Five Book Series That Shaped My Growing Up Years

All us bookworms have them—those particular books that changed us, helped us grow, swept us away to a whole new world that shifted our perspective or simply introduced us to a genre that quickly became the One True Favorite. Those special few that became our stories.

I definitely have those stories. Some of them may not even be my top favorite books anymore; there are plenty of other novels that I find more engaging and suit my tastes far more these days. But these are the stories that shaped the Christine you know today, and no other tales can replace them. They will hold a special place in my heart forever.

And so today I am going to introduce you to the 5 most integral stories from my childhood, and explain why they are so important to me.

Grab some tea or your beverage of choice, and allow me to take you down nostalgia lane!

THE BETSY-TACY SERIES

by Maud Hart Lovelace

This one may surprise you because *GASP* it’s not fantasy!

I very rarely see anyone talk about this series, which makes me sad because…oh, guys. This series… This was everything. It was the start of it all.

I, of course, have loved reading and stories since…always??? There wasn’t a single time in my life that I don’t remember not adoring books. But it was with the Betsy-Tacy books that my incurable love of reading blossomed. I think I was about 8 or 9 when I first started this series about Betsy, a spirited little girl who dreamed of being a writer, and Tacy, her softhearted best friend, and the ups and downs of their quaint little life in early-1900s Minnesota, from young childhood up to Betsy’s wedding.

I think the biggest appeal was Betsy herself. To this day, I’ve yet to come across a character to whom I relate more. Betsy WAS me. From her wild imagination to her love of writing to many of her—AHEM—character flaws, especially in her teenage years. She even had hazel eyes like me, and was born in 1892 (while I’m a 1992 baby *grins*). These books helped me grow and see my own failings and strengths, because whenever I opened the pages, I was right there. Betsy’s thoughts and reactions felt like my own, uncannily so.

And what makes it even more special, is that these books are semi-autobiographical! The author, Maud Hart Lovelace, started telling her daughter stories of her childhood, and in doing this she had the idea of writing this series. Though some of it is, of course, made up, so much of it came straight from Lovelace’s own life that even she struggled to remember what was real and fictional. It always felt so special to me that I related so deeply to a woman born 100 years before me. That even after her death, she could reach out and touch so many simply with the stories from her childhood.

Not only did this series make me realize just how much I love stories, from reading to writing, I found myself within the pages on such a personal level, it became instrumental to my growth.

Aside from the relatability of the protagonist, these little books are filled to the brim with an endless dose of charm. They’re not action stories. They’re not even particularly dramatic. They simply tell the story of life, of the small little moments that shape who we are, of the quiet joys, and of how beauty can be found in the simplest of things. It’s very Little Women-esque in that. (And, honestly, I was always kind of sad it’s not as widely known as Little Women.)

If you’ve never read this enchanting tale of a girl named Betsy, her dear friends Tacy and Tib, and the many highs and lows of growing up, I couldn’t recommend it enough.

THE AMERICAN GIRLS BOOKS

by Various Authors

More historical fiction—surprising, I know!

These books came very soon after my Betsy-Tacy discovery. I know for sure I was 9-years-old when I read my first American Girls book, because my 10th birthday was coming up and all I wanted was an American Girl doll. XD (Which I got by the way. I received Kirsten and loved that doll SO MUCH.)

My bestie was the one who brought these books (and the whole franchise) to my awareness. Though it only lasted for about a couple of years, our American Girls obsession was REAL. Some of my most vivid memories are going to our local Books-a-Million where they had a whole little American Girls section, and just scouring ALL the fun books they had—from novels, to quiz books, to everything in between.

Being the book devourer I was, I read ALL the main American Girls books available (from Samantha to Kaya) in like a year, and then turned around and reread a bunch of them. And after I read those, I got deeply into the History Mysteries, which is where I discovered I love me a good mystery! And it was also then that I discovered mysteries are best read in one sitting. Because I would, quite terribly, often stay up to the wee hours of the morning with a flashlight reading the History Mysteries book because I just had to know whodunnit. (When I was most certainly supposed to be asleep. *cough, cough*)

Though I always “claimed” Kirsten was my favorite, I think that was just because she was blonde like me. Apparently I was a terribly vain child. XDD But as far as the actual STORIES, I always most enjoyed Molly, Felicity, and Kit. Samantha’s tales were great too.

