I first read this as a child, given to me by my mother. Since then I've reread it numerous times. This book is one of those you can love as a child and continue to love even as you get older. It makes you smile, it makes you cry, it warms your heart. It's been a few years since I've last read it, and although I'm now a young adult who spends most of her time with 900 page novels and epic fantasies, this continues to be one of those memories I think on quite fondly.