"What Was the First Book that Made You Love Books?"

[LovesMacs]

I can't remember which one book made me love books. I do remember reading "Dear Abby" columns in the newspaper when I was about 4 or 5, and devouring Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books not much later.

[taming]

I fell in love with Uncle Wiggily. We had a bunch of the books. My parents read them to me, and I read them to my younger brother Lovely blog entry here: http://www.readex.com/blog/how-uncle...taught-me-read

[Xanthe]

It was probably the Golden Books' "Little Black Sambo". I remember loving that book when I was a kid. I wanted to live in the hut that he did because I thought it looked like a neat clubhouse. I laughed over the way he tricked the tigers, and loved the way he outsmarted them and how his mother/grandmother? made pancakes out of them at the end. The thought of the tigers racing around that tree so fast that they turned into paste fascinated me.

It was only when I grew up that I was surprised to find out about all of the controversy about that book because of its title. I don't think I ever paid attention as to whether Sambo was "black" because he was supposed to be an Asian Indian rather than an African, or even that he was drawn with dark skin. It wasn't even an issue to me; he was just another kid like me but living in an cool exotic place. I got caught up in the story of the kid outsmarting those who were more powerful, and the rest of the issues that bothered people about the book later on wasn't even a blip on my radar.

[barutanseijin]

I liked books even before i could read. I had a number of encyclopaedic books on various topics: fish, transport, the usual topics. Not dinosaurs. Picture books based on the rubber-suit monster teevee shows of the time. (This was Japan of the 1960s-1970s) There were manga around, but i didn't take to them. Ladybird books from England. People gave me the AA Milne books & le Petit Prince. I was intrigued by the pictures.

[cfrizz]

A Hardy Boys mystery. I was in the 4th grade and told my teacher I was bored. She told me to read a book.

I proceeded to read all the that series from the school library, went on to Nancy Drew...

I've been hooked ever since.

[TallMomof2]

Before I could read both my parents read books to my brothers and me. My earliest memory is of my Mom reading "Go Dog, Go!" and my Father reading "Hop on Pop!". We went every week-end to the local library and my folks let me check out whatever I wanted. Heck, we even had two sets of encyclopedias that I frequently read out of just to learn something new. My Father introduced me to Science Fiction and Fantasy which I still love to read. I can't name any one book that sparked my reading addiction.

[johnnyb]

Michel Houellebecq's "Elementary Particles" (I hope that's the correct translation)

[JoeD]

I had many more books read to me, so perhaps one of those is really responsible or played a part, but one of the earliest books I can remember reading myself was the magic faraway tree. Although, I'd probably credit the Famous Five series for really hooking me as a child on books.

I would imagine had I been born more recently, I'd be crediting Harry Potter

[fonzie4msg]

First book, which blew my mind: Houellebecq - The Elementary Particles
funny not to be the only one in this threat, regarding the wide range of possibilites...


(the last book I was stunned: Musil - man without qualities. best ever imho)

[DreamWriter]

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter got me hooked on reading at an early age. Black Beauty, The Black Stallion, Golden Books, Dr. Seuss, and Nancy Drew books are a few others I remember reading when I was young.

[Casey57]

It seems to me that I have always loved (and lived) to read. I cannot imagine my life without it.

The first book that I really remember being enthralled with was Little Women. I also enjoyed Nancy Drew mysteries (and still do! ) And I read a lot of books about the saints since I went to a Catholic grade school. I read my way through that library..... Pippi Longstocking, Heidi, Black Beauty. We read the play A Man For All Seasons in 7th grade and that is one of my all-time favorites to this day.... Love the film too!

And there was a wonderful book with a short story for each day of the year with a wonderful, wise neighborhood grandmother named Mrs Apricot. I wish I could find that book. I loved it.

[paranormalink]

The Babar books.

[cadele]

Was that 365 Bedtime Stories by Nan Gilbert?

Originally Posted by Casey57

And there was a wonderful book with a short story for each day of the year with a wonderful, wise neighborhood grandmother named Mrs Apricot. I wish I could find that book. I loved it.

[dreams]

Originally Posted by Casey57

<snip> And there was a wonderful book with a short story for each day of the year with a wonderful, wise neighborhood grandmother named Mrs Apricot. I wish I could find that book. I loved it.

Do you think it was one of the books by Nan Gilbert (aka Mildred Gilbertson)? I found a site that lists used copies for sale (they are out of print) - http://www.loganberrybooks.com/most-gilbert.html

Spoiler:

"LOGANBERRY LEGACY
Now here's a classic that certain baby boomers remember clearly and fondly: 365 Bedtime Stories. One story per night about What-a-Jolly Street for a year! There are other books with similar titles, but this is one most remember (see the Anthology Finder for different versions of this title). I do get it from time to time, so let me know if you want one!

BIBLIOGRAPHY
365 Bedtime Stories. Illustrated by Jill Elgin. Whitman, 1955.
365 Bedtime Stories. updated by Eileen Daly. Illustrated by Jill Elgin, cover art by Carolyn Bracken. Merrigold Press, 1955, 1981. Paperback. "

cadele was faster than I was.

[DoctorOhh]

Before I graduated High School the only things I read of my own accord were comics, newspaper and magazines. I cringed when forced to read anything in school. Shortly after I graduated I picked up The Exorcist and haven't stopped reading since.