The Books That Made Me - me
My mom ALWAYS embarrasses me with the story of potty-training as a toddler - supposedly I would sit on the little toilet reading and throwing book after book demanding “more”. Even though I couldn’t yet read, I loved flipping through the pages and making my own stories.
From picture books, to chapter books, I have always been a big reader. I fell out of the habit in high school and was so happy to pick it up again these last few years. I figured I’d join the trend and share the books that made me fall in love with reading!
Picture Books
I remember being absolutely obsessed with each of these books. Harold and the Purple Crayon was my mother’s favorite childhood story and I wanted a purple crayon SO BADLY! My sister and I would pretend to draw along with Harold and I swear, that’s what built our imagination. I’m pretty sure The Monster at the end of this Book sparked my love of thrillers - I was flipping those pages like no tomorrow. As an adult, I think the best part of this book is that kid’s get to “go against the rules” and turn the page even though they are instructed not to.
When it comes to Curious George, I will accept no hate at all. I had the entire collection of stories in one heavy book and always read it when I stayed home sick. My favorite story was the one where he swallowed a puzzle piece and had an Xray taken.
I loved reading about animals, real or stuffed, and that’s why Corduroy has a special place in my heart. I used to tear up reading about him in the store all by himself, losing his button. I guarantee that my children will definitely have each of these on their shelves!
Attending perform arts school during my teen years makes a lot more sense after looking back at these books. I LOVED anything that included rhymes or songs. If I wasn’t being read to or pretending to read myself, I was singing along to my cd player, loud and proud!
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom was a staple in my house and I always used to dance when my mom read it to me. The same goes for Brown Bear, Brown Bear - I had that little rhyme stuck in every single one of my family members’ heads.
If You Give a Moose a Muffin and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie were so cozy! I absolutely loved the illustrations and felt so snug and content when reading with my mom or nana.
Chapter Books
Once I learned how to read, it was over. I wanted to read absolutely anything I could get my grubby little hands on. I found a specific love for series, where I felt that I knew the characters and felt like I was joining them in their adventures. The Magic Tree House books were some of my absolute favorites for this reason!
I distinctly remember Vacation Under the Volcano and Tonight on the Titanic. I was fascinated by the real life events told in the eyes of children - more specifically characters that I felt I related to.
I absolutely adored the Boxcar Children series - as an older sibling, I loved reading and relating to Henry and Jessie. I was always obsessed with Benny’s name and wanted everything to be named after him - Webkinz, stuffed animals, all of them had to be named Benny.
I simply do not have the words for how much Nancy Drew meant to me. I read SO many of these books and was so convinced I was going to become a detective because of her. I’m lucky to have a coworker who is a big reader and surprised him with Nancy Drew socks for Christmas. He absolutely LOVED them
Young Adult
Like everyone else, I despised reading the school assigned books. However, I always had a great pick for SSR (sustained silent reading). I remember reading Hyperbole and a Half during SSR and got in trouble for laughing. They made me bring another book the next day so I wouldn’t disrupt the class. I still recommend that book to this day - it’s just so silly and refreshing.
The Scholastic fair was always the place to get those huge pointer fingers, pens, and other fun stuff. Along with these accessories, I did always get at least one book. Smile was my first graphic novel and I LOVED it! Having braces on for six years and feeling so self-conscious of them in middle school, this book was such a relief at that time of my life!
There was a long period of time that I always named Margaret Peterson Haddix as my favorite author. Continuing my love of boxsets, I found The Shadow Children and the Found series. She sparked my interest for dystopian stories!
It was so much fun to look back on these childhood favorites. I hope you enjoyed reading about them as much as I did sharing them ! I can’t wait (but I will) to share these and more with my future children. I’d love to know some of your favorite books as a child as well, I know there are many other classics that I missed. Follow and share yours with me on Instagram @printessentialreads
