Bust out the streamers! Blow up the balloons! Bring out the cake. It's time to celebrate National Hobby Month! (It's okay, I didn't realize there was such a month either until I read about it online.)

It's obviously no secret that I'm an avid reader- I write about books every week. So any excuse to talk up my love of the tome (yes, I just used the word tome) I'm in! And of course since I was old enough to know how, my favorite hobby has always been reading. And here are the books from my childhood that made me fall in love with the written word. And in no particular order, because, c'mon, you just can't rank the following authors, a big thank you to Shel Silverstein, Beverly Cleary, Mercer Mayer, Judy Blume and Dr. Seuss for making me love reading. (Oh and my mom thanks you too because I'd often read for hours on end staying out of her hair!)

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

 

Ramona Quimby, Age 8  by Beverly Cleary

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book and all of the books in the series. Beverly Cleary was always a go-to author for me when I was looking for yet another book to devour. It was stories like this one that made me prefer to stick my nose between the pages than watch TV. Some of my other Cleary favorites include: Ramona the Brave , The Mouse and the Motorcycle  and Beezus and Ramona.

 

 

All by Myself  by Mercer Mayer

Some of the first books I experienced were by Mercer Mayer. My parents would read them to me (there were a ton of them) and I remember loving the pictures as much as the stories. It's books like this one (and some of my other favorites: Good for Me and You (Little Critter Series) and Just a Snowman (Little Critter Series)  that made me want to learn to read!

Blubber by Judy Blume

Disclaimer: It's impossible to pick my favorite Judy Blume book- there are just too many. So Blubber simply represents my love of all Judy Blume books. From bullying (Blubber) to puberty (Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret ) to one of my favorite adult books about friendship (Summer Sisters) I've always been able to relate to what the characters in Blume's books are going through. Hands down, Judy Blume will always be one of my favorite authors.

Green Eggs and Ham  by Dr. Seuss

This list wouldn't be complete without Dr. Suess. And just like Blume, and really everyone on this list, it's impossible to pick one book that represents my love for Seuss's rhymes. So I selected Green Eggs and Ham- a favorite among so many.  I'm also a big fan of The Foot Book and One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish.

 What books inspired you to develop a love of reading?