The Magic of Childhood Books

Some of you might have already known about it for a long time, but I discovered it only very recently: An Internet platform, where you can find well-loved, yet long-lost books you've read (or been read to) as a child. The Advanced Book Exchange provides an excellent service on its BookSleuth forum, where users can post more or less vague descriptions of the books they're after. The descriptions sometimes include only a picture that stuck to mind, or one single scene, or the name of the character's favourite pet, and, incredibly, there are people who are able to recognise the book described and supply the title. I am delighted. (Especially since I have indeed been looking for a favourite childhood book for ages.)

I found this website after reading an article about it some weeks ago, and said article triggered something in me. The author elaborates how children perceive books as very physical objects, and years later, all that one remembers is a certain picture, the texture and colour of the cover, or maybe a certain location which is mentioned in the book and which the child is familiar with in real life. Memories of the books are strongly connected to certain feelings (I remember the feeling of vague horror connected to one of the stories in the book I'm looking for, though I don't remember any details of the story) or situations.

So, because I'm curious: is there anybody out there who remebers only odd details of a book they used to love as a child? The scent of the book, or a single occasion when it was read, or some pictures that has haunted their dreams for years?

( Look behind the cut if you want to read about my very physical memory of Sinbad )