It was so great! And Eternity in an hour As a child let loose in a library, I would just flit from book to book randomly, like a bee or butterfly in a flower patch. Thanks to all you wonderful flowers and nature lovers, Im learning so much. I remember these blue-covered books all line up together. I loved the Hardy Boys & Nancy Drew books They were always set in nature, with just enough pictures. There was a book store and library a few blocks from my house and where I would spend most afternoons. Sugar, oh sugar, how you melt my heart. Seeing how unfamiliar things can be tied together. We had horses and goats but no pigs. Anyhow Zos farm looks like a fabulous place and her book is truly gorgeous with all of those phenomenal photographs. I was truly touched by this article as I feel in love with the Ziggy bloom. I also loved seek and find books (wheres Waldo, anyone?). I live in the Pacific Northwest and have visited New Zealand three times. The death & dying series was heartbreaking, but would remind me that life is short & to cherish your loved ones. The picture book had full color illustrations on every other 2 page spread. My favorite childhood book was The Phantom Tollbooth because I thought the places, characters, and story were so creative and silly. For me, Where the Wild Things Are by Sendak remains the most vivid childhood story and inspired my imagination, as will this book. My favorite book as a child was Boxcar Children. It has been a real treasure in our family. Because of Cherry Ames, not likely, because of me. My favorite book as a child was, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I read every Nancy Drew book and moved to Agatha Christie as I got older. Which words rhyme? She read so many books to us that year in this way. Adventure books were my favorite. As far as the book that I was most interested in as a child . Im now watching the series with my four girls and it reminds us to slow down and appreciate the simple aspects of life. That same emotion in my reading imagination connects with wonder as a bud emerges. I plant more and more every year on our small farm in Oregon. Small wonder that Ive been a passionate gardener as an adult, who has to have my hands in the dirt among my plants, listening to the warnings of chipmunks and the birds call and response every afternoon, to count it a day well-spent. I forget to mention that I devoured all my uncles marvel and DC comics too. Growing up I was reading all the time. To my sadness I respond my parents never gave me books in my childhood. I think the intrigue of the now-simplistic Nancy Drew mysteries were a favorite. Your book looks like a work of art! my youngest is an environmental planner,vermont grown,nz educated, near wairoa-one of hardest hit towns in hawkes bay This book looks like a treasure for not only the eyes, but of the heart and mind as well. This has changed me the most. My favourite book was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. I loved all of the Little House on the Prairie books and now I have a little homestead and *trying* to raise and grow all of our food! The book I recall MOST as a girl was Penelope Strawberry and River Radish! At the end of the book was a suitcase full of stickers from where Felix traveled. I believe that her curiosity helped me to learn thats its good to be curious too! I was an avid daydreamer as a kid and I guess the books I loved to read reflected that. It was a safe place to be, to feel who you are deep inside, free from all the turmoil of family and the worldI longed to find that place for me and now I have it right in my own backyard! I loved the Bed Book, an imaginative book of different kinds of kids bed ranging from an ice cream shop bed to a plane bed. These books highlighted a simpler time, and showed the special relationship between a boy and his dog (Ribsy). These books inspired my love of gardening and creating things from scratch. That makes me so happy. Magical and English! I have always enjoyed stories of getting lost in other worlds like the Chronicles of Narnia The Secret Garden Bridge to Tarabithia even today I find myself getting lost in my daydreams. I can be a successful flower farmer season 2, here I come trying again! assistant, sign up to Chorus today. Her grandfather lived by the sea. This looks like a gorgeous book! Both books show the importance of caring, loving, friendship and supporting the ones you love. I think those books made me see that poetry doesnt have to be grand. That all changed in fourth grade when, while dusting, I opened up an original Nancy Drew my grandmother had given me (think WWII-era) to see what it was about. I loved all books when I was a kid, but one stood out and I found myself going back to it throughout my life. As an adult I know that reading all of those books increased my literacy skills. Home Hip Hop News Alexis Skyy and Fetty Wap Meet Face To Face At Alexiss Treyway Signing #LHHNY [VIDEO]. Little House on the Prairie books. The Jolly Postman was my favorite book as a child and I relieve the enjoyment over and over again as I see it through the eyes of my children. My favorite books as a young girl were