Hmm.. I’ve loved reading for as long as I can remember, but I’ll have to go with Junie B Jones, Goosebumps and Hank the Cowdog. Those are the first books I remember absolutely loving. They got me wanting to read more.
How do you think ESL students would do with Hank the Cow Dog? My whole family read Hank in John Wayne’s voice, but they wouldn’t have that for reference.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. I remember how I hugged this book and cried when I was a kid. That was the moment I knew, I had formed a bond with books forever ♥️
Nancy Drew, Archie comic books, Little House, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Caddie Woodlawn, Escape from Witch Mountain, Richie Rich and all his pals in comic book land, Caddie Woodlawn, The Mad Scientist Club, Encyclopedia Brown.
Mary Poppins. I heard a librarian read aloud from Mary Poppins when I was about 4-5 years old. I couldn’t wait to read on my own after that experience.
As a kid I wore out my Little House books, Charlotte’s Web, Where the Red Fern Grows and Black Beauty. I used to read my Gram’s copies of James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small series so much that she took me to a little used bookstore and bought me my own set to take home. I loved reading as a kid and that hasn’t changed as an adult.
It was a comic strip. My grandpa taught me to read with the Peanuts comic strip in the newspaper. We would read it together and he would laugh and I would laugh because he was laughing as I didn’t understand what I had just read. And to this day I love Peanuts.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – 8 years old. My mom brought me to the library once a week since preschool but after reading Harry Potter, I was excited to go to find new worlds.
But really getting into personal adult reading: James Mitchner who introduced me to historical fiction and a love for history, Stephen King who rekindled my love of horror fiction and Edgar Allen Poe, and Anne Rice, whose writing is exquisite.
This is hard. I’ve loved reading as long as I can remember. As a medium person, I read Lord of the Rings when I was 12 and was obsessed so maybe that threw me into adult reading obsession?
I will say Charlotte’s Web. It was the first book I ever read in one day- I was a small child. Though I was already hooked on books, I feel like the one dayers are always something special
Bobbsey Twins, Happy Hollisters, Five Little Peppers, All of a Kind Family, Little House books, Beverly Cleary, Betsy Tacy and Tib, Mary Poppins…so many more!
Frosty the Snowman. I read it in like the first grade. I lived in Texas and we never got much snow and the book made it seem so fun. I read it multiple times. Even before I could read, my parents would buy me the books with cassettes at least once a week, that you could listen and follow along . I think those books helped make me an advanced reader as a kid. I was placed in reading classes, two years ahead.
A series I read as a kid called “Animorphs.” Looking back it wasn’t really that good, but I was obsessed when I was in about 5th/6th grade. I would go to the library just to see if the new book was out yet! My mom can verify ?@Pam
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The BFG. My third grade teacher read The BFG to us and it’s always been one of my faves. I read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory so many times the pages of the copy I had fell out.
When I was a child, The Wind in the Willows and The Secret Garden taught me that I could “escape” via books; I’ve been escaping all over the place since then.
From the moment I was told I could read the words in my head rather than out loud I have loved to read. No particular book and no particular author. I was 7.
I was going to say A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. But, now that I see your post I have to admit that Bobbsey Twins and Boxcar Children at a much earlier age might have done it.
We had original edition Bobbsey Twins books from the 1930s. And just for your daily laugh, my great niece and I are both busty, and her mom dubbed us the Boobsey Twins.
When I was in third grade, my teachers decided I was a “lazy reader” and told my parents that I had to read at least four books over the summer. (I wasn’t lazy, I have mild dyslexia and I just read slowly.) The one I remember most was this one https://thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/m6bKVufPtIOOPjDtoXTfHHw.jpg
I can’t identify one book, but when I was little enough that I couldn’t read for myself I remember watching Captain Kangaroo and he would read books. The camera would be focused on the pages of the books, so that you could see the illustrations. One I remember was called something like Upside Down Town. They ate dessert first. That certainly intrigued me. I remember having the desire to have those books in my own hands, so that I could turn the pages for myself. Also, again before I could read, I remember looking at the comics in the Sunday paper and “reading” Henry, which had no words — just pictures.
I was in love with reading before I could read because I was the youngest in a family of readers. I taught myself to read before I went to first grade because I couldn’t stand being the only one in the family who couldn’t read.
Oh yes Little Women and an encyclopaedia set my mum bought in the 60s to help us with school work; I used to search through it for the poems and excerpts of novels.
