The 19 Books That Made Us Fall In Love With Reading As Kids

Whether it was assigned reading in class or we found it on our own, pretty much every Scary Mommy editor agreed this book captivated them.

“While I admit I don't deeply remember the plot of this book, I know it changed my life. The story was written with such whimsy and love of words, and the illustrations are wonderful. It's about a kid just like we were — young, kinda bored, in our heads — and takes him on an adventure. It's a must-read.” — Kate Auletta, Editor in Chief

“I remember exactly how this book made me feel. The wordplay showed me just how much fun you could have with writing, and the relationship between the language and math kingdoms definitely had me taking sides. It was thrilling to keep reading and see what oddball character you’d meet next, or what turn of phrase would be used in a creative new way. I have a copy of this on my bookshelf just waiting for my son to be old enough to read it.” — Katie McPherson, Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment

“To this day, this book can absolutely wreck me. Wilbur the prissy little pig's broad range of emotions; Fern growing up and growing apart from her animal friends; Charlotte dedicating her brief existence to saving her friend's life. The line ‘no one was with her when she died.’ This is FOR CHILDREN!” — Jamie Kenney, Senior Staff Writer

“Growing up, I knew what it was like when life didn't feel magical. So, I think part of what made this book a repeat read for me was how Sara's imagination proved that you can always create your own magic. Also, this idea that the greatest riches have nothing to do with money and everything to do with kindness and friendship and finding beauty in the world around you.” — Julie Sprankles, Deputy Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment

“Not only did these books foster a love of reading, they also nurtured my love of history. I loved the ‘peek into the past’ section at the end almost as much as I loved the stories of Samantha, Kirsten, Molly, and Felicity. (Showing my age: These were the dolls that were out before I outgrew the brand.) I loved the characters and their gentle (but often serious and consequential) adventures. Also, the Samantha books made me a socialist, but that's a story for another day...” — Jamie Kenney

“One of my favorite books of all time! Before the movie (which I also adored), I had my nose in this book so much that I brought it to school with me every day of third grade. Normal kid stuff!” — Katie Garrity, News & Social Editor

“OK, on the surface, the premise of this book makes no sense... but when you dig deep, the themes of the book endure: love, family, and enduring hardships together.” — Kate Auletta

“This may have been the first book that ever gave me goosebumps and quite possibly kicked off my fascination with all things paranormal and spooky. I just remember I couldn't stop turning the pages — I was so torn between wanting to know Helen's secret and being a little afraid to find out.” — Julie Sprankles

“From The Witches (my favorite) to Matilda (also my favorite) to Danny Champion of the World (my favorite) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (my favorite), I absolutely devoured these books in fifth grade, when I first encountered them. They're so dark and funny and cheeky. I always felt like I was getting away with something while reading them.” — Jamie Kenney

“I have a vivid memory of going to the library on the REG to see if they had any Sweet Valley Junior High books in stock. My mom thought I was a bit too young for the full-on Sweet Valley books, so I stuck to the junior high series. These books were campy but fun, and taught me a lot about friendship dynamics, school crushes, and how to navigate those painfully awkward years.” — Katie Garrity

“Fair warning: This book will cause you to sob. But if you love books about friendship and deep imaginations, you'll love this.” — Kate Auletta

“I absolutely love this story, both for its heartwarming elements — life as a garden, the magic of childhood, the power of nature! — and its darker ones, too. Because don't be fooled: The Secret Garden is a gothic horror disguised as a sweet children's book. Dead parents! Ghosts in haunted manor houses! Neglected children! Handsome hunchbacks!” — Jamie Kenney

“Ugh, this book wrecked me, uplifted me, made me want a beagle... all the things! I felt every bit of Marty's love and determination to protect Shiloh. And while the story definitely has some sad and unfair moments, I still walked away with hope and the very important message that doing the right thing is often hard but always worth it.” — Julie Sprankles

“My first real go at ‘real’ literature was Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, and my world was changed forever. A National Book Award finalist, Speak follows the story of a girl grappling with the aftermath of being date raped at a party, heading to high school, and facing her rapist. This book is definitely trigger-warning worthy, but if you have daughters, this might be a great book to read together when you deem it age-appropriate.” — Katie Garrity

“This was one of my first introductions to poetry, and I still have my copy. It's a lovely collection by Shel Silverstein; whimsical, funny, just delightful all around.” — Kate Auletta

“In elementary school, you could always find me reading or rereading one of the books from this now classic, in my opinion, Lemony Snicket series. Much like The Phantom Tollbooth, the author’s unique voice and wordplay was so enchanting to me. I loved that the subject matter was dark, but the Baudelaire kids at the center of the story never lost who they were.” — Katie McPherson

“This semi-autobiographical book tells the story of a farm boy who befriends a sweet little piglet named Pinky. Did I mention that his father is a butcher? You can see where this is going, right? Well, 11-year-old me didn't. This is an absolutely gorgeous story of a young man growing up and learning to understand his father, set against the backdrop of rural poverty.” — Jamie Kenney

“My grandparents took me to the library constantly as a kid, and every time, I ran straight to the section where Katherine Applegate’s Animorphs series was shelved. It was my first real intro to sci-fi books, which is still one of my favorite genres to this day. I know that love started with the Animorphs.” — Katie McPherson

One note: The prices for these books vary online, because some people treat them as collector’s items. You can find plenty of used copies for a few bucks, but don’t accidentally add the $90 version to your cart.

“This is a deeply twisty sibling rivalry story interwoven with familial angst, lost love, and more. It's a coming-of-age story from a different era, and it's magical.” — Kate Auletta

“God I love these books. This is a series of books about two friends — a frog and a toad — who are very different but are very in tune with each other. These books teach empathy, self-awareness, and kindness, and they're just lovely. Read these in elementary school and come back to them again and again.” — Kate Auletta