the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace. Five Rhymes about Meats 1. I really felt connected to the natural world and the learning aspect was so appealing to me. I think they helped me learn problem solving, to persevere, and a desire for adventure. I dont remember having any favourite books as a young girl, but we grew up always had lots of books available. I see life to be lived in the moment with joy, and not to worry so much about the future or things that I cannot change. Its about a little girl who helped her mom make a clown doll for her out of pieces of fabric. Im also a photographer so seeing beauty in others work is always so inspiring! One of my favorite childhood books was Anne of Green Gables. Nancy solved mysteries and was smart, independent and stylish and a good role model for me growing up with three brothers. My favorite book was The Boxcar Children, where young kids run away from a bad situation and find a boxcar to live in. I got to revisit my childhood through my kids eyes and conversation as we interacted with those books. And I would be turning it into a small side business. Many hours as a young child were spent perusing seed catalogs and How-to books. Today I still look for the mysteries of each day to be solved on the next page of living! Ive learned so much and met so many amazing characters within the pages of books. The Narnia series too has influenced our lives and brought joy in so many ways. A kids book about dogs, cars and a search for the big dog party. I was a horse nerd when I was a young one, and devoured every book on the subject to learn all I could. As far as reading, I loved The Boxcar Children series. I do battle with aphids, still havent solved my fungus riddle, and to my chagrin have not been able to save all of the characters in my kingdom. As a child I always liked non-fiction books. I love a good variety of things now, and I love chatting with the people who love their hobbies or careers. I loved every book in the Little House on the Prairie series, Mrs Piggle Wiggle series and Pippi Longtocking and we would pretend to be the characters in those books and bring the magic of those stories into our play. Only keep going if your group is engaged. Ive watched the movies based on that book almost as many times as Ive watched Growing Floret . Who doesnt love that???? Such beauty in this story, in the flowers, and in the people. As a small child I loved the Berenstein Bear books. Zoe book sounds like fun, an adventure to savior and enjoy. Every two weeks, we went to the library on the same day. My library was within walking distance and I spent a lot of time there. All books with colorful, artistic pictures were (and still are) my favorites. Oh, I read it many times, seeing myself on the back of Books were gateways into another persons world for me. Those simple lessons still ring true. My childhood pre-dates seek-and-find books, but I have spent many, many hours poring over them reading the clues and discovering the evidence with my kids, my grandkids, and many other kids. The thing that had the most effect on me wasnt one book, it was my Dads love of reading. Mysteries always mysteries. My mother is a great memorizer of poetry and so Id memorize these poems in the books and recite them to her (and anyone else whod listen). I read this book when I was about 11 and it just stayed there, inside me and I have never given up no matter the circumstance. The siblings were creative, caring, and close with one another. They helped shape my love of learning and adventure. I think they led me to be forever enchanted by the seasons with the rituals of growing and nurturing. As an adult I see how many of these stories glossed over or twisted the crucial fact so that theses adventures were at the expense of cultures being displaced, mostly indigenous cultures. Much like the giant, I didnt possess the same characteristics as my peers in an office setting. I loved reading as a child and still read a LOT! They dont seem to be similar, but I can still feel their emotional pull on me, only child in a family of adults. From the cover to the last page, I was enchanted by the idea that there was a secret garden that had been abandoned and was there to not only tell of the past, but held the opportunity to become a beautiful part of the future. Books transformed the way I see the world and life. Its all about the Lupine Lady who plants seeds to make the world more beautiful. My favorite books as a young girl were the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I gravitated towards books about misunderstood girls (Meg Murray of Wrinkle in Time, etc.) My love for nature and all things colorful stems from its ability to transform any and all. By: Robert Lopshire. This book reminds me of how much I enjoyed the highlights magazine seek and find as a kid though :). A couple years ago I dipped my toe into the world of flowers, and now they have cast their spell on me, and my life will never be quite the same again. My eye naturally started to see the hidden pictures almost immediately after looking at the colors and patterns. Anything that allowed me to escape reality! Excited