Not only did I learn a ton of history from these books (I declare to this day most of my history knowledge is whatever I read in American Girls books XD), but, like the Betsy-Tacy series, they were integral in my discovery of just how amazing reading was. I read SO MUCH when I discovered these books. Seriously, I lived and breathed all things American Girls during my 10th and 11th years—from reading the books, to poring over the catalogs, to scouring the American Girls sections in bookstores, to playing games on the official website. Ah, such good memories.

THE HOBBIT/LORDS OF THE RINGS

by J.R.R. Tolkien

And I suspect this one surprises approximately no one.

I was 10-years-old when the Fellowships of the Ring film came out and LotR and The Hobbit came to my awareness. I don’t think I had even finished the second sentence of The Hobbit before I knew this book was going to be life-changing.

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.”

You really can’t beat that.

Though I had always loved fantasy stories like the classic Disney films and things, this is what really, truly introduced me to my great, unending love of the fantasy genre. These stories full of brave dwarves and majestic elves and a fierce dragon and a magic ring and dangerous quests and epic battles and dear, humble hobbits to face it all—they wowed me. I devoured The Hobbit whole, and when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. After I finished, I immediately dove into Lord of the Rings. And I believe soon after turned around and reread The Hobbit…and again and again and again. To the point that it is my most reread book ever (I sort of lost count after the dozenth time).

I had discovered my love for writing at 9-years-old (and I suspect Betsy-Tacy had a hand in that), but after reading The Hobbit, I set aside my first story that was a random contemporary about a girl and her horse (because, yes, I was that type of girl) and jumped straight into writing a fantasy novel. And I never looked back. Honest to goodness, I’ve not written a single non speculative fiction novel since.

I don’t even know who I would be today if I hadn’t read these stories as a child (and watched the LotR films some 928932 times). Because of them, I discovered not only my favorite genre, but the types of stories I love as well. Stories about brave people facing impossible odds and darkness and danger, but woven with hope. Stories that make you want to face your own hardships with courage and strength and know that there is always goodness in the world, even when you can’t see it. Stories about light always triumphing over darkness. (Also dragons. I blame Smaug for my ridiculous love for dragons, the sassy little beastie that he is.)

I’m just…I’m so grateful for these stories Tolkien created.

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES

by L.M. Montgomery

Another non-fantasy? I KNOW. I read way more historical fiction when I was little! (These days, if it’s set in the real world I want nothing to do with it. XD)

Oh, these stories.

This series was my mom’s favorite books, and I grew up watching the Megan Follows film which, in my eyes, is still perfection. It was inevitable I’d eventually read the books. I can’t remember exactly how old I was. I want to say early teens, but— *clutches heart* They changed everything for me.

Like Betsy-Tacy, these books are the quiet kind, focusing not so much on the drama, but the beauty. It’s hard to put into words, better something to be experienced, but these stories open your eyes to how wondrous and magical this world God has created truly is. Before I read these books, it was like I was wearing dirty glasses, able to see but not to the full extent I could. But then I opened the pages of Anne’s mind, saw the inner workings of her beautiful and wild imagination and all the wonder she found in something as simple as a reflection, and it was like the dirty lenses were lifted and the world became bright and clear and filled with fairy dust. My childhood wonder expanded beyond anything I could have imagined, and my appreciation for this beautiful world erupted into something glorious. To this day, sometimes when I go outside, I reflect on how Anne would see everything around me, and suddenly it becomes so much more incredible.

Sometimes in the midst of all the turmoil our world has created, it’s hard to remember that this universe is BEAUTIFUL. That God created endless wonder for us to enjoy. But these books remind me of that more than any other. L.M. Montgomery had a gift, and I will forever be grateful to her for sharing Anne (with an E) with us all, and allowing us to step into a little orphan’s mind and through it see the glories and beauties God has created.

DRAGONS IN OUR MIDST/ORACLES OF FIRE SERIES

by Bryan Davis

Ah, yes, here we go!

If The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings introduced me to my love for fantasy, it was Bryan Davis’ dragon books that led me to the world of YA Christian fantasy and, from there, basically every type of book I read now. Discovering this series was the end to my historical fiction phase, I fear. XD

I was either in my early- to mid-teens when my bestie (the same one who made me aware of the American Girls books; I have her to thank for SO MANY of my favorite reads) very enthusiastically told me about a series she had found at the library. She pulled out the one she was currently reading, The Candlestone, book #2, and when I saw the cover with a girl with DRAGON WINGS, I basically got hold of the first book immediately. And thus began my Bryan Davis obsession. (That is still going, by the way.)

