Do you remember the books that first captivated you? The ones that were your first along the road to becoming an avid reader or book lover? This weekend, we decided to take a look at some of the wonderful works that made us fall in love with reading. Each brings back such vivid memories, it was fun to think back on them.
Indiana’s First Reads
Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne
I remember picking the first one up one summer (I think I was in first or second grade) and immediately loving it and loving that I could actually read it. Before that, I had struggled with reading most chapter books because they didn’t hold my attention. This was one of the first that I didn’t want to stop reading. I carried it around for weeks after I’d finished it that summer.
Because of Winn-Dixie and Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo
This author creates irresistible characters and poignant yet heartwarming narratives that won’t let you go from the first page of her books to the last. I read these two in class at school and with my mom and they’ve stuck with me all these years later.
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein
My mom and I read this one together when I was pretty young, around the same time that the Lord of the Rings movies were coming out, and Tolkein’s words and world just stuck with me. I have him to partially thank for my interest in fantasy.
Pete’s First Reads
Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne
I have to include this one too—these are the earliest chapter books I can remember reading I even had the cardboard treehouse that one of the boxed sets came in!
The Dimwood Forest series by Avi
These books are filled with daring adventures, featuring several small woodland creatures. They are heartwarming and well-written, but also quite scary at times—which was a part of why I liked them.
Holes by Louis Sachar
This is the first assigned reading I can remember really enjoying from school. I read this one several times, once reading it aloud to my younger brother. And of course, the movie adaptation is fantastic. This sparked several years of avid reading for me, and it remains one of my favorite young adult books.
What books got you into reading?
Lit Lens 
Our primary school teacher read us the Hobbit, so that had an influence on me. However the books that i myself read back then as a child to spark my love of books were by the British author Enid Blyton. I wrote a post about her on my blog a month or so ago. A wonderful writer of children’s stories but not a very nice person herself and a dreadful mother to her own daughters. Writing her books was all consuming and her family was an unwanted distraction.
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I haven’t heard of her — I’ll check out the post!
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In the early 1950’s she was writing an incredible 50 books per year. Imagine that!
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