Dewey 24 Hour Read-A-Thon Minichallenge: Early Favorites

My very favorite book of all time is Watership Down.  I read it for the first time in fourth grade.  I think I've read it about six or seven times in entirety.  It's about time for me to read it again.

Reading an epic of that length was never a problem for me.  I was completely hooked by Adams' style.  The rabbits were witty, ferocious and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, but it was subtle.  The blend of adventure and mythology was captivating to me.  Adams also mixed in facts about rabbits that made the whole story more believable.

Following Watership Down, I became a sincere devotee of anthropomorphic animal fantasy and tracked down bibliographies and books from all corners of the earth.  Ratha's Creature, Tailchaser's Song and Silverwing all took on the mantle of Adams' genius.  Even lesser works like The Sight and Firebringer, and the recent series by Lasky (Guardians of Ga'Hoole) and the very mediocre Warriors series, help bring new children to Watership Down every year.  I am pleased every time I see a student walk out of the library with it in his or her hands.