I’ve been reader for as long as I can remember. In fact, there’s a story that my mom likes to tell, about my being bribed to learn the number nine with a promise of learning my sounds. So, you might say that I loved reading even before I knew how to do it. In Montessori education, children learn to read phonetically first, with the help of sandpaper letters. While I don’t remember working with them, I do remember my first readers:
The funny thing is, the school that I work at uses these same early readers. So, every time I see a child with Mac and Tab, I get a kind of shiver in my spine. A good omen for their reading futures…?
The Berenstain Bears made up a formative part of my early reading childhood. I was all about Sister Bear, but Papa played a close second–he was too ridiculous to ignore. Mama Bear may have been the level-headed one, but Papa understood Sister when she complained that Brother and his friends were leaving her out just because she was a girl. Then he barbecued salmon and honeycomb for Sister and her friends.
Detour Worth Mentioning: Though they were below my reading level, I also liked to read the Little Critter books and the Little Monster ones, too.
As I grew older, I made more and more use of the library at my school. I remember the Cam Jansen mysteries fondly. I always wished that I had a photographic memory like Cam. Unfortunately, when I closed my eyes and said, “Click,” I didn’t take a mental picture that helped me to figure out who stole the bake sale money. Not that anyone actually stole the bake sale money at my school.
Detour Worth Mentioning: Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side and Mad Magazine were also prominent pieces of reading material during this period.
Detour Worth Mentioning: The Babysitters Club was for when I ran out of Sweet Valley High books to read.
When I was about 10, someone donated a number of hardcover Nancy Drew books to the school library. I devoured them, all the while wondering why Nancy and Ned never so much as kissed. I think I kept reading in the hope that it would eventually happen.
Detour Worth Mentioning: I also read The Boxcar Children, but they never did much for me.
Detour Worth Mentioning: One of my favorite books as a kid was Ask Me If I Care by H.B. Gilmour, which was about a teen who gets involved with a guy and drugs. So romantic. I loved the crap out of that book.
Detour Worth Mentioning: This was also when I discovered Jennifer Crusie–Crazy for You being my favorite.
Detour Worth Mentioning: This was also when I discovered Agatha Christie and, ultimately, the Golden Age of Crime.
Detour Worth Mentioning: My vast appreciation of Chicklit led me to get over myself and realize that I liked reading Romance novels. From there, I went on binges: Contemporary Romance, Fantasy Romance, Historical Romance and Romantic Suspense.
Then came Twilight. I’m kind of embarrassed that it makes my bibliobiography, but it’s not so much the book itself as what it ignited: a love of paranormal romance. Vampires were just the beginning. Eventually, I discovered my true love: #NakedWerewolves.
Detour Worth Mentioning: At this time, I rediscovered YA as a genre. I read lots of it, from Sarah Dessen to Sherwood Smith.
That’s my life in books! Stay tuned for more Bibliobiographies from your favorite bloggers each month!
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This was an awesome post! I loved the Berenstein Bears when I was a kid. My favorites were the stories about their messy room and too much junk food.
“Mama Bear may have been the level-headed one, but Papa understood Sister when she complained that Brother and his friends were leaving her out just because she was a girl. Then he barbecued salmon and honeycomb for Sister and her friends.” – LOL!
Too Much Junk Food and Messy Room were definitely favorites of mine, too. I loved the way that Papa Bear made that board thingy for their toys. And, seriously, carrots have never looked so good as the way they did when the Berenstains drew them. (Or maybe only one of them drew and the other wrote? I’ve never been very clear on that.)
I ADORE this post!!!! Massive hugs to you. I don’t even know where to begin. Let’s see…
Somehow I missed the Sweet Valley experience. I had a few books from my neighbor, but I don’t think I ever read them. I don’t know why. I think I was still more in a BSC phase and the Sweet Valley books looked Too Old for me.
Lurlene McDaniel. *sigh* you’re right, comas ARE worth pining over. Dead family members were big, too. I was always partial to the dead brother. But really, terminal illnesses were where it was at for me. L. J. Smith’s book Secret Vampire was the perfect crossover book for me because the MC gets diagnosed with pancreatic cancer AND then she gets turned into a vampire. I just, it just doesn’t get any better than that.