This contemporary fantasy about “anthrozils” (half dragon, half human children) and quests and Arthurian legend (another thing I LOVED since my early days) and convoluted plots and did I mention DRAGONS??? was nothing like anything I had ever read. The second I finished one book, I begged my parents to take me to Lifeway so I could buy the next one. And then when I finished the ones that were currently published, I waited in agony for the newest ones to release.

I think most of us can thank Bryan Davis for what is now the YA Christian fantasy market. When I was younger, I mostly read historical fiction because there really wasn’t any fantasy books like this. I wanted more fantasy, but there weren’t many options as far as clean fantasy for teens. It took Bryan Davis a lot of effort to get a publishing house to accept his works, because they were so far from the norm. But boy did he prove that they were salable! And, because of that, we now have a wide variety of novels like this.

Once I read these, I searched for more and found Wayne Thomas Batson’s The Door Within trilogy. Later I discovered Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl (which is another series that could probably go on this list, honestly!). I read Donita K. Paul’s The DragonKeeper Chronicles. As I got older, I was introduced to Jill Williamson’s epic Blood of Kings trilogy. And then branched out into some general market YA spec-fic like The Hunger Games and The Lunar Chronicles. I had found the books for me. But it all started with Dragons in Our Midst.

These books also helped me grow in so many ways. They are utterly filled to the brim with beautiful, powerful themes, characters who face so much danger but still cling to their faith, spiritual warfare that really made me think, just…so much! Maybe it’s dramatic to say, but they really were life-changing, in more ways than one.

Bryan Davis created something amazing, and paved the way for a much-needed genre in the publishing world. And I will forever be grateful to him.

Wow, what a nostalgia trip! Now I want to go reread ALL THE THINGS and relive my childhood. These books make me so happy.

And I feel like there are so many more books I could talk about (I didn’t even mention Peter Pan, or Alice in Wonderland, or fairy tales in general!), but if I had to sum up the 5 most important series from my childhood/teenage years, these would be it. Because of them, they opened up worlds I would have never before discovered, led me to genres and other stories I hold near and dear, helped me mature, aided in my spiritual growth, and just brought endless joys during those vital growing up years.

Stories really are powerful things.

Obviously I want know what stories were integral to YOUR growing up years. I absolutely love hearing about the tales that hold those special places in a person’s heart. So PLEASE. Gimme all the titles! And have you read these? Do we share any childhood books? Am I the only one who adored the Betsy-Tacy books? I need to know there are others out there!

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Jan
Jan
May 3, 2021 9:14 AM

Great post💕 The only books I’ve read from this list are Anne of Green Gables and LOTR/ the hobbit, and I read all of them after I grew up a bit but I love them none the less😁 I read the Narnia series and lots of other classics but I’ve never heard of the rest you’ve mentioned here.

McKayla
May 3, 2021 10:48 AM

SO. MANY. GREAT. BOOKS.
I’ve read almost all of these. I haven’t heard of Dragons in Our Midst, and I haven’t read LOTR yet (though I know the story! And it’s definitely on my to-read list).
I love the Betsy-Tacy books! They 100% deserve more recognition. It’s so cool that you related so much to Betsy. I love it when I can relate to a character.
The American Girl books were really great, too! I think those were pretty much all I read for at least a year. XD.
Anne of Green Gables is great. I re-read it SO MUCH as a child (I still re-read it, though not quite as much). The story is so timeless, and I’ve always related to Anne a lot.
I don’t think I actually read The Hobbit by myself, but my dad read it to me, and I loved it.
Hmm, I had lots of childhood favorites. Some of my favorites were the Percy Jackson series, the Harry Potter series, the Dear America/Royal Diaries series, the Ramona Quimby books and The Doll People series.

Maya Joelle
May 3, 2021 11:27 AM

Our lists are pretty similar! I think Bryan Davis’ books were my first introduction to the world of modern Christian fantasy. I don’t like them as much as I used to, but there’s so much nostalgia that I reread them anyway… also I adore Walter and Ashley and Gabriel!!

Which of the Betsy books is your favorite? I think mine is Betsy and Joe, but it’s so hard to choose.

