I inherited/was handed down, from some elderly relative, a half dozen of the original Bobbsey Twins books. They were, indeed, very old-fashioned, but I read them voraciously and even reread some of them. I especially remember the episodes of chestnut gathering, as I was Very Aware, growing up in the mid-Atlantic, that the Chestnut Blight had killed all chance of doing anything like that myself. There was also a rather astonishing sled-race that lasted several minutes, and I couldn't conceive of what kind of hill they were going down (and trudging up!) that let all that conversation and strategy take place.

On tic about them that began to wear on me, though: the habit of titling chapters after some dramatic event from the previous chapter. This struck me as not Playing Fair At All -- titles are supposed to indicate the current contents.

Adding to the list of the unpolled: I adored Edward Eager, and read, though with growing queasiness at the over-the-top moralizing, the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books.

---L.