Childhood books shaped our imagination, taught us lessons, and gave us our favorite characters. They are the stories that kept us up later than our bedtime and had us begging our parents to read just “one more time”. Here are the books that defined the Bookstr team’s childhood and continue to hold a special place on our shelves today.
Chicken Soup for the Soul Series by Amy Newmark
The relatable true stories that gave me comfort, inspiration, and shared human experiences.
Lauren Daugherty, Editorial
The Goosebumps Series by R.L. Stine
The clever, silly yet spooky stories that had me reading at night with all the lights on because our imaginations run wild when we are younger!
Lauren Daugherty, Editorial
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
The quintessential childhood read by all standards. Its themes of religious ambiguity to this day make it a great read, even as an adult.
Charlie Kendellen, Editorial Intern
The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch
My fourth-grade teacher introduced our class to a lot of great books, so it’s difficult to pick one. I have a lot of great memories with all of them, but I’m especially fond of The Secret Series. It has everything: snarky narrators, footnotes, homunculi, two secret societies duking it out over the key to immortality, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
Phoebe Pineda, Editorial
Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
I was completely obsessed with the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series when they came out. Middle school was when I primarily read epistolary fiction, and Full Frontal Snogging was at the top of my re-read list. The books follow Georgia as she navigates her post-pubescent body, dealing with the embarrassment and hormonal changes that come with it. I’ll admit, even at my grown age, the snarky British humor and the unserious nature of the book always pick me up out of a reading slump. It’s a guilty pleasure.
Cassandra Fushia, Editorial
My Weird School Books by Dan Gutman
The My Weird School Series was one of my favorite series growing up. I was never a big reader until I found these books, and once I started, I was never able to stop. I loved how fun they were. They were lighthearted and easy reads, yet so entertaining. I looked forward to going to library class in elementary school because it meant I got another book in the series, and then I’d go home and finish it before I went to bed.
Nicole Vecchia, Social
The Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong
This was the series that solidified my love for reading. It follows Chloe Saunders, who discovers she’s a necromancer after being sent to a group home for “schizophrenia.” There, she realizes everything isn’t what it seems. Alongside other teens with powers, she must escape while navigating dangerous secrets, newfound abilities, and unexpected bonds. The trilogy blends supernatural thrills, found-family dynamics, and a slow-burn romance. I honestly have read this series an embarrassing amount of times, whenever I’m in a reading slump I read these books and suddenly I’m cured.
Rebecca Kennedy, Social
Pollywood by Mackenzie Lowry
While the Darkest Powers series is the one that truly made me fall in love with reading, Pollywood was the first book that made me think, “Hey, maybe reading isn’t so bad after all.” It follows Polly Brooks as she stumbles through a life where everything that could possibly go wrong does — kidnappings, murders, heartbreak… oh, and the small detail that the devil himself put her on this planet. What really hooked me when I was 9, though, was the back cover: it said the book was written by a 10-year-old. And I thought, if she could achieve her dreams, so can I.
Rebecca Kennedy, Social
The Boxcar Children Series by Gertrude Chandler Warner
This is the series I stayed up way too late reading while growing up. The series follows the mysteries and adventures of four orphaned children who create a home from an abandoned boxcar in the forest. They work together to furnish it, find food, and create a life for themselves. Over time, they reconnect with their grandfather, who takes them in but keeps their boxcar as a symbol of their hard work. I loved this series growing up, and because there are over 150 books, I was almost always reading a copy.
Erin Garvey, Editorial
Whether it was getting lost in a mystery, drifting off to fairytales at bedtime, or discovering characters that felt like friends, these books remind us why we fell in love with reading in the first place. These stories are the roots of our imagination and continue to inspire us today.
Enjoyed hearing opinions directly from the Bookstr team? Explore more on our Bookstr Talks page.
Visit our Bookshop to find your next great read.