Joy Caroline
May 3, 2021 11:33 AM

American Girl and Anne of Green Gables were my whole childhood! I still read my old AG books sometimes for nostalgia, and I have the Felicity doll. She sits on my bed during the day and looks so pretty in her green and gold dress!

I definitely still read the Anne of Green Gables series ALL. THE. TIME. My favorite book is the eighth, Rilla of Ingleside. Which is your favorite?

To be honest, the themes started getting darker with each subsequent book Montgomery wrote (Anne of Windy Poplars and Anne of Ingleside were actually written after RoI). So I didn’t enjoy Anne of Ingleside that much, honestly. The storyline about Anne thinking Gilbert no longer loves her leaves a bad taste in my mouth. When I was little and read that, I just thought, “Anne’s dumb to think that,” and at the end, “Yay, she realized she was dumb and it turned out great!” But now, being older, when I read that happy ending it is just so unconvincing, and the whole storyline just doesn’t sit well.

The Blythes are Quoted is really dark. I have it in my library because I just have to read anything Anne and Lucy Maud Montgomery, but in my mind I don’t count it as part of the Anne series. It just doesn’t fit with the Blythe family I know and love.

But the darker themes are attributed to Montgomery’s depression and her difficult marriage, and that makes me see them in light, if you know what I mean. Her empathy and genius really shines through everything she writes.

I love Rilla of Ingleside the most because it is so beautiful and patriotic. Also, may I mention that Walter and Rilla’s relationship is just so beautiful! I adore the older brother, little sister connection in books. I love Walter so much – he doesn’t get half the appreciation he deserves. I believe his death in RoI was the first time a book ever made me cry. His passion for beauty, his courage, and his sacrifice was a thousand times better than the other boys’ excitement about the war. Also, Susan Baker is my absolute favorite character. She’s so kindhearted and hilarious. The Whiskers-on-the-Moon storyline added some much-needed comedy relief.

This comment is officially very long, so I’m going to end it now. This was an awesome post, Christine! Keep it up!

Maple
May 4, 2021 1:12 PM
Reply to  Joy Caroline

Can I jump in here and ask if you’ve read L.M. Montgomery’s The Blue Castle? It’s not in Anne’s world, but it’s truly a charming story, and I really enjoyed it – I’m due for a reread.

(If you haven’t read it, the basic premise is that this woman who is dissatisfied with her life gets a letter from her doctor that says she could die any day because of a problem with her heart. And so she sets out to make life worth living and… well you’ll just have to read it ;P but I will say it isn’t a sad story, in case you’re worried. :3)

Skye
May 3, 2021 11:41 AM

So cool to see all the series that you grew up with! I’m with you on LotR, Anne of Green Gables, and Dragons in our Midst.

Krista
May 3, 2021 11:46 AM

Oh my goodness, Anne of Green Gables is one of my FAVORITE series [does “series” have a plural form?] that I have ever read. So is the Lord of the Rings — though I think I enjoy the Hobbit a leetle more than LotR, probably because it’s a lot shorter. I loved reading this blog post — all of your blog posts are great! You just radiate joy somehow! (Teach me your waaaays.)

I’m technically not through with growing up, some of the books I enjoyed IMMENSELY as a younger kid were the Narnia books. They were the books that integrated a love for fantasy in me at a tender age. I read them all to myself when I was about eight years old. My mom read The Horse and His Boy aloud to us for school (I’m homeschooled), and we owned and watched The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader on DVD (not the BBC versions). Narnia is like a second home to me now (as are Avonlea; Middle-Earth; Neverland; and, of course, the weird fantasy world in my brain that features a LOT of mythical Races derived from my imagination and my indignation at the fact that humans don’t have wings.

Maple
May 3, 2021 12:00 PM

Great selection!
I’ve only read Bryan Davis (that specific series too) recently, but I definitely see why he was so influential, and I’m thinking of getting deeper into the YA Christian fantasy genre. :3
I enjoyed a lot of (one of) the Canadian equivalent(s) to American Girls: ‘Dear Canada,’ though those were geared towards people growing out of the Middle Grade section. I’m also only recently getting into Tolkien – I know, I know. xD My mom read Green Gables to me and my sister when we were younger as well, and I’m looking to revisit it sometime soon and get through the whole series. The others I haven’t heard of.
Ben M. Bagilo was quite prolific with his stories and got me consuming books super super fast, because there were so many to read! His various series were all about animals and I liked them a lot.
We also had a ton of these books that had fairies in them, and that coupled with Tinkerbell movies and the games I’d play with my closest cousin really drove home my love of fantasy!
Thanks for sharing! ^-^

Maple
May 4, 2021 1:07 PM

I have not! I will go check them out :D.