The Childcraft set – who remembers it? One volume was nursery rhymes and another short stories and tales. It was a wonderful set with lots of good information about the world, animals, etc.
Oh, my, yes! I read them all cover to cover! My sister and I recently talked about the ‘stories from around the world’ volume. There were a few stories that we read over and over in it!
I love those books, especially the volume with longer poems. The Highwayman was a favorite. Some of the best illustrators of the time contributed to the books. They were published in the late 40’s, early 50’s. I recently purchased a like-minded set on eBay!!
“The Day of the Jackal” by Frederick Forsyth.
Hmm.. I’ve loved reading for as long as I can remember, but I’ll have to go with Junie B Jones, Goosebumps and Hank the Cowdog. Those are the first books I remember absolutely loving. They got me wanting to read more.
How do you think ESL students would do with Hank the Cow Dog? My whole family read Hank in John Wayne’s voice, but they wouldn’t have that for reference.
Agatha Christie
George’s marvellous medicine. I’ve loved reading for as long as I can remember ?
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. I remember how I hugged this book and cried when I was a kid. That was the moment I knew, I had formed a bond with books forever ♥️
Now I am really going to date myself – The Bobbsey Twins! First books I read way back when.
I used to read Bobbsey Twins! Trixie Belden, too!
Me too!❤️
Same here!
Nancy Drew, Charlotte’s Web
Fairy Tales…. Cinderella… Grimms!
The Swallows and Amazon series and also the Billabong books. The Chalet Girls and the Abbey School series
V.C. Andrews Heaven series
Harry Potter
Five little pigs by Agatha christie
The Bobbsey Twins back when I was a youngster.
The Little House series
Mrs piggly wiggly series. Read them over and over as a kid
1984. I read it in 4th grade because my mom had given me a (completely incorrect) summary of it and I was intrigued. Was blown away by it.
Biggles books
Anne of Green Gables ?
Little Women when I was about eight years old, 66 years of reading enjoyment now.
Mr. Men and Little Miss books
My Grandmother gave me the love of reading. 1 hour a day everyday was mandatory. But Nancy Drew, Phyllis A.Whitney, Walter Farley, wizard of OZ bookS.
Nancy Drew, Archie comic books, Little House, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Caddie Woodlawn, Escape from Witch Mountain, Richie Rich and all his pals in comic book land, Caddie Woodlawn, The Mad Scientist Club, Encyclopedia Brown.
The Little Golden Books!
All the Enid Blytons, Agatha Christie’s, Nancy Drew’s, Ladybird series, Dr.Seuss I read as a child. The seeds were sown a long time ago…
Mary Poppins. I heard a librarian read aloud from Mary Poppins when I was about 4-5 years old. I couldn’t wait to read on my own after that experience.
Heidi
Little women
The lion the witch and the wardrobe
Same! I’ve always been a little Lucy.
Little House on the Prairie
Nancy Drew. I read them all.
Michel Michel
Malory Towers by Enid Blyton.
A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson is the book I used to learn to read
The Stand!
In high school the librarian handed me Forever Amber and I’ve loved reading ever since.
a book of fairy tales
The Other Boleyn Girl – Phillips Gregory 2001.
The Trixie Belden series
Nancy Drew.
Some book about the greek civil war, that we ll never see translated in other languages
Flowers In the attic by Vc Andrews
Harry Potter
As a kid I wore out my Little House books, Charlotte’s Web, Where the Red Fern Grows and Black Beauty. I used to read my Gram’s copies of James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small series so much that she took me to a little used bookstore and bought me my own set to take home. I loved reading as a kid and that hasn’t changed as an adult.
Trixie Belden series is what started me reading my way through the library when I was a kid
The Bobbsey Twins and Nancy Drew and European history
Nancy Drew series and the Secret Garden
The Velveteen Rabbit
The Bible, Reader’s Digest and The National Geographic. We were raised very frugally, which was a blessing.
Suzanne:
i also read the books you listed. Once I entered college I began a subscription to The Book of the Month Club.
But…that wasn’t enough so I joined the Mystery Book of the Month Club.
I did all of this reading while carrying a heavy academic load and working part- time.
I also loved the comics which were printed in the Chicago Tribune during those days. I even used to buy and read comic books, which I loved.
And, I loved so-called trash books because I was young at that time and very eager to learn as much as I could about everything.
