My book was The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. (and the rest of The Chronicles). A family friend gave us the set when I was three, and my mom read them aloud to me, and by the time I was in first grade I started reading them myself—over and over and over…. L’Engle’s A Wind in the Door and on into her others. Oh, and Little House on the Prairie!
I love your insights on this! These characters *were* so real, I had to keep revisiting them!
Oh, what a gift for your first love to be Narnia. I still love the experience of feeling as if the characters in a book were real...walking around in the world somewhere.
It CAN be hard to pinpoint, for sure. Sometimes I think it's not *one* book that does it but a season of books. There are always one or two that stick out in memory, though.
Mine was The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. I never forgot the description of Charlotte’s delicate-turned-work-worn hands. Also, Avi left me thinking, “What would MY secret author name be?”
The first big book I remember devouring on my own is The Lost Years of Merlin. I read it in second grade and finished it in two days!! So began the lifelong saga of me hiding books under my desk at school…
I have never heard of The Lost Year of Merlin! I must check it out immediately. 😊 I remember feeling so grown up when I graduated to "big" books, but I was a lot older than 7!
I love that you have your childhood favorites still in hand, Michelle! Welcome to Substack, my reading buddy. You're going to love having everything right here. It's a real home sweet writing home.
As a child I loved The Honey Bunch series. As a twin I naturally enjoyed The Bobbsey Twins. The Golden books were the fist books I read myself. As I got Older I was too occupied with homework and books I had to read. After i finished school I started to enjoy reading again. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,Gone With The Wind, Anna Karina,Jane Eyre anong others
Before we(my twin Marilyn) could read ,Dad would read a book for 365 days of stories . There was three books similar to each other. When I was older enough to read The "Honey Bunch "series was devoured by me. Weekly when we went shopping Dad would take us to the 5&10 cent store and let us pick out the next book in the series. Joan my older sister was a big reader. She had The Nancy Drew series among others and they were passed on to my sister (twin ) to us. Honey Bunch was the start of my reading habit. In high school being over whelmed with homework and must read books I did not read for pleasure. A few years later I started reading for pleasure. "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" a favorite,Jane Eyre,Ramona by Helen Jackson ,,Ivanhoe and others rejuvenated my love of reading. Thank You Honey Bunch for leading me to pleasure reading. My family Mom,Dad and Joan were my inspiration to reading.
Haha! That was The Babysitter's Club for me—not the most sophisticated or nuanced, but I knocked them back one after another. My cousin would buy the next book in the series when it came out, and when she finished it, she'd pass it on to me.
The first book I loved was "Make Way for Ducklings " by Robert McClosky. I loved all the names of the ducklings. As a little girl, it was a fun book!
But then came the Nancy Drew BookS. I capitalized the last letter, because I remember reading (inhaling?) that series the summer I was 12. I was beginning to grow up and so many things weren't making sense, but Nancy had it TOGETHER. She was smart. She always knew what to do. And I loved the mystery aspect of those books.
Even today, this is my favorite genre! Thanks Nancy. You are still the best.
Oh, I love how you can look back now and sense WHY you were so drawn to Nancy. I think that I was also drawn to books with characters that were aspirational for me—outgoing, brave, and tough. I was soft and sheltered, and that wasn't bad, but I loved vicariously experiencing the qualities I didn't naturally come by.
I still love those leading characters (women!) who are brave, tough, and can step up in the moment. These are characteristics I want to have, so yes; aspirational!
I’ve read Charlotte’s web at least 7 times, when each of my children were old enough, I read it out loud to them. Every. Single. Time. I cried. When I started it for the 7th time, I started crying at the beginning. Because of course I knew what was coming. My daughter said I didn’t have to read it. But no, I would read it to her too. Somehow I got through it.
My parents and I can’t even remember when I learned to read. We’ve always been a reading family. But I would have to say a Wrinkle in Time was my first favorite.
My book was The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. (and the rest of The Chronicles). A family friend gave us the set when I was three, and my mom read them aloud to me, and by the time I was in first grade I started reading them myself—over and over and over…. L’Engle’s A Wind in the Door and on into her others. Oh, and Little House on the Prairie!
I love your insights on this! These characters *were* so real, I had to keep revisiting them!
Oh, what a gift for your first love to be Narnia. I still love the experience of feeling as if the characters in a book were real...walking around in the world somewhere.
It’s hard to pinpoint! But the fiction book that stays with me the most from my early childhood is A Walk in Wolf Wood by Mary Stewart.
It CAN be hard to pinpoint, for sure. Sometimes I think it's not *one* book that does it but a season of books. There are always one or two that stick out in memory, though.