LOL. I’m slowwwly working through LOTR and the Hobbit. The Silmarillion intimidates me too xD. They are! <3 She read a lot of books to us ^-^ they were always some of my favourite times.

It’s not a well-known name. My library hasn’t heard of him either. Which surprised me, because we had like thirty of his books and they were a stable of my childhood literature. xD

Fairies are the best. ^-^

Diamond
May 3, 2021 12:38 PM

I have read both the Hobbit(and part of LOTR) and the AG books. The others seem interesting though!
*adds to TBR*
I really am interested in giving the Betsy-Tacy books a shot! They seem similar to a project I’m working on, following tweens until they get married(potentially longer…I’m very interested in the concept of my main character as a young mother as well…)

Bethany
Bethany
May 3, 2021 12:52 PM

Wow, I remember reading the American Girls books over and over again! My favorite was definitely Samantha! Another series I loved was The Boxcar Children!

Samantha
May 3, 2021 3:50 PM

Ahhhh so many amazing books in one place!

Betsy-Tacy 100% played a HUGE role in my growing-up years. LOVE those books. <3 <3

And I read the American Girls books, too! But mostly Kirsten, Felicity, and Rebecca, because those were the ones I could find at the library. 🙂

I didn’t read The Hobbit/LOTR until just a couple of years ago–I had trouble with The Hobbit when I was little–but I’m planning on making those part of the growing-up years of my kids and/or my siblings’ kids, if/when we all get married and have kids!

Anne of Green Gables! Those were less a part of my very early years, but from age 12-13…oh boy. SO many rereads of those books!

I have never even HEARD of Bryan Davis…but those books sound really interesting!

The books that shaped my growing up years most were, I think, the Ranger’s Apprentice series, the Book of Three series, and the Narnian books. Ranger’s Apprentice was realistic fantasy, and really taught me to read between the lines, The Book of Three was a series based on Welsh fantasy and I loved it for the outsized characters and subtle lessons, and Narnia obviously needs no explanation. 🙂

Alexa
May 3, 2021 4:36 PM

Ahh! So many good books! The American Girl books also shaped my childhood years!

AMY
AMY
May 3, 2021 8:45 PM

Hi Christine! I’ve just subscribed to your blog and I AM IN LOVE W/ MOST OF THOSE BOOKS!!!
I adore Anne of Green Gables and have almost all of the original paperbacks!
My sister sent me to your blog (so you can blame her) and am a totally unashamed bookworm!
Can’t wait to explore your blog some more!

Jen
Jen
May 4, 2021 4:40 PM

Oh, Christine! I loved reading about your childhood books! I’m sorry to say I didn’t know of the Betsy-Tacy books until a few years ago, but CLEARLY I missed out on a fantastic series because I adore Little Women and if you’re comparing the two then I should look into them. <3

I love the American Girls! I really loved Kirsten’s stories, but my favorites were Felicity, Samantha, Kit, and Molly. ^_^ I also really liked Josefina as well!

Hobbit! LotR! I have shamefully only read each book once, technically twice if we’re counting audiobooks, but I can’t express how much I love the movies! I watched them when I was 13 and it just irrevocably sucked me into my love of fantasy that had already been pretty strong thanks to Disney. XD I really need to reread them soon…

Anne! Oh I love those books! And the Meghan Follows films! I always thought Anne was crazy for not liking her red hair when I always wanted red hair. XD I was first introduced to Anne by the films as a child and then read the books, which I was already planning on rereading soon and now you’re making me want to reread them even more! ^_^ Anne was one of the first characters I ever related to and is one of my top favorite characters ever. <3

My library doesn’t have any Bryan Davis books! *sobs* I must fix that by requesting them immediately! XD I’ve been wanting to read them ever since I learned about them during the Silmaril Awards.

