Books From My Childhood

I read a lot growing up - on the bus, at the playground, while not paying attention in class. I tended to strongly dislike, on principle, the books that were required academic reading (with a few notable exceptions - The Giver, Number the Stars), but that didn't stop me from discovering other, much beloved literature outside of the grade school system. Below are some of my favorites from elementary and middle school - books that kept me entertained, flexed my imagination, and helped shaped my perception of the world narrative.

I went on to read many more books by the same authors over the years, but these are the particular first-reads that really sparked my passion for literature - from young adult to nineteenth century classics.