Hi everyone, my name is Jeremy and I'm a Publicity Assistant in the Trade department of Scholastic. I have the awesome privilege of working on exciting projects like our bestselling multiplatform series Spirit Animals and The 39 Clues among many others. It's definitely an exciting job full of new things to do each day.
As a kid, I love reading mysteries and adventure stories that took me away from everything going on around me. Below, you'll find a few books or series that made an impression on me as a child growing up.
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol
There was almost no better series to introduce young readers into mystery than this one. This is the series that eventually lead me to The Hardy Boys and Harriet the Spy. Encyclopedia Brown was a boy that I sought to become. He was smart, sleuthy, and knew just how to crack the case. And the books always kept the mystery top secret until the reveal at the end. Brilliant.
Freckle Juice by Judy Blume
Growing up, it took a while for me to come to terms with the amount of freckles I had. I mean, they were everywhere. It's safe to say, after reading this book, I created a lucrative business selling freckle juice to everyone in my class. Thanks, Judy Blume.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Fantasy has always been a tough genre for me since my imagination stinks. As a kid, I immersed myself into this series and let the world pull me in like the pools in The Magician's Nephew. I was there every time I opened those pages. C.S. Lewis gave me the preparedness to move on to a new favorite series, The Lord of the Rings.
Holes by Louis Sachar
I can't remember how many times I read this book in the summer of 2003 after the movie released. All I remember is that I became addicted. As soon as I finished, I would turn right back to page one and start again. It showed me the importance of friendship and that life doesn't always go according to plan.
Last, but most definitely not least, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Talk about a life altering series. There is no family more similar to mine in all of literature than that of Mr. Ron Weasley's family. While not as strikingly unfortunate as them, our house was full of redheaded boys that couldn't stop growing taller. It was the magic and friendship of one Harry James Potter that showed me that there's always a little bit of magic in life. You've just got to discover it for yourself.
Now you know a little bit about my childhood based off of this list. I've learned a lot and been taught the ways of life from books and while there may be many more that could've been added to this list (The Boxcar Children), it was these that stuck out the most to me. What are some books that you think define you?