Sarahkey
Sarahkey
May 7, 2021 6:42 AM

I can relate to the Dragons In Our Midst thing SO much, I can’t remember if it was The Door Within or Dragons In Our Midst that introduce me to Christian Fantasy, both of them definitely launched my love for [Christian[ Fantasy,

What you wrote about Anne of Green Gables was really cool XD

Also out of the 3 series which one is your favorite? Mine is definitely Oracles of Fire (Sapphira’s and Elam’s relationship.) it has my favorite plotline and in general probably the best written(????) idk though, just my opinion XD

Reading posts like this is honestly inspiring because it reminds me of just how much impact authors have and makes me want to go write something that could be life changing/spring XD

Kenzie
May 7, 2021 11:55 AM

Oh my WORD!!! I was actually planning on writing a post very similar to this (I’d scribbled the idea down in my brainstorming journal a couple weeks ago), but THIS WAS SO SO MUCH BETTER THAN ANYTHING I COULD HAVE WISHED FOR. I feel like you and I are very similar with how we were searching for “our stories” while growing up. I definitely struggled to find books which spoke to my heart, because–as you said–when I was growing up, it seemed the only clean fiction out there were the historical things. (which, don’t get me wrong, there are SO MANY GOOD ONES. but like…my heart always craved fantasy. XD)

I’ve never read the Betsy Tacy series, but MY GOODNESS I THINK I NEED TO NOW. Even though it’s not a fantasy or science fiction novel, I feel like it has a very Anne of Green Gables vibe, and I ADORE Anne!!! That was one of the first series I ever truly connected with, as well! I remember my mom handing me the first book and telling me she thought I’d like it, and I absolutely DEVOURED that novel. And then the next. And then the next. XD (growing steadily more in love with Gilbert Blythe, by the way. XD)

Another book with a similar vibe to Anne which truly helped shape my love for reading was The Five Little Peppers. That book was just!!!!! *clutches heart* I just love it so so much. (and if you’ve never read it, I think you’d love it, too!!!)

BRYAN DAVIS!!! I’ve technically never read the Dragons in Our Midst series, but I DID read the first Oracles of Fire book, and I really really want to go through and just….read them all. XD I find it so wonderful how he really paved the way for the books which we’re now trying to write! I can’t imagine the hurdles he’d have to jump through in order to find his niche, but it only goes to show that with a little faith and some trust, God’s will always finds a way. <33

OH OH OH!! And I was obsessed with American Girls, as well!!! I didn’t read all the stories (my sister was a little older than me when they got super popular and therefore probably read more of them than I did) but I had a doll that looked like me and had the cat–Licorice. Which I THINK is no longer available to buy. XD So clearly I’m in possession of a collector’s piece, here. XD

I could probably go on for three more paragraphs squealing over everything you’ve said, but I’ll try and end it here. This was SUCH a fun post, and I absolutely loved being able to stroll with you along memory lane and look at all the wonderful books which brought us the wonderful, whimsical Christine we have today!!! You are such an incredibly sweet soul, and it makes my heart so happy that we share some of the same books which helped pave the way to our future selves!

Heather @ The Frozen Library
May 10, 2021 7:54 PM

Oooh, I’ve heard of Betsy-Tacy from reading the Mother-Daughter Book Club series because the characters read them in it! 😛 And so it’s been on my TBR for a while, but I didn’t grow up knowing about it.
YAAAAS AMERICAN GIRL!!!!!! We book bloggers need to boost it more! Why do I feel like as soon as we reach a certain age we forget they exist?! I used to read almost all the books, and I loved the “originals” like Samantha, Kaya and Felicity too. And the movies! Ahhh I wish I could rewatch and reread all of them but I don’t own any of them anymore. Did you ever read any of the Girl of the Year books? I think my first was Nikki? I think she was for 2006, but I don’t even remember what it was about. I think my favorite was Chrissa though, but I think I only watched the movie for it. I owned it so I watched it all the time. I like how each one has some unique hobby. It’s just fun and cute to watch.
I only watched the first LOTR movie like two years ago and have never read the books. I was more into Narnia. 😛
I read the first Anne of Green Gables when I was little and liked it, but I don’t think I realized it was a series. I really like the newer Netflix show (well, most of it) so it’s made me want to finally get to the whole series. 🙂
Hmm, I’ve actually never heard of Brian Davis’ books.
Peter Pan was definitely MY book when I was in elementary school. 😛 I reread it so many times my copy broke clean in half and I had to tape it back together. O.o I was obsessed with the 2003 live action movie too, and to this day I think no other adaptation can trump it. Even the Disney one, which is surprising cuz I’m a huge Dis-nerd too. XD Now I collect different editions of Peter Pan and reread it every January for my birthday month for nostalgia. 🙂
I definitely loved Magic Treehouse (I blame Tonight on the Titanic for my Titanic obsession :P) and The Life of Faith series. Did you read those? They were kinda like American Girl but Christian and longer and only had like four different characters with series I think. I grew up reading just the Millie books, but I had her and Kathleen’s dolls and I still want to read the other series one day. 🙂