Wind in the Willows
Read it when I was eight
Angela’s Ashes
Mao’s Last Dancer
It was a comic strip. My grandpa taught me to read with the Peanuts comic strip in the newspaper. We would read it together and he would laugh and I would laugh because he was laughing as I didn’t understand what I had just read. And to this day I love Peanuts.
Grimm’s Fairy Tales
Little Women
Harry Potter
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – 8 years old. My mom brought me to the library once a week since preschool but after reading Harry Potter, I was excited to go to find new worlds.
Nancy Drew
But really getting into personal adult reading: James Mitchner who introduced me to historical fiction and a love for history, Stephen King who rekindled my love of horror fiction and Edgar Allen Poe, and Anne Rice, whose writing is exquisite.
Interview with the vampire
The Giver
Have to give this one a think ?
Nancy Drew
Are you there God, it’s me, Margaret?❤️ Maybe
This is hard. I’ve loved reading as long as I can remember. As a medium person, I read Lord of the Rings when I was 12 and was obsessed so maybe that threw me into adult reading obsession?
I will say Charlotte’s Web. It was the first book I ever read in one day- I was a small child. Though I was already hooked on books, I feel like the one dayers are always something special
The Little House books.
Judy Blume books. Also. James and the Giant Peach and The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles
The Famous Five and The Secret Seven I just loved them as a child.
Little House in the Big Woods
Harry Potter and the sorcerer’s stone
Heidi, Little Women, the Trixie Belden series, so many great books when I was a kid.
Bobbsey Twins, Happy Hollisters, Five Little Peppers, All of a Kind Family, Little House books, Beverly Cleary, Betsy Tacy and Tib, Mary Poppins…so many more!
Baby sitters club! RL stine…. I had to have them all!
Old Yeller at 7 then the Nancy Drew series.
Where The Red Fern Grows and Anne of Green Gables. Those were the first books I fell in love with.
Frosty the Snowman. I read it in like the first grade. I lived in Texas and we never got much snow and the book made it seem so fun. I read it multiple times. Even before I could read, my parents would buy me the books with cassettes at least once a week, that you could listen and follow along . I think those books helped make me an advanced reader as a kid. I was placed in reading classes, two years ahead.
The Phantom Tollbooth
Cinderella, Heidi, Strawberry Girl, Nancy Drew
Helen Fuller Orton mysteries.
Alice in Wonderland
A tree grows in Brooklyn and gone with the wind d
Charlottes Web.
me too
Johnny Tremain, 5th grade, transported me to a different place and made me a lover of books.
Beatrix Potter
Green Eggs and Ham.
Wrinkle in Time
Mrs Mike
Catcher in the Rye-I was a late bloomer.
Aesop s fabled
Little Women
She’s Silverstein- a light in the attic. Where the sidewalk ends.
I’ve always loved reading, so I guess whatever books my parents read to me as a baby. We had a whole shelf full of Little Golden books.
Legend series by Marie Lu.
Agatha Christie…. now I love a murder mystery…..
Beverly Cleary books – about Henry Huggins, Beezus, and Ramona -got me started as a reader. Little Women got me hooked as a reader.
I really think it must have been Nancy Drew. I enjoyed many quiet hours reading them.
Anne of Green Gables
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton.
The Story Of Molly Pitcher, When I Was In 3rd Grade!!! Now A 69 Year Old Lady!!!
The Help
On the Road. Kerouac’s influence on me when I was 19 or 20 years old is immeasurable.
Harry Potter
A Wrinkle in Time, Swiftly Tilting Planet…all Madeline L’Engle books. Trixie Beldon Mysteries.
I loved Trixie Belden!
Grapes of Wrath and Nancy Drew.
The Trixie Belden books when I was about 8 years old.?
I loved the Trixie Belden books. I still have a couple of them
Little House on the Prairie series
Boxcar Children, Nancy Drew, Bobbsey Twins, Hardy Boys…it’s really hard to know.
Big Dog, Little Dog by P.D. Eastman. My love of reading started at a very early age.
A series I read as a kid called “Animorphs.” Looking back it wasn’t really that good, but I was obsessed when I was in about 5th/6th grade. I would go to the library just to see if the new book was out yet! My mom can verify ?@Pam
I remember that!
That series is what hooked me, although I was already a reader, that’s when I became obsessed.
Tales of 4th grade nothing lmao
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The BFG. My third grade teacher read The BFG to us and it’s always been one of my faves. I read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory so many times the pages of the copy I had fell out.
