14 Nov 2012

Staircase to Knowledge

stairway to knowledge


Oh my! Isn't this staircase to die for?  It's called the Stairway to Knowledge, and you can find it in The Magic House in St Louis.  The photo is from here.

How many of these books have you read? I've read them all except for Sounder, the 1970 Newbery.  Jemimah has still to read Number the Stars, Swiss Family Robinson and The Three Musketeers.  The first two of those are on her AO6 list for next year, though, so that is very fine.

Would you like a staircase like this?  Which books would you include?  I'd have to get The Magic Pudding and Seven Little Australians in there somewhere.  And The Getting of Wisdom and Storm Boy.  Which means four of the originals have to go - there are only so many steps, y'know.  Okay, let's dump The Three Musketeers (too old an age group), Oz (bit twaddly, even if it is fun), Sounder because I haven't read it and thus feel no affection for it, and one more - oh, this is hard - Little Women Because of Chapter 8.

Do tell me what you would include!  What would go?

8 comments:

  1. Oooh, I'd love it! As to the titles ... I'll get back to you, perhaps before I get the opportunity to build a house with staircase potential :)

    P.S. Just so you know, we'd have to have a slippery slide next to it.

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  2. I would LOVE to have this in my house. Haven't read them all, but most.

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  3. Swiss Family Robinson would stay for sure. Peter Pan, Jungle Book and Little Women are in. I would add Girl of the Limberlost, Pollyanna, What Katy Did, The Magic Faraway Tree, Children of the Dark People, Bottersnikes and Gumbles, Winnie the Pooh, the William books, The Magic Pudding and Seven Little Australians.

    None of these would be on my staircase for knowledge, but because they have given me immense pleasure over the years.

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  4. Just had to go google Girl of the Limberlost.It's a new one for me. How delicious - a new book for me to look out for!

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  5. Have read Girl of the Limberlost ~ a long time ago. ☺

    Loved 3 Muskateers. Yes, I read the original as a child & absolutely adored it. Dumas knows how to write ~ though whether it is suitable for children is debatable.

    Black Beauty goes. Absolutely loathe & abhor that book. Can't stand cruelty ~ not even pretend cruelty.

    Swiss Family goes. Most boring book ever & so unrealistic ~ but then I live on an island.

    Can't say I was overly keen on Sounder either.

    4? Hmmm...Probably Charlotte's Web because I'm not overly keen on talking animals.

    In would be Seven Little Australians, The Kitchen Madonna, Mister Tom,Anne of Green Gables....Oh dear, there's so many to add I need a longer staircase!

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  6. Oh my! What an absolute delight! This is an inspiration to create once our military days our over and we are in one spot permanently. Thanks so very much for sharing this, Jeanne!!

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  7. We read SOUNDER in 5th grade and then got to go to the theater and see the movie. My kids both read it in school too. It's an important book for Americans but it is depressing.

    I've not read Number the Stars, but the kids did in school and have not made it thru 3 Muskateers.

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  8. Annoyingly, this picture has been made private in Flickr, so it no longer shows up in your post:-(

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