My childhood in books

When I was a kid, I used to be a sizable bookworm. Still am at times, but you know I mostly read a different kind of book now...

Before the age of smart phones and computers, I would tuck into bed with my reading lamp and a book. I would hide under the covers so the light wouldn't alert my parents that I was awake late into the night reading chapter after chapter. These are some of my all-time favorites from that era.

1. Harry Potter: Isn't this an obvious one? The Harry Potter series is strewn across millions of favorite books lists and for good reason. I first started reading it when I was in the 2nd grade, and it got me really exited about the fantasy genre. The best part about it? The series and all the characters seemed to grow up with me, and I could really get invested in the stories.

2. Warriors: The books that spawned numerous sequels, prequels, guides, super editions, and spin-offs, the Warriors series created a whole new world in the one we already live in. It pulled its readers deep into the heart of the forests where its feral-cat characters lived until we had no choice but to really join in. Reading this series had me and my friends forming our own clan, hunting down prey, and learning to fight as well.

3. A Series of Unfortunate Events: Not a lot of people share my adoration of this series, from what I can gather. It sure is about a bunch of depressing things happening one after the other, but I think what I enjoyed about it was making all the connections in the story. Lemony Snicket is one sneaky mother. The series is littered with clever clues and hidden meanings, and it builds up some interesting suspense that makes you just want to find out who the good guys are, who the bad guys are, and what their motivations actually are.

4. Stargirl: A cryptic tale with something of a bittersweet ending, Stargirl was so unlike any other book I had read at the time. It's a great story about a social outcast who is urged to feel like she has to conform even though she was comfortable being different and, in my opinion, sends a really strong message to kids.

5. Uglies series: These were the dystopian books my classmates and I were reading before we knew dystopia was a genre.

6. Inkheart: A book about books and people who can do magical things with books, like, what's not to love? Inkheart was excellent, but I'm not a fan of its two sequels.

7. Tales of the Frog Princess: A fairy tale for the modern girl, I was in love with this series. The main character, Princess Emma, is an amazing heroine. She's brave, talented, determined, a little klutzy, and a human girl. It was really easy to relate to her.

8. The Lord of the Rings: Last but not least, the Lord of the Rings trilogy is perhaps my favorite read ever. It's long and dense, but so... epic! The mythology and setting and everything about is so very well thought out. It really was a labor of love for Tolkien, and I'd like to read it again sometime.

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