The Berenstain Bears: Trick or Treat

 The Berenstain Bears: Trick or Treat by Stan and Jan Berenstain

1989

Weight: 3.5 oz

Method of Disposal: Donated

I can only begin to describe my childhood love for the Berenstain Bears, and my two favorite books, which I have held onto all of this time.  Trick or Treat and No Girls Allowed.  I have always loved Halloween, dressing up in costumes, animals.  It is no stretch that I would be in love with tiny bears, wearing clothes, and performing childlike dramas.  The illustrations were the best part, but each book has a lesson, of course.  I am confident the Berenstain Bears helped me develop my empathy and my love for reading.  

Halloween is upon us, y'all.  I am struggling to decide what costumes Harriet and I will be wearing this year!  It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Chicago Stories

Chicago Stories: Tales of the City

2003

Weight: 13.6 oz

Method of Disposal: Sending to V when I get a chance

I picked this up in Chi Town some years ago when I visited with V.  I had started to fall in love with the city just a couple years before we met, and it was even more difficult to resist it after hearing her proclaim her love for the city so frequently.  She grew up in Illinois and her family lived there.

I tormented her brother by making him walk around a bookstore and then an aquarium for hours.  I wanted some local literature, but I could not find what I was looking for so I bought this collection.  In true Laura style, I just now read it. I guess I should have saved that $14.95 + tax until I was ready.  It was a decent book though.  I am not sure all the writings actually fit together in this one anthology.  It does not flow well, but there is a lot of talent.  I liked Edna Ferber’s story about poor old Jo and all his sisters.  Jean Genet’s piece was intriguing.  Maya Angelou’s “The Reunion” made me wince, hold my breath, smile.  It was kind of great.  I am going to send this on to V because I saw she wanted to read it.  That was such a great visit to Chicago.  This book brought back fond memories, despite the fact that a lot of it was about poverty, crime, and corruption.