Heather @ The Frozen Library
May 12, 2021 7:27 PM

YAAAAAS! I read a few of the History Mysteries too and really liked them! 😀
I mostly love Anne With An E for the cast. The girl who played Anne is just so great. She just makes me happy, I just think she does such a good job. XD <3 But I don’t think I’ve ever seen any of the other adaptations of it, so I’m probably biased. 😛
YAAAYYY SOMEONE ELSE WHO LOVES PETER PAN! XD That 2003 movie was my LIFE!!! I do like the Disney one, but not as much.
I started doing it because one of my favorite BookTubers has a huge Alice in Wonderland collection because it’s her favorite, so that’s where I got the idea to do it for Peter Pan, and I started doing it for the Hunger Games too. 🙂
What HOW have you never read Magic Treehouse?! XD
Yeah! They were really good. I mostly grew up on the first half of the series cuz when it skips ahead to when she’s married and in her 20s I wasn’t as interested in reading it so I saved them for when I was an adult too so I could relate to it more I guess? I mean I’m not married, but I’m the same age she was now I think so I finally finished the series a couple years ago just so I could grow with it.

Sarah Ryder
Sarah Ryder
May 13, 2021 2:55 PM

These are all such great books! I remember my mom reading Anne, The Hobbit, and LOTR out loud to me and my sister and even though I reread The Hobbit and LOTR on my own years later I have to admit I…like the movies better. *hides* I KNOW, I’m such an awful bookworm but it’s the truth. I just have trouble keeping up with Tolkien’s writing and struggle to not get confused or bored, a thing I have trouble with in spades with classic books in general. I chalk this up to not getting into reading as early as everyone else….

American Girl! I LOVED those books for SO many years! And I read a few of the Betsy-Tacy books! I think only the first couple or so because that’s all my library had, but I do remember liking them.

I actually read Dragons In Our Midst/Oracles of Fire/Children of the Bard a couple years ago based on your gushing and LOVED THEM!!!! Though I do agree the writing of the first one especially (Raising Dragons) is a bit….old, but they were also the author’s first books so I don’t hold that against him, haha. My first Bryan Davis series was actually Dragons of Starlight which I started on book two, Warrior, and had NO IDEA what was going on (again, the library. Why can’t they ever have the full series?) but I ADORED them. I especially like how he can write characters to be so great yet so frustrating you want to shake them even as you understand WHY they are thinking and saying and doing those things. Also, am I the only one who thinks the new covers for that series are not as good as the originals?

One of my childhood/teenhood faves would be the Thoroughbred series by Joanna Campbell (and other various authors) which was actually the first BOOK series to plant the seed of writing in my head (Disney’s Tangled was actually the story that drove me to write my own and want to become an author for real). Others would be Narnia, The Kingdom series by Chuck Black, and a really obscure and sadly out of print series called Bella Sara which are fantasy stories based on the online game of the same name in which there is a land of magical horses. Bella Sara was the one to make me fall head over heels in love with fantasy and I read the first two nearly every day for the longest time. Oh, I almost forgot the Horse Angel series (which is now called Horse Guardian for those who want to look it up 😉 ) by Angela Dorsey! It’s MG supernatural about an angel who helps various horses and their girls across the world as each book is about different characters. I loved those books and another staple to ground me in the speculative genre forever, haha!

I better stop there or I’m gonna be here all day clogging up your comments, LOL! Maybe when I (eventually) start a blog I’ll make a post like this!

Emily Grant
May 16, 2021 8:09 PM

You have hazel eyes, too?? Yet ANOTHER thing to add our twin-list! (I’m the only person in my family with hazel eyes, so I always love finding other people who have them. xD) The Betsy-Tacy stories sound a little bit like the Elsie Dinsmore series. I only ever read the first book, but it was so charming and lovely and I still would love to read the rest of them eventually!

