Image: Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson

Although I enjoy reading a variety of genres, the only books that I keep coming back to again and again are the nostalgic stories of my childhood.

My favourite comic is Calvin and Hobbes, which is about a young boy and his stuffed tiger (whom he imagines to be real). Calvin and Hobbes was created by Bill Watterson and ran as a comic strip in newspapers from 1985 to 1995. These strips were collected in several books that I used to read over and over again as a kid. Even as an adult, I still laugh when I read them, and I’ve even used them in my lessons in the past. The humour in Calvin and Hobbes resonates with both kids and adults, and for language learners, I think that comics can be a great source of vocabulary that you might not find in most textbooks. 

Another book that I used to love and still enjoy going back to is Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, a collection of spooky tales written by Alvin Schwartz and illustrated by Stephen Gammell. The stories and illustrations are quite creepy (and sometimes funny) and really made an impact on me when I was young, and even now I enjoy reading them and being inspired by the author’s creativity. The Ghost with the Bloody Fingers and The Big Toe are two of my favourite stories in the collection. The book was very controversial and some groups tried to have it banned from libraries because it was not appropriate for children, but I certainly don’t regret reading it!