Mine was The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. I never forgot the description of Charlotte’s delicate-turned-work-worn hands. Also, Avi left me thinking, “What would MY secret author name be?”
Yes, I remember thinking what I'd do if I were put to the test like Charlotte was. Secret author name...definitely daydream material for sure.
I love this new aspect of the Substack!
Oh and the books that turned me into a reader were Jules Verne's books and a series of baseball books by John R. Tunis (I was a baseball fanatic).
Thank you, Sam! I love that you found a book series that hit on your sports interest!
The first big book I remember devouring on my own is The Lost Years of Merlin. I read it in second grade and finished it in two days!! So began the lifelong saga of me hiding books under my desk at school…
I’m still kinda blown away by this, frankly. You were seven!
The danger! The magic! The intrigue! Now I think of it, that book was the sci-fi/fantasy gateway drug 😂
I have never heard of The Lost Year of Merlin! I must check it out immediately. 😊 I remember feeling so grown up when I graduated to "big" books, but I was a lot older than 7!
I love that you have your childhood favorites still in hand, Michelle! Welcome to Substack, my reading buddy. You're going to love having everything right here. It's a real home sweet writing home.
Thank you, Linda! I love reading your Bookbag every month. My copies are in tatters, but so nostalgic!
Like you, I found the classics later, but Nancy Drew and whatever I could scrounge from the library shelves hooked me!
I still have all my Babysitters Club Super Specials 😂
I saw a girl looking at them at my library a few weeks ago and seeing those covers again took me right back.
As a child I loved The Honey Bunch series. As a twin I naturally enjoyed The Bobbsey Twins. The Golden books were the fist books I read myself. As I got Older I was too occupied with homework and books I had to read. After i finished school I started to enjoy reading again. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,Gone With The Wind, Anna Karina,Jane Eyre anong others
Marilyn
Ruby hollar
Before we(my twin Marilyn) could read ,Dad would read a book for 365 days of stories . There was three books similar to each other. When I was older enough to read The "Honey Bunch "series was devoured by me. Weekly when we went shopping Dad would take us to the 5&10 cent store and let us pick out the next book in the series. Joan my older sister was a big reader. She had The Nancy Drew series among others and they were passed on to my sister (twin ) to us. Honey Bunch was the start of my reading habit. In high school being over whelmed with homework and must read books I did not read for pleasure. A few years later I started reading for pleasure. "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" a favorite,Jane Eyre,Ramona by Helen Jackson ,,Ivanhoe and others rejuvenated my love of reading. Thank You Honey Bunch for leading me to pleasure reading. My family Mom,Dad and Joan were my inspiration to reading.
Marion
I love this! Going to the five and dime to get the next book...how fun! I will have to check out Honey Bunch. It sounds so cheerful!
I think Holes was the first book that hooked me. Well, and a lot of Goosebumps. Which I’m not always proud of. 😅
Haha! That was The Babysitter's Club for me—not the most sophisticated or nuanced, but I knocked them back one after another. My cousin would buy the next book in the series when it came out, and when she finished it, she'd pass it on to me.
Haha! I never read those!!
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell.
That's a great one!
The first book I loved was "Make Way for Ducklings " by Robert McClosky. I loved all the names of the ducklings. As a little girl, it was a fun book!
But then came the Nancy Drew BookS. I capitalized the last letter, because I remember reading (inhaling?) that series the summer I was 12. I was beginning to grow up and so many things weren't making sense, but Nancy had it TOGETHER. She was smart. She always knew what to do. And I loved the mystery aspect of those books.
Even today, this is my favorite genre! Thanks Nancy. You are still the best.
Oh, I love how you can look back now and sense WHY you were so drawn to Nancy. I think that I was also drawn to books with characters that were aspirational for me—outgoing, brave, and tough. I was soft and sheltered, and that wasn't bad, but I loved vicariously experiencing the qualities I didn't naturally come by.
I still love those leading characters (women!) who are brave, tough, and can step up in the moment. These are characteristics I want to have, so yes; aspirational!
I’ve read Charlotte’s web at least 7 times, when each of my children were old enough, I read it out loud to them. Every. Single. Time. I cried. When I started it for the 7th time, I started crying at the beginning. Because of course I knew what was coming. My daughter said I didn’t have to read it. But no, I would read it to her too. Somehow I got through it.
My parents and I can’t even remember when I learned to read. We’ve always been a reading family. But I would have to say a Wrinkle in Time was my first favorite.
Oh how special to share CW with each of your kids individually.
All of a Kind Family (series) by Sydney Taylor.