YES AMERICAN GIRLS! I, too, learned much of my history knowledge from them. xD And how funny that you first read them and wanted a doll for your 10th birthday, because the girls always started out at 9 and turned 10 in their birthday books! I got my American Girl obsession from my older sister, who let me read her books and (sometimes) play with her dolls. Molly and Kit were some of my favorites, too! And prooobably Josefina. I think they’d be my top three! And I, too, spent hours on the website playing the games. (they had some pretty fun stuff, not gonna lie. I still go there every now and then. xD) My dolls still have a place of honor in my hallway. (including Kirsten, who I saved up for and bought with my own money and was very proud of. xD) Every now and then I’ll go back and reread the AG books, particularly the Christmas ones. They make me so happy. <3

Something about reading what LOTR means to people always seems to make me a bit emotional, because it reminds me just how incredible those stories are. (Also, I had a bit of a crisis when you said you were ten when the FOTR movie came out. Like, I knew it came out a long time ago, but whew. Feeling old here. xD But I also didn’t even see the movies until they’d been out for years, so it’s still so strange to me to think they ARE so old!)

Ahh, Anne of Green Gables! I’ve only ever read it once, years ago, and I’d really like to reread it sometime. Along with the rest of the series. I’ve seen the movies a few times, though, and I always so enjoy them! Anne and Gilbert are so adorable! (And Anne’s being a writer doesn’t hurt, either!)

*is reminded for the 2093848th time that I need to read Bryan Davis books*

You have me feeling nostalgic now, too! Aside from what I already mentioned, some of my favorite series as a kid were The Baby-Sitters Club, The Berenstein Bears (a little younger but still a GEM), Sweet Valley Twins, and every single horse book imaginable. XD I especially loved The Saddle Club. And I was also a member of a club that sent me two horsey books (along with a bunch of other goodies) every month, and let me tell you I DEVOURED those books. I don’t think they ever lasted until the next box arrived. xD

We’re so alike in how our reading tastes have changed over the years! I rarely read a fantasy story back in the day. I always loved magic and dragons and the like, but for some reason I just never read them. (Maybe there just weren’t enough to choose from!) But now, like you said, the books in fictional worlds are where it’s at. xD I do read the occasional contemporary or historical fiction, but my fantasy-loving bookworm heart feels the most at home in the pages of another world. <3

Madeline J. Rose
Madeline J. Rose
May 17, 2021 1:29 PM

The American Girl books!! I remember reading those over and over SO many times! I loved the Kirsten ones because she lived in Minnesota, and I thought it was so cool to read about a girl who lived where I lived haha 🙂

Oh my gosh, I would do the exact same thing with the History Mysteries…I would stay up waaaay too late reading those XD

Miranda
May 19, 2021 1:36 AM

I have only read The Hobbit on this list.
Oh, man, I have many childhood books that are so special to me. Especially with me going through my library history and seeing all of the books I read and loved so much as a child. There are so many I have forgotten I loved. Now I want to buy them and reread them all, haha. But the most favourite childhood books from the top of my head would be Deltora Quest (all three series), any fantasy series from Emily Rodda (she is also the author of Deltora Quest but Deltora Quest needed to be mention separately because it was the first series I fell in love with from her and likely the first fantasy book series I ever read), Into the Woods by Lyn Gardner, Emily Windsnap series (only the first four), The Secret Garden, Pictures of Hollis Wood, The Silver Brambly and countless others I can’t remember right now.

Miranda
May 19, 2021 9:36 PM

I have not heard of The Little Princess. It sounds interesting.
I actually have kept a bunch of the receipts I got from library, haha. Since I’m getting rid of them now, I have been able to look back properly and see all of the beautiful books (and the not-so-beautiful ones) of my younger self’s reading life. But I can also look online at the library history there but it isn’t very good since most books I’ve read aren’t on it anyway because for some reason a lot of books that they don’t have anymore disappears from the history. Lame.

Last edited 3 years ago by Miranda
Rachel
June 2, 2021 7:39 AM

Childhood I think was the American girls, the Little House Books, the Boxcar Children, the Annie Henry books, Mandie Books, The Borrowers, Narnia, Sarah’s Journey Series.

A bit later in preteen/teens I think was Little Women and Little Men (didn’t know about Jo’s Boys until I was older), some of the Anne books (we actually didn’t have the iconic first, or Rilla), The Grandma’s Attic series.