Top Ten Picks is a meme hosted by Jillian over at
Random Ramblings. She picks a topic, and has everyone create a "Top Ten" list of whatever that topic is. This week, it's Books that made you discover your love of reading.
To be honest, I can't remember a time when I didn't love to read. I'm pretty sure there was a time when I couldn't read, but I don't remember that either. So what I've picked today are books that were special to me as a young reader. (Close enough, right?) Without further ado, and in no particular order, here they are!
1. Baby-Sitters Club and Little Sister books. Pretty much all of my early reading was influenced by my older sister, who is older than me by six years. So my tastes tended to be slightly advanced; I was reading this one in Kindergarden. The librarian at my new school was pretty surprised when I could read these in first grade.
2. Sweet Valley Twins. What little girl doesn't read these, I wonder?
3. Animorphs. I was definitely obsessed with these; I think of it as a "gateway book," as it were, to the Science Fiction genre.
4. The Little House series. Friends, I was definitely obsessed with this series. I read them all in order, and I loved them all A LOT. I read one of the spin-off books (about Laura's daughter, question mark?) and wasn't interested in continuing with those, and I've never seen the TV show, but I LOVED these books.
5. The Vorkosigan series. That's right, it's an adult-level science-fiction series. But I started reading them when I was around 11, and have loved them ever since. My whole family has read them, and we're all pretty big fans.
6. The Anastasia Krupnik books. Do you remember these? I loved these!
7. The Great Brain books. Another series that I ate up.
8. Number the Stars. Before I ever read The Giver, I read and loved Number the Stars. I feel like sometimes I make a big deal about how Lois Lowry wrote this amazing Newberry Book, The Giver, and I gloss over her other wonderful Newberry Book. But I love it.
9. Jacob Have I Loved. Another book that sometimes gets passed over in favor of its author's better-known Newberry winner, in this case Bridge to Terabithia. This one tugs at my heartstrings more, though, and I cry every single time I read it.
10. A Wrinkle in Time. This is one of the few books I can remember reading with my mom when I was young, and it's always had a very special place in my heart.
And that's my list!
I had completely forgotten about those Anastasia Krupnik books. I LOVED those, I remember they were really funny.
ReplyDelete+JMJ+
ReplyDeleteThe Anastasia Krupnik books make me wish I had read them when I was younger and been able to grow up with them! I think I read a couple while spending a summer with my cousins, but the only one I really remember is the book in which she answers a personal ad and sends in an old photo of her mother's.
I have your first three on my list as well. And I definitely have to agree with A Wrinkle in Time -- it still is actually one of my favorite YA novels of all time. It's just sooo good, and Madeleine L' Engle is one of my favorite writers.
ReplyDeleteAww awesome list! I've read just about every single Babysitter's Club and Sweet Valley Twins book out there! And I almost forget about The Anastasia Krupnik books, I loved those. :D
ReplyDeleteWe had very similar taste in reading growing up. I loved Little House to death and preferred Number the Stars to The Giver. Great list!
ReplyDeleteHey there and thanks for stopping by my blog.
ReplyDeleteI have to tell you I loved the Little House books too. And the Sweet Valley series!
I've never heard of the Anastasia Krupnik books, must check them out.
I've also been reading pretty much since forever. In elementary I read Babysitters Club, Animorphs, Sweet Valley, Little House on the Prairie, and of course A Wrinkle in Time. It's so nostalgic looking back at these.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that people remember reading series books as favorites. I wonder what it is we like about series....
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