Armchair BEA Day Five — Children’s & Young Adult Literature

When I was in first grade, I had a hard time learning to read.  I vaguely remember having to work extra hard to learn what the other kids were picking up.  But once I got it, I never stopped.  By second grade, I was reading on a sixth grade level.  Needless to say I became obsessed with books and would read anything I could get my hands on.  My dad would take me to the library and make me promise not to read my book in less than a day (that never worked).  I’d have gone to the library every day if I could — heck, I’d have lived there if I could!  I remember my mom having to take books from me and hide them so I wouldn’t stay up all night under the covers with a flashlight finishing it.  As a kid, we didn’t always have the funds to keep up with my reading habit, so I relied on the school and public libraries to fill in the gaps.  Still, I remember envying my cousins ever-full bookshelf.  I think this is why today I buy books before I buy anything else.  I was lucky to find a man who loves reading and our home is filled with books — and thus, both my children have picked up our habit.

So here are just a few books who made a profound imprint on my book reading soul.

 

A Wrinkle in Time (series) by Madeleine L’engle

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

The Chronicles of Narnia (series) by C.S. Lewis

The Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene

Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Dealing with Dragons (series) by Patricia C. Wrede

The Babysitter’s Club series by Ann Martin

The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner

The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney

Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine

Sweet Valley High series by Francine Pascal

The Giver by Louis Lowry

Wayside School series by Lois Sachar

Much love,

Jess

Special shout-out to the awesome  Sarah of Puss Reboots for the Armchair BEA