When I was a child, The Wind in the Willows and The Secret Garden taught me that I could “escape” via books; I’ve been escaping all over the place since then.
From the moment I was told I could read the words in my head rather than out loud I have loved to read. No particular book and no particular author. I was 7.
Flicks,Dicka and Ricka
Wasn’t there a Snip Snap and Snur too?
Donna Parker mysteries (1960s)
Alice in Wonderland and all the Dr. Seuss books.
The Ramona books by Beverly Cleary.
The Nancy Drew books!
Me too!
Bobbsey Twins
I was going to say A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. But, now that I see your post I have to admit that Bobbsey Twins and Boxcar Children at a much earlier age might have done it.
We had original edition Bobbsey Twins books from the 1930s.
And just for your daily laugh, my great niece and I are both busty, and her mom dubbed us the Boobsey Twins.
I think every book that I’ve ever read is equally responsible, even the books that I didn’t like.
No one book, but the first book I LOVED was Rosie the Rhino. I was around 3, I guess.
When I was in third grade, my teachers decided I was a “lazy reader” and told my parents that I had to read at least four books over the summer. (I wasn’t lazy, I have mild dyslexia and I just read slowly.) The one I remember most was this one https://thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/m6bKVufPtIOOPjDtoXTfHHw.jpg
The black stallion
The Little house series.
Me too…that and the Baby Sitter’s Club ????
Animal Farm
To Kill a Mockingbird
I can’t identify one book, but when I was little enough that I couldn’t read for myself I remember watching Captain Kangaroo and he would read books. The camera would be focused on the pages of the books, so that you could see the illustrations. One I remember was called something like Upside Down Town. They ate dessert first. That certainly intrigued me. I remember having the desire to have those books in my own hands, so that I could turn the pages for myself. Also, again before I could read, I remember looking at the comics in the Sunday paper and “reading” Henry, which had no words — just pictures.
Luved the Captain and Me Greenjeans when I was little also.
Caddie Woodland and Island of blue dolphins. The first series I remember reading was Nancy Drew.
Lord of the Flies
A Wrinkle In Time.
all of judy blume
Does Scholastic Book Club count. I loved those 3 newsprint pages with all those options.
Great Expectations
When I was 9 yrs old my brother gave me The Secret Garden for Christmas……and I see books as gold to me now. I’m rich!!!
A Wrinkle in Time
Mr. Willoughby Christmas Tree and probably Tootle, my favorite Little Golden Book.
Nancy Drew series which I discovered when I was 9.
Nancy Drew and A Wrinkle in Time
Goosebumps series by RL Stine.
The Secret Seven series and The Bobbsie Twins series
Nancy Drew Series
Probably the Junie B Jones series. That was the one series when I was a young kid that I always loved reading and rereading
VC Andrews Series
Little Women
The Color Kittens.
The black stallion
Me too! Love the black stallion series!
When in Second Grade read Shakespeare Tales for Children and was captivated by the stories.
Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah
Les Malheurs de Sophie- Comtesse de Ségur, the very first real book I read when I was a child.
I was in love with reading before I could read because I was the youngest in a family of readers. I taught myself to read before I went to first grade because I couldn’t stand being the only one in the family who couldn’t read.
Sudden by Oliver Strange
Hmm. I honestly cannot remember. I’ve always had a love of reading.
Trixie Beldon, Little House Series, Little Women
The red tent.
Oh yes Little Women and an encyclopaedia set my mum bought in the 60s to help us with school work; I used to search through it for the poems and excerpts of novels.
The Vampire Lestat or Lord of the Flies
The Childcraft set – who remembers it? One volume was nursery rhymes and another short stories and tales. It was a wonderful set with lots of good information about the world, animals, etc.
Oh, my, yes! I read them all cover to cover! My sister and I recently talked about the ‘stories from around the world’ volume. There were a few stories that we read over and over in it!
I love those books, especially the volume with longer poems. The Highwayman was a favorite. Some of the best illustrators of the time contributed to the books. They were published in the late 40’s, early 50’s. I recently purchased a like-minded set on eBay!!
@Karen
Like-new set ?
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
A House Like a Lotus by Madeleine L’engle
Scott Forsman Dick and Jane
my reading origin story ?
Nancy Drew mysteries. I had mono one summer and read them one after the other.
Trixie Beldon, Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew…. & Yes, still love reading a good mystery ?
The Chronicles of Narnia
The three little witches series by Debra Hess.
Matilda by Roald Dahl