Books are an incredibly formative part of all of our lives.
The books we read as children stick with us forever – many of us can remember trying telekinesis after reading Matilda, imagining living on our own in the wilderness after reading Hatchet or My Side of the Mountain, searching the backs of closets for a door to Narnia after reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, or dreaming of escaping into the Met after From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.
But what is the first book you remember reading? Not being read to you, but actually reading yourself?
For me it’s The Little Engine That Could. What about you?
Custer's Last Stand. Can't remember who wrote it, or how old I was, but I know it was the first real book I ever read through, and
I read it twice!
I'm thinking one of the Berenstain Bears books. Probably "The Berenstain Bears and Too Much TV."
Matilda and Her Kittens. I have never been able to find it as an adult and don't even know who wrote it.
The first book I read alone was "The Boxcar Children #21: The Deserted Library Mystery." I learned to read about a year late with Phonics, so it was a quick jump to "big books" after that. I have such fond memories of discovering all the books that came next!
I can't say for sure, but I think it was The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes. I remember loving that world.
"The Big Tidy-Up" by Norah Smaridge. The main character's name was Jennifer (like me) and she was messy (also like me).
Go Dog Go. I just loved that dog party. Dr. Seuss' books are a close second.
Holy smokes, I just found it. It's "Matilda and her Family" by Mason, 1943.
God, I'm old.
Pickles the Cat from the I-Can-Read series and Bread&Jam for Frances. Still love those books. I used to read them to my dog and cat when I was little, then I read them to my kids when they were little.
Can't remember exactly, but I think it's only of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot series.
It was a book that read: Washing machine, washing machine, washing machine wash… And this dirty little boy was taken down a conveyor belt car wash type machine that scrubbed him clean with all kinds of gadgets. Gosh, I wish I knew the name of it. My kids would love that book!
I can't be entirely sure, but I think it was "The Poky Little Puppy." I can still remember thinking "Rice pudding? What is that?"
I remember reading my book that taught me how to read. I couldn't wait to get to the part where I learned about "the magic E" (the silent e) because it had a picture of a fairy I could color in. Fantasy geek from the first.
Adventures of Frog and Toad.
~ Wendy
The Haunted Spy. Still a favorite.
The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs. Dark and mysterious and exciting, if memory serves.
After that, I just kept pulling his books off the shelves, thus beginning a long life of serially monogamous relationships with authors.
It was a Sesame Street book – one of those compilation books you used to be able to buy at the supermarket? There was a story in there about Grover, and I actually remember the point when I was looking at the words and suddenly they made sense. They matched up with what my mom had read to me so many times. I ran over to her with the book and proudly announced that I could read. 🙂
But as for actual books… "See Tim jump. Jump jump jump! Tim is a tin can man. Tim is Tom's friend."
Etc.
Mei Li by Thomas Handforth. I wanted to be Mei Li and have a top knot!
And Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, of course.
Heather — Go Dog Go! I'd forgotten, but it's probably my first book, as well… and yeah, it was always all about the dog party!
Amazing. I thought of it as soon as I saw the blog title… then read the rest. For me also, it was The Little Engine That Could.
One of my Little Golden Books. My parents thought I was "reading" out loud from memory, until I tried to sound out a word phonetically and asked for help. They were so excited, they kept me up past bedtime and made me read several more. Looking back, I'm grateful my parents thought reading was a big deal!
Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells!
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. It couldn't really have been the first I ever read, but it was the first to make a life-long impression.
The Poky Little Puppy. Loved that puppy. Now, as a parent, I think the mom should have come down harder on those rascals.
After first grade and *See Spot Run* it was probably *Rusty Rings a Bell* and after that my first child novel in 2nd grade was *Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farms.* I was engrossed with Rebecca. When I later read *Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farms* to my girls, they thought it was dry as toast!
For me, it's Dr. Suess. "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish" and "Green Eggs and Ham."
Little House in the Big Woods. I know others came before that read, but the order of titles elude me. I remember reading this book in my room when my parents were still married.
Heather Dearly
Little House in the Big Woods. I know others came before that read, but the order of titles elude me. I remember reading this book in my room when my parents were still married.
