For some odd reason, children’s books are often unfairly dismissed within the bookish community as “lesser” forms of literature, despite the fact that every lover of books almost invariably started their reading journey by opening a picture book, chapter book, or middle grade title. To celebrate this, the folks at Bookstr are here to share the children’s books that inspired their own love of reading: the series they couldn’t put down, the picture books that became trusted friends, and the childhood reads that shaped the readers that they are today.
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, Illustrated by Lane Smith
I absolutely treasure this book. It’s been with me since elementary and it’s still one of my favorite stories ever. Originally, I found it super cute and funny and I wanted to read more like it. As I continued to reread it as I aged and then to my children, I found it interesting all of the subtext and adult parallels within that really require the rose-colored glasses of children to be taken away to fully grasp. I have no doubt that as I continue to live and experience the world, my perceptions will also continue to grow with this cherished tale. It still inspires me to pick up related books based on what I’m getting out of it from my current read through.
— Kristi Eskew, Executive Editor
The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket, Illustrated by Brett Helquist
When I was younger, I was a voracious reader. (My appetite remains the same, though my time and attention have admittedly waned a bit.) My father would visit India and bring home anthologies and comic books, while my mother would make weekly trips to the library. Consequently, at a young age I was already reading Agatha Christie mysteries and Sherlock Holmes alongside Tintin, Goosebumps, and Nancy Drew. But something felt missing, and my voraciousness started to diminish.
The Bad Beginning — and more largely the series A Series of Unfortunate Events — was the first piece of literature for children that seemed to take me seriously as a reader. It didn’t shy away from clever twists of words or events, or from uncomfortable realities. The Baudelaire children were more thoughtful, more critical, and often kinder than the adults around them, even those most well-intentioned. I was inspired to become a more thoughtful and critical reader as a result, and I think I’ll return to the series now as an adult to reinvigorate my love of reading and give it the time and attention it deserves.
— Anusikha Halder, Editorial and Outreach
Corduroy by Don Freeman
When I was little, I moved around a lot so I saw many places and met new people all the time. I found this story in a large textbook for my class, where we were assigned reading. I was hooked as soon as I flipped to the page of this cuddly bear on it. No matter how many pages my assigned reading was, I would always flip back to my story, as I called it. I had longed for a true home just as Corduroy did, and though I am still looking for it, Corduroy’s journey and tale have helped me stay positive in knowing that one day I will find my place in this world. I will forever love this story of this friendly bear living in a mall, and I will one day thank him for helping me stay positive on my journey through life.
— Kyla McClintock, Editorial
Dear Dumb Diary Series by Jim Benton
I didn’t really get into reading on my own until around middle school, and it started with this series. I don’t remember how or why I got into it, but I remember the series being relatable and funny. It also made me feel less embarrassed by my own awkwardness (did anyone feel “normal” in middle school?) and helped with the emotional and mental processing of such a stressful time (a.k.a. puberty). This series was written to look like a diary and featured little pictures and doodles throughout. Looking back on it, this series is a great way for older kids to transition from reading picture books and children’s books to reading chapter books.
— Skyler Rodriguez, Marketing and Social Media
Stephanie’s Ponytail by Robert Munsch, Illustrated by Michael Martchenko
This was one of my earliest favorites. My grandmother gave me an old copy that was retired from the library she worked at. For whatever reason, every time I read this book, I ended up laughing so hard. My favorite memories are forcing my parents and my little brother to listen to me read it aloud while I erupted into giggles, barely able to finish speaking. The book follows Stephanie, who is tired of everyone at school copying her ponytail and trying to come up with increasingly ridiculous ways to stand apart from this crowd.
As silly as the antics of the book are, it encouraged me to march to the beat of my own drum and stand out. It also created my love of odd-ball book characters, like Clementine from Sara Pennypacker’s series of the same name, and Princess Mia from The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot (two of my other favorites). It is also the reason I preferred to wear my hair in a silly half-down, half-up in a ponytail style for a good two years as a kid.
— Alexandra Harper, Social Media
The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer
Borrowed from my second grade teacher, I had already been a fan of Colfer’s Artemis Fowl series. Admittedly dark for a young adult novel, it tells the tale of Cosmo Hill, an orphan who can see supernatural creatures. After escaping the orphanage, he joins a group of similarly-gifted young adults in tracking down and taking out supernatural parasites. Young me had been drawn to Cosmo’s gritty reality, and the rag-tag group of individuals he found some sort of family in. With its twists and turns, The Supernaturalist kick-started my love for science fiction and dystopian literature.
