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| Lake Tahoe, California |
In The Happy Hollisters by Andrew E. Svenson (writing under the pseudonym Jerry West), the Hollister family move to Shoreham, where Mr. Hollister runs a hardware and toy store. Embodying the entrepreneurial spirit, Mr. Hollister invents many of the items he sells. His bold and creative spirit rubs off on his children, as they help him run his store, make new friends, and solve any mystery they encounter.
Svenson started writing the Happy Hollister novels in the 1950s. My third grade teacher, an older woman, had read the books to her class for many years before I came along. Every day in class, I sat rapt at my wooden desk as she related the adventures of this large, loving family, and showed us the illustrations in the book. We no longer took naps at this age, but thankfully, the teacher still read to us. The memory of those story times shines brightly from that school year, and is one I will always cherish.
I cannot remember at what grade level my teachers stopped reading to me. Perhaps that class was the last year I enjoyed story time each day. I know I didn't get along with my fourth grade teacher. I remember her being hard and cold to me, and finding fault with everything I did. Perhaps she did not read great stories like the Hollister series to us, and resenting this loss, I acted badly in response.
I rescued some Happy Hollister books from my aunt's house after she died. They sat in my bookcase, waiting for me to read them, for too many years. How nice to discover that all 33 novels are still in print, and also available online. I enjoyed the family's first adventure, in which they moved to Shoreham, and discovered the villain who robbed their moving van, as an ebook on my kindle. Now it's time to delve into my bookcase, immerse myself in more of their adventures, savor the illustrations, and, oh yes, remember my third grade teacher.
What a kind and loving woman she was.
Dragon Dave
For more on The Happy Hollisters, visit www.thehappyhollisters.com
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