Heather Dearly
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. I saw a cartoon of it at church and my mother told me I was too young to read it by myself. I showed her!
Are You My Mother?
But the first chapter book I read was the Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot by Alfred Hitchcock.
I can't wait to read that to my son.
I could read since around 1.5 – 2 years, so I can't really remember back that far. I was one of those pushedadvanced learners.
There were just so many books I couldn't get enough of them… @_@
Grimm's Fairy Tales, the adult, uncensored version. I had hyperlexia at three years old, and for whatever reason decided to start reading from that book first.
Go Dogs Go!
Still a fave, and I always give it to expecting mothers :]
Janet said "Look John. See the dog run. The dog can run fast. See the dog run fast John". . .
(or something very similar)
Milly Molly Mandy
Interestingly enough, like you and Richard, mine was "The Little Engine That Could." My mom isn't sure if I read it because I could read or read it because I had memorized it from making her read it so many times, but I remember sitting on her lap reading all the words to her as a really young child.
Last year she bought it for me for my 25th birthday and I just about started crying. Funny to think that "first experience" wasn't just mine.
My dad taught me to read when I was 3 or 4. The first two books I remember reading with him (I'm listing two because no idea which was first) are Champion Dog Prince Tom and TeeVee Humphrey.
And to Think That it Happened on Mulberry Street.
It sparked my imagination in a way that got me creating my own worlds. I'm forever indebted to that book.
The Velveteen Rabbit by I think Marjorie Williams…about how a stuffed rabbit becomes real, so beautiful and symbolic
When I read your question I remembered exactly the very first book I read: Miss Tessie Tate by Jean Horton Berg, 1967, illustrated by Le deGroot. I still own my copy. My front/back covers are filled with my attempts at writing and drawing. It's about a woman who cleans houses for the king, in rhyming couplets. I decided to do a little search online about the book because I could not really remember the gist of the story…indeed I realized after reading what I found, that I never knew the moral of the story. It's about being true to yourself; about the power of self determination; about deciding the direction that was/is best for you and not letting anyone turn you around. I received this book when I was 4 or 5 years old by a family member who did not treat me well. Wow, I now find myself in a painful irony over the meaning of this book. This morning I was reading an article in Runner's World Magazine about the journey of a famous runner named Frank Shorter. Your question, remembering Miss Tessie Tate and that article take me back. Thank you.
Dr. Seuss is the first I remember having read to me, which is basically how I learned to read. The first I remember reading on my own was when I found a Beatrix Potter book in my first grade classroom, and the teacher let me take it home after she caught me reading it during lessons. Then she talked to my parents about the importance of supporting my obvious reading addiction.
Every teacher after her preferred to discipline me for reading during class time, but dear Mrs. Eisenhower understood that I did it because I was bored and underchallenged.
Either Heidi or Black Beauty, but I believe Heidi was first. I wanted to live in the mountains, and eat the same food as Heidi had in the book. (I lived in the flatlands of the south at the time)
With Black Beauty, of course I wanted a horse, and as a consolation (didn't live in the country), my mother used to draw horses for me and taught me to do the same.
I didn't want either book to end. The luxury of reading to myself was something I loved and I became somewhat of a bookworm. Still am one, judging from TBR stack.
Squanto: Friend of the Pilgrims is the first book I read that I can remember the title. There was a picture book in the library I remember checking out in kindergarten and first grade, but I can't remember the title or even what it was about. It was always a happy surprise when I found it on the shelf again.
Wow, I'm surprised that so many people remember the exact first book they read. I have no idea of mine, but I do remember one I read often: Hurry Up, Slowpoke. It was about a mouse family! I just looked and it still can be purchased on Amazon!
Thanks for the cool question, Nathan!
Mine is simply called "Kittens" and it now belongs to my kids. I had it memorized and would "read" it to anyone who would listen.
I think it was "In a People House" by Dr. Seuss. Although as someone else noted, it's hard to remember that sort of thing so it could be wrong …
Mother Goose.
FOX IN SOCKS by Dr. Seuss. Loved those beetles battling in a bottle on a poodle eating noodles.