“The Animal Ark series is really special to me for two reasons: the books sparked my love for reading, and they fueled my childhood dreams of becoming a veterinarian. I sought these books out in my school library, the Scholastic catalogue, and second-hand stores near my home. What drew me in about the stories was Mandy’s love for animals and the impact she made in her community. I also wanted to be a vet for the first twelve years of my life, so these books felt like a peak into a possible future I could have. Not every book had a perfectly happy ending, just like in real life, but that made my connection to the stories even stronger.”
– Erika Brittain, PRR Writer & Web
“Harry Potter started my love for reading. I plowed through the whole series in second grade, and I have been an avid reader ever since. I loved the magic, adventure, and friendships the series presented, and it was the first time I felt truly invested and a part of what I was reading. While the past few years have revealed J.K. Rowling as an author I do not support, the Harry Potter series is where my love of reading began.”
– Sam Key, PRR Writer & Social Media
“Ivy & Bean is a special series to me because it was the first to really show me the magic of reading. When I read Ivy & Bean, I felt myself being transported into their world, accompanying them on all of their mischievous adventures. That extraordinary experience inspired me to find more books that would take me on fun adventures. Without Ivy & Bean, I might not be the bookworm I am today!”
– Sadie Cruz, PRR Writer, Editor, & Podcast Producer
To buy the first book, click here !
“The Junie B. Jones series is what sparked my love for reading! When I was in elementary school, I’d check out the books in groups of 3 or 4 on library days so that I would always have something to read. Junie is one of my favorite literary characters, and reminds me of myself when I was little.”
– Carmen Rivero, PRR Editor & Lead Social Media
“I remember reading one book after another and laughing so hard at Junie B.’s antics. That series really inspired my love of reading because I was the same age as Junie B. and in kindergarten like her, so I could relate to her and follow her story as we both got older and transitioned to first grade. It was also so much fun to listen to the books with my parents on road trips and to enjoy the stories together. Ten years later, I even got to play Junie B. in the play Junie B. Jones: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells. It was an absolute blast to portray someone so important to my childhood, and it felt like it really brought my experience with the Junie B. Jones series full-circle.”
– Wendy Waltrip, PRR Assistant Director
To buy the first book, click here !
“I remember my mother and my grandmother reading them to me nightly. Once I was able to read them myself, I went through them so quickly that my mother refused to continue purchasing them for me. She made me go rent them from the library because it was a waste of money when I read a new Magic Tree House book every day. Jack and Annie were an essential part of my childhood and helped me develop into the avid reader that I am today.”
– Frances Drye, PRR Writer & Editor
If you want to read an in-depth discussion of two Magic Tree House books, check out Frances Drye’s blog about the Magic Tree House series here !
To buy the first book, click here !
“The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare was the first YA series I ever read. Full of dynamic characters, paranormal creatures, action, humor, and romance, the series immediately swept me off of my feet. Though their problems were not always of our mundane world, Jace, Clary, Alec, Izzy, and Simon each proved how strength comes in many forms, and that there is a place and purpose for everyone.”
– Taylor Quinn, PRR Writer & Editor
To buy the first book, click here !
“My favorite quote from it is:
“My parents think I’m sleeping / but I’m positively not, / for beneath my pile of covers / I am doing quite a lot. / I am reading poems and stories / (I have got my flashlight lit), / I am playing with the pieces of my model rocket kit.”
I would totally stay up late and read this book whenever I couldn’t sleep and at the time it felt like it was speaking directly at me. It really began my late night adventures of reading until I became the ultimate book nerd!”
– Mikayla Kaber, PRR Assistant Director
“The first book series that inspired reading for me was the Nancy Drew series. It left me wanting to be a smart and strong female heroine like Nancy Drew, solving my own mysteries. The Nancy Drew series is what started off my book collection; I have around 20 of the books on my bookshelves! After being hooked by the mystery genre for a while, I eventually moved on to other genres and books, and I’ve loved reading ever since.”
– Sohi Kang, PRR Writer, Web, & Social Media
To buy the first book, click here !
“The Tale of Despereaux wasn’t my first of Kate DiCamillo’s books, but it was certainly my favorite — and remains so even to this day. Just like Despereaux Tilling, I loved reading as a child, though I admittedly never ate the pages like he does. Still, his journey is very much motivated by storytelling. And as he encounters perils along the way, Despereaux realizes that being a hero is harder than it looks. This is perhaps why The Tale of Despereaux, and Kate DiCamillo in general, will always hold a special place on my bookshelf: they taught me that even a castle mouse can be a knight, and that stories aren’t meaningful despite their hardships but because of them.”
– Hannah Miller, PRR Assistant Director
“I was obsessed with animals and nature as a child, so reading about the cat clans in the Warriors series was incredibly exciting for me. They were books I could connect to my own world as I played outside or tried to create my own stories. (Though, often the book I was reading in the series just provoked me to not-so-stealthily follow my cats around the house and wait for them to do something secretly amazing.) The Warriors books made the everyday world feel more magical to me, and I chase that feeling of new insight with every book I read.”
– Grace Kennedy, PRR Assistant Director
To buy the first book, click here !
“Every night before bed my dad would read aloud in the hallway between me and my sister’s bedrooms. One book I remember loving was When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. I had never read anything with so many connecting storylines, that kept me so transfixed. We would constantly be begging him to ‘read one more page!’ ”
– Frances LaBianca, PRR Social Media
PRR Writer, Erika Brittain; with titles and quotes from our entire staff