— Amelia Haberman, Editorial
Molly Moon Series by Georgia Byng
One of the things that I absolutely loved about this book series is the book covers. I remember when my mom brought me this book series, I was stunned by the covers and wanted to read them right away. The story absorbed me completely, on top of being a mystical book, the main character was a girl. It was the first book I read where a girl was a main character, and she was strong and smart in her resolve. I loved the concept of hypnotism in the book and it seemed that the main character has a super power. Of course, that led me to enjoy mystical books more.
— Diana Tsoraeva, Graphics
Christmas in Camelot: A Magic Tree House Book by Mary Pope-Osborne, Illustrated by Antonio Javier Caparo
Christmas in Camelot showed me the magic of storytelling with its mix of fantasy and science-fiction. As a “Merlin Mission” story, Jack and Annie work with Merlin to help him with a quest of his own. This book got me invested in medieval history and fiction, with great world-building and fantastic characters! There are always stronger historical moments in “Merlin Mission” books for kids to grasp — my A.R. test scores reflected them — but the book was a great introduction into the genres I love to read today.
— Kinsey Krachinski, Editorial
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Growing up, this was my most checked out book from my school library, and when we moved and I started at a new school, it became my most checked out book from the public library. This book helped bring comfort to me during a difficult part of my childhood, moving over two hours away to a new town and a new school. Nothing around me was familiar, but having this book helped bring a sense of familiarity and home. This book also made me open to reading other books, and soon I had my own library at home of my favorite books.
— Melissa Rogers, Outreach
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
Some of my happiest childhood memories are of my mother reading to me. She knew how to make a story come alive. Every time she read to me, she would give each character a fun and silly voice and she had a particular knack for the musicality of the language. Whenever I revisit my favorite picture books, I unconsciously read them in her cadence, as if she were just as much a part of each book as the words on the page.
With so many favorites, it was hard to choose just one, but Chrysanthemum was always extra special to me. Kevin Henkes’ books are so fun and colorful and each one of them possesses so much heart. Just like me, Chrysanthemum was a shy girl with an unusual name who didn’t always fit in. Her story made me feel less alone. My mother taught me how to read and — more importantly — how to love a good story. And for that, I will always be grateful to her.
— Kaija Strong, Editorial
A Picnic with Blue by Ronald Kidd
A Picnic with Blue was the first book that inspired me to read. As a child, I never tallied much. But someone recommended that my mother use a book to try to speak and gave me the book to help me practice. Years later, I’ll always be thankful to the person who gave me the book and helped me see a brand new way to understand the world through books.
— Alison Lee, Social Media
A Dog’s Life: The Autobiography of a Stray by Ann M. Martin
I had a hard time getting into reading as a kid. I didn’t really see the point as long as I could play outside and run around with my family. However, my parents were keen on making me a reader. Somehow, this book ended up in my older brother’s hands, and by proxy, in my hands. A Dog’s Life is a heart-wrenching story that follows a stray dog as she navigates her life on the streets. It taught me sympathy and love for the animals around me, and still connected with the part of me in love with nature. This book was familiar, comforting, but also downright sad. For years, this was the only book I read, and it certainly gave me the love for reading that I was missing out on.
— Arcas Moore, Editorial
The Nancy Drew Series by Carolyn Keene
When I was a kid, we still had these things called Accelerated Reader Programs (do they still have those?) where books in the library were worth points, and if the class got enough collective points we’d get a pizza party. Bigger books were worth more points, but you could also read multiple average-sized books instead. Nancy Drew books were the first books I’d read where a woman was in an action role — sometimes even in perilous situations too! — so I was instantly hooked. I would use the program as an excuse to borrow as many as I wanted and speed through them to rack up points. I loved getting them because they were the old editions, so they had weathered covers and had a really strong book smell. Set the mystery vibe immediately!
— Annastasia Hinz, Social Media
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke
At my school, teachers had to choose a day to take us to the library so we could pick a book to read for the rest of the period. However, elementary students in fourth grade or below weren’t allowed to check out larger books meant for upper grades. But me, being the most stubborn child you’d ever meet, marched straight to the middle school section and picked the thickest book I could find.
Lo and behold, it became my favorite novel as a child. I’ve always loved fantasy and epic journeys, so a story about a kid trying to save a dragon and his home from greedy humans was enough to get me hooked. This book kickstarted my love for dragons and grand adventures. Eventually, I heard his plea for help and took it home — never to return it to the dark shelves or the destructive hands of young kids (editor’s note: Bookstr does not condone the theft of library books, even when the story slaps).
— Alexia Rocha, Editorial
Did you see any of your childhood favorites on our list? Or any that spark your interest, even as an adult? You’ll get no judgement from us if you’d like to pick one up and give it a read; children’s books are for readers of all ages to enjoy. Happy reading!
Looking for more of Bookstr’s favorite reads for kids of all ages? Check out our series of young readers recommendation articles!
And for all of our recommendations for mini bookworms in one spot, check out our Bookshop bookshelf.
