The start of school always has me feeling a bit nostalgic. While I’m not headed back to a classroom, I remember the mixed feelings I had – excited to see friends and meet my teacher, not so excited to be there 8ish hours a day or to have homework and tests. I see these same feelings in my two kids as the summer days draw to a close. 

The big, end of summer question for kids both past and present: who is my teacher? I remember having to make a special trip to my elementary school and look at the lists posted on teachers’ doors to see which class I would be in. Later I remember waiting for a letter from the school to arrive in the mail to announce teacher or middle school team assignments. Nowadays we just logon to a school affiliated website on a certain day and it’s all there. Although that anticipation of waiting and wondering and hoping is certainly still present for my kids. 

Lately, my family has been watching sitcoms like Family Matters and Full House and it brought back memories of the happiness of that Friday afternoon bell signaling the weekend and knowing the TGIF TV lineup would entertain that night. These family favorites brought joy then into my life and continue to do so now as I share them with my kids. 

Thinking about and enjoying these popular shows of my elementary and middle school years had me wondering what books were popular when I was in 4th grade and 7th grade (the grades of my kiddos). And more specifically, what were my parents and grandparents reading when I was the age of my kiddos. My dad and grandma were the big readers in my life and it makes my heart feel good to remember them.

It didn’t take too many clicks after a Google search to stumble upon Hawes Publications and their lists of New York Times Adult Hardcover Best Seller Lists: “The best seller lists for each date as well as other compilations of the lists which appear on the Hawes Publications website have been prepared from actual pdf copies of pages from the New York Times. To see lists for a specific date, begin by clicking on the desired year below.” (Sometimes I just love the internet!) 

I clicked on 1988 (the year I was in 4th grade) and the memories came back. I saw Matilda by Roald Dahl and The Essential Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury by Bill Watterson –both books I remember reading, especially Calvin and Hobbes. I still have all my collections. I remember my dad reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow, A Thief of Time by Tony Hillerman, and Alaska by James Michener. I vividly remember my grandma reading The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher. I picked up The Shell Seekers and Presumed Innocent a few years later, the summer before I started college. 

Next I clicked on 1991 (the year I was in 7th grade) and noticed many familiar titles: The Firm by John Grisham, The Sum of All Fears by Tom Clancy, Pastime by Robert B. Parker, and As the Crow Flies by Jeffery Archer–all books I remember my dad reading. I thought of my grandma when I saw Amy Tan’s The Kitchen God’s Wife and When You Look Like Your Passport Photo, It’s Time to Go Home by Erma Bombeck. My grandma owned all of Tan’s books and I read her copies (which I still have) the summer before my senior year in high school. 

This was a fun jaunt down memory lane and I decided to add a few of these backlist gems to my fall TBR: A Thief of Time by Tony Hillerman and Alaska by James Michner. While I don’t remember any family readers picking up A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George (1988 bestseller), I am adding that one as well since I’ve always wanted to give that author and series a try. 

Interestingly enough as I was working on this post, the August 9th National Geographic email newsletter landed in my inbox and this online article Feeling nostalgic? Your brain is hardwired to crave it by Oliva Campbell caught my eye. 

“In general, nostalgia is a healthy, even vital component of the human experience. At its core, nostalgia helps guide us back to our authentic selves, reminding us of who we were always meant to be.” 

Be sure to give this fascinating article a read–it puts into words what I’ve been feeling lately and explains the warm-fuzzy feelings we get when watching old TV shows, for example, and thinking about popular books from years ago. 

Wishing you many happy reading experiences!