I never read Christopher Pike either. He seemed too scary for me. Like a grown up R.L. Stein (who was definitely too scary for me). I stuck with Lois Duncan and Carol Ellis (and if you know who Carol Ellis is, I will love you FOREVER). Most of my Carol Ellis books were ruined when my mom’s house flooded last year and I’m pretty much devastated. I need to work on rebuilding my collection.
I think the fact that the SVH books were Too Old added to their allure for me. It made them a bit illicit, though I don’t think sex even came up at all until the Sweet Valley University series.
I wonder if Lurlene McDaniel is aware of the number of young girls she made fantasize about having cancer, etc. Oh, and diabetes! I remember wanting to have diabetes soooo badly. And I HATE needles! Though that was partly because of Stacy, in the BSC.
I think Christopher Pike was more existentially scary than other horror authors of the time. It wasn’t just about the vampires/witches/zombies, etc., but also playing with your mind. I vaguely remember reading a bit of Lois Duncan, but not much. That reminds me! THE FACE ON THE MILK CARTON! I loved that book. We can add being kidnapped to our list.
I didn’t remember Carol Ellis until I looked her up on Goodreads. Then I recalled some of her books, but I don’t think I read them. Can I have a second chance if I read one now?
What a fantastic post Ruby!!! I’ve often thought about the books that have thrust me into my reading addiction! I remember reading Bridget Jones when I was in 7th or 8th grade, because my mom was reading them. Loved them! Thanks for sharing your bibliography.
Sara @ Just Another Story
Oh, you make me feel so old! I was in college when I read the Bridget Jones books!
Maybe you can be one of my guest bloggers for the Bibliobiographies posts!
Ohhh!!!! You just took me back in time! All of those are great but I had the ENTIRE collection of Nancy Drew! I loved those books.
Well, that was the idea! I’m glad I accomplished it. I really wish they’d do a Nancy Drew TV show, with a little bit of a modern update, but a period piece all the same. That’d be awesome.
Did you ever read Confessions of a Teen Sleuth? It’s hysterical.
Doesn’t sound familiar, I’ll have to look it up. You know, I may have to reread all of these. I really miss her!
Well, so long as you don’t take Nancy too seriously, you’d probably enjoy it. It’s pretty tongue-in-cheek.
I love this post! I think that is a great list of books through the ages
Thank you, Felicia!
This is such a terrific post, Ruby! I remember and read a lot of the same titles too. I didn’t get into SVH but I devoured the Babysitters Club. I also was a huge R.L. Stine fan instead of Pike. I was Nancy Drew for Halloween because I adore her and I fell for the Hardy Boys. I also went through the orphan phase but never cared for them.
Thanks! I’m glad you like it. My hope is to get a different blogger to tell their Bibliobiographies every month. I can’t wait to see other people’s lives in books.
I remember being in the minority in the SVH v. BSC thing. Most girls my age were reading the Babysitters when I couldn’t get my head out of those Sweet Valley books.
Ruby!! I love this post.
It is so great to go back and remember the books that helped make us such book-aholics. The Berenstein Bears were among my favorites too. 
Too Much Junk Food had to be my favorite.
I too skipped the Sweet Valley Kids and Twins series and found Sweet Valley High. I should go back and read them all. I don’t think I ever made it past the 20s.
I really do love this post. It put a big smile on my face. It’s a great way to get to know the bloggers we follow!
So much awesome love in this post! I remember those phonics books. WIN!
I always preferred Christopher Pike too! I loved all of those books as a kid. And Sweet Valley High! Did you read the new one that just came out? I don’t think I will. I don’t want to ruin the memory.
This is a great idea and I can’t wait to see the others!
This is the best! The Berenstain Bears were THE books I read as a kid! I had all of them, and that’s what I’d get every birthday until about 9 years old (by then I had discover The Babysitter’s Club and The Berenstain Bears were getting a little “babyish”). My parents even bought and inscribed Berenstain Bears and The New Baby for me when my brother was born.
This such a cool idea, and really made me think back to my own bibliobiography!
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