to win or buy your book and spread the word! What a revelation to realize that you could look for more books by an author that you loved! Im working to create a secret garden feel in my tiny back yard right now. As a child I would love to be read to. I always adored the I Spy books as a kid. As he talked about planes I though that was reasonable. My parents imported a hard cover, glossy page poetry book for me from America big deal back then and super expensive too. I fell in love with this story about the Mary Call Luthor, an orphaned teen who is struggling to raise her two younger siblings (and avoid government services breaking up the family) in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina in the early 1970s. Theres always a mystery to solve! Once I could read, I spent most of my time in fantasy books. took the bad with the good. My name is Maddy so I always had an easy time pretending I was her. I dont know if these books shaped who I am or if they were just an indicator of who Id turn out to be a scientist thats always dreaming up big things for her home and garden! Im still a strong personality, at times I still struggle with confidence, and I still have to fight to get to bed at a decent hour, probably because my house full of littles is quiet and I have time to read or think (though now I cant be zombie mom, so the incentive to sleep is stronger). My favorite series was The Mandie series. This is a beautiful work of art!! I especially loved the one on nature & space. It is beautifully illustrated in soft gentle images. Ive always loved puzzles too which Zoes book essentially is but with beautiful flowers! My brothers had them all so they were available. My favorite books were the Nancy Drew mysteries- that inspired a love of figuring out problems, and looking for solutions! But, the book is a good reminder it IS possible to make the world a more beautiful place. Today, I feel like I still have that dream of her cottage in the garden shaping me. Thank you, for the look back and the interview. One particular favorite that comes to mind is Big Max. Children of the Covered Wagon introduced life in the prairie which I would imitate during my schooltime recess. Im definitely intrigued to venture into this artistic beauty contained in a book. While their experience is more wormy and dirty than I remember mine being, I love sharing it and seeing the natural world through their eyes! Ive always been a fan of the incredible variety of N.Z. I was home-schooled from grade 3 and the way through high school so I was assigned many different books by my mom. My favorite book as a child was The Secret Garden. It taught me to think about giving and receiving as well as humans impact on nature. The concept of a secret garden always intrigued me. So looking forward to getting a copy into my hands but also into the graceful, elegant hands of a college chum who could have collaborated with you on this entire adventure.. it mirrors her perfectly! Today I am an artist, avid nature lover, and flower farmer. My all time favourite book for reading to my children and now, my grandchildren is Miss Rumphius, Story and pictures by Barbara Cooney. I think I can, I think I can, I KNOW I CAN! Here's what rhymes with alexis. This interview brought up ALL the magic. I realized this a big world! I also loved fiction stories with strong female leads. I didnt have a love of reading as a child, but as an adult, I have discovered reading for pleasure and just hate that I missed out on so many books in my childhood. As an adult my husband bought me Florets Flower books(2 of them) and now I cant wait to add to my collection. A copy of Lost & Found would be a magical addition to my collection of gardening books. Thank you so much for inviting us back. The stories are full of creatures, nature and good always wins. It just made reading fun while planting biggest of info with every read. Stuart (who was small like me) and Nancy (who shared my name and my gender) were both adventurers who took control of their lives and escapades. I think these genres taught me to develop my imagination and increased my own desire to create beauty in unlikely places :), as a child I was enchanted by the Flower Fairies of the Summer book. How they have shaped me as an adult is that I continue to pursue to know Him and love Him and follow His ways. I have always loved and shared with my granddaughter all the books by Jill Barklem, The Brambly Hedge Series. Bound at home practically by poverty but having a garden to explore has been such a gift. Ever since then, I have had a soft spot in my heart for helping those less fortunate. And there began a lifelong journey. Growing up I read many books, mostly novels. I hope to add it to my collection! Thank you for sharing such an amazing duo. Its a soothing, sweet tale that I love still. I loved The Phantom Tollbooth and I continue to travel in real life and in my minds eye! she inherited my passion for gardening and has dahlias from seed and loves roses and zinnias and cosmos and .. My favorite style of fiction now is Historical Fiction. My mother handed me Anne of Green Gables when I was 11 years old.