My grade school reading anthology 📚

These are the books that made me who I am. What books made you?

As a child, I had two settings: speaking and reading. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I was either talking someone’s ear off or I was nose deep in a chapter book. The battle my parents faced was whether to make me stop reading to eat dinner or let me hold my book in one hand and my fork in the other. They figured it was good that I enjoyed reading so much (hopefully that meant I’d do well in school). Besides, reading is a quiet habit, and a few hours of peace are always appreciated by parents with four kids in the house.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

I’m deeply grateful for the long periods of reading time I was allotted as a child. I loved hiding away in magical other-worlds, pretending to mind my own business by minding the business of fictional characters. Like many authors, my love for writing initially sprung from my youthful love for reading.

While I probably read dozens of books each school year, these are the novels that had the biggest impact on me by grade and a brief lesson learned from each one:

1. First Grade: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

   1. Taught me to be more imaginative and to dream big

2. Second Grade: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

   1. Taught me that underdogs can still do great things

3. Third Grade: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

   1. Taught me the value of having best friends who always look out for you

4. Fourth Grade: The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull

   1. Taught me to be careful when trusting strangers (because they might give you mind-numbing white fudge!)

5. Fifth Grade: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien

   1. Taught me that it’s good to help people who are different from me

6. Sixth Grade: The Maze Runner by James Dashner (ironic last name, huh?)

   1. Taught me that sometimes I’m the reason I’m stuck in a mess

7. Seventh Grade: Sphinx’s Princess by Esther Friesner

   1. Taught me that physical beauty isn’t always a blessing

8. Eighth Grade: Divergent by Veronica Roth

   1. Taught me to pay attention to my government and the changing of my society

9. Ninth Grade: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

   1. Taught me that adding some twisted romance to literature makes it way more fun

10. Tenth Grade: Wonder by R. J. Palacio

    1. Taught me not to judge a book by its cover (or a person, for that matter)

11. Eleventh Grade: Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals

    1. Taught me that the Little Rock Nine were the bravest high school students ever… and that humans should never stop trying to make the world a better place

12. Twelfth Grade: The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson

    1. Taught me to appreciate the freedom I have in the USA, and to care for those who don’t have legal freedom yet

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

The authors of these twelve books defined a year of my life and taught me something valuable during my childhood. I am blessed to have read their books. I aspire to one day write a novel which encourages and inspires students in the same way these books lit a fire within me.

What novel(s) had the biggest impact on you as a child? What book(s) led you to become the avid writer and/or reader that you are today? Most importantly, what did each of those books teach you about life, and how did those lessons take root in your journey to adulthood? 🤔