Most Influential Childhood Book?

[DarkestbeforeDawn]

For me, one of the most influential books of my childhood was The Giver by Lois Lowry. It had a very interesting concept behind it. The dystopian future actually has arguments in favor of it. I feel like that nearly never happens. What I took out of this book has shaped a lot of my views on society, people, and such.
What was your most influential childhood book?

[nitebyrd44]

For me it would have to be the entire Wrinkle in Time series. I really identified with the main character, Meg. She had always felt a little different and I struggled with that as well. I loved reading about her transformation into someone who was confidant in who she was and in what she was able to do to shape her world and help the people around her.

[Thestruggleisrea1]

The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein was my favorite. I have the book for my kids. For a tree to invoke such emotion at a young age, it's one I'll never forget.

[sarahgracetaylor]

For me, one of the most influential books of my childhood was The Giver by Lois Lowry. It had a very interesting concept behind it. The dystopian future actually has arguments in favor of it. I feel like that nearly never happens. What I took out of this book has shaped a lot of my views on society, people, and such.
What was your most influential childhood book?

I second The Giver! It's been well over a decade since I first read it and it still causes me to think back and ponder it over.

[Boyko Ovcharov]

I liked Sherlock Holmes even at that age!

[fari30]

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket and Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan, along with several novels in my native language, kept me company during my childhood. I still read books by both of those authors and love them just as much as I did those series.

[LivreAmour217]

I absolutely loved the Babysitter's Club books as a child. I also really enjoyed books written by Mary Downing Hahn--if she wrote it, I just had to check it out from the library!

[Dystopian-pleasure]

For me, one of the most influential books of my childhood was The Giver by Lois Lowry. It had a very interesting concept behind it. The dystopian future actually has arguments in favor of it. I feel like that nearly never happens. What I took out of this book has shaped a lot of my views on society, people, and such.
What was your most influential childhood book?

I second The Giver! It's been well over a decade since I first read it and it still causes me to think back and ponder it over.

The Giver by far was the most influential. As a young child It definitely made me appreciate what I had.

[TMR-Virtual Oracle]

For me it would have to be the complete original series of The Hardy Boys, by Grosset & Dunlap.

I was hooked from the very first moment I started to read The Tower Treasure, I loved the mystery, the intrigue and trying to figure out clues. I was amazed and captivated by all the dangerous situations Frank and Joe faced with each book that I read. The new and interesting places they traveled when trying to solve a case, had me dreaming about traveling to places like, Mexico, Scotland, Egypt and I never even left my room. Our family actually managed to collect the original 58 volumes and we had the complete set until 2008, when they were lent out to a family friend for their boys to read and they were ruined by a flooded basement. I have never gotten over the loss of those books, and frankly, I don't know if I ever will. It is like a part of my childhood was lost at the same time.

[peprica21]

I really loved reading Nancy Drew series growing up. She was so confident, witty, clever and adventurous. As a child those were all the characteristics I was not, so reading her stories made me want to become more like her. The cast of characters and the different mysteries she solved always pulled me into the story as well. I have always been a fan of mystery books!! I will continue to keep reading Nancy Drew over and over again throughout the years.

[Lolly_Reader]

Alice in Wonderland. The cleverness of the twists of logic still pleases me today.

[Julie Ditton]

I loved the Hobbit. Being very petite, I could identify with Bilbo. I loved a short hero. I don't remember which came first, reading the book, or playing Gloin in a children's theatre production of the play. Either way, it was influential. Tolkien was probably the first author I read where I then felt compelled to read all of his works.

[CarrieMe]

I don't think I could possibly pick just one. Charlotte's Web, Matilda, and Where the Red Fern Grows are books that have remained my absolute favorites over the years.

[Amagine]

I would say that the most influential book for me would be anything written by Dr. Seuss. The reason is because having Dr. Seuss books read to me helped instill my deep love for reading. Also, since I write children's stories, a lot of his books influence some of my writing as well.