book. Are you? Hmm. Let's put our heads together and see if we can think of any of your friends who has actually written a YA book... thinking, thinking.. OH! Right! It's ME! I'm your friend AND I wrote a YA book. It's called THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE (YEP, THAT WOULD BE ME) and I'm gonna go outside and drop it somewhere in honor of Operation TBD.

Love ya. Miss ya.

xoxo

[CK]

Judy Blume changed my life. A few years ago - a friend and I found the whole collection at a Yard Sale - bought them all and laughed, and laughed, and laughed...

[Lenore]

I was a pre-teen but absolutely loved the "babysitters club" series. I devoured them.

[Stacie]

Judy Blume saved me many times! My favorite was "Are You There God, It's Me Margaret!" I also loved "Little Women" and the "Little House on the Prairie" Series.

[Cassandra]

I read Anne of Green Gables once a year and love it more and more every time. I'm a little embarrassed to admit but I re-read my collection of Sweet Valley Twins and Sweet Valley High books when I want to just veg out and I cherish classics I discovered as a teen such as To Kill a Mocking Bird and Wuthering Heights.

[Holley]

Dark Horse and Lightning's Daughter by Mary Herbert

[Erin]

Little Women, Anne of Green Gables and - especially - Pride and Prejudice were my teen favourites that I still read... strong, independent female characters that shaped who I wanted to be...

And Cassandra, I'm with you on the Sweet Valley High re-reads!

[Lauren]

I loved Bless Me Ultima, and it really got me interested in the Hispanic culture (I am now a high school Spanish teacher), but I have to admit that I had an obsession with Danielle Steele books as a teenager as well.

[Ann B.]

Early teen years: Anne of Green Gables and Little Women--classics I love to reread.

Later teen years: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I'm currently listening to the The Gonzo tapes: the life and work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.

[Missy Hatfield]

So many great teen books Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, The Babysitter's Club series, Sweet Valley High books. By far my favorite books that I still re-read are the Anne of Green Gables series

[Dawn - She Is Too Fond Of Books]

OMG! I've been grasping for the name of *All-of-a-Kind Family* forever! As soon as I read it in your post I thought, "I wonder ..." and went to Google. Yes, this is the series I remember so fondly (except for the title). Even if I'm not one of the lucky 15 I can now buy these books.

Oh, and ...anything by Judy Blume I read over and over again!

A few darker books, too ... *The Endless Steppe*, *The Incredible Journey*, *Diary of Anne Frank* and *Go Ask Alice* come to mind.

[Melissa]

LOVED the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, Nancy Drew, Babysitters Club and Judy Blume most definitely!
I still have my mother's copy of Little Women which I'll always treasure since she's passed and it was her fave book!

[Book Club Girl]

Anita - I smell a guest post coming? What YA books inspired young Anita??

Dawn - Endless Steppe and Go Ask Alice are in here too! My favorite line from All of a Kind Family - "I always say if a man doesn't look good in a dark blue suit, he doesn't look good in anything." I used to say that as a tween and crack my parents up, and could never figure out why... I also love when the one sister secretly borrowed her older sister's dress, spilled something on it and stained the whole thing ecru to try to hide it. I think I learned what ecru was reading that book.

Julie E - I LOVE Ellen Conford, and Hail Hail Camp Timberwood. I still have all of them. I started reading Lovey Hart aloud to my 13 yo recently.

This book makes me want to take a picture of my bookshelves downstairs, where all my YA books sit above all the picture books for the younger kids.

I thought Nancy Drew was ok, but she never lived up to my Bobbsey Twins obsession. I also went through a Hardy Boys phase one weekend when I had to stay in my brother's room (he was then off in college) when some family member was staying in my room. I think I read 20 books that weekend from my brother's bookshelves made of planks of wood held up on painted bricks.

[Stephanie Freidin]

I loved all of Judy Blume's books, and the entire Betsy-Tacy series! Go ask Alice was a great book too. Read all the All of a Kind Family books too. I basically read everything I could get my hnds on!

[Lisa]

I was re-reading Louisa May Alcott as a teen and also loving Go Ask Alice; Diary of Anne Frank; The Outsiders; That Was Then, This Is Now.

Win it or buy it, I'm definitely going to have to get this book. I have a teenage daughter right now and need to make sure she's not missing any great books!