Books That Shaped My Childhood

Even as a kid, I loved reading. My childhood was filled with books and reading. I adored it when my mom read to me. And once I felt comfortable reading on my own? I could not stop. Plus? My Catholic grammar school placed a lot of emphasis on reading. We had a pretty well-stocked library where we could check out books. Teachers would also set reading goals and put a star next to our names for every book report we did after reading a book. I’m proud to say that I would always be one of the top 5 readers in my class. 

What was even better was that my teachers didn’t care what books we read as long as they were books at or above our targeted grade/reading levels. Assigned reading didn’t become a thing for me until high school, and by then, I adored reading. 

So, I read a lot of books. But what books had the most impact?

Well-Loved Tales — Fairytales (published by Ladybird)

Alright, it’s fairytales in general which are what started my love for fantasy. However, these books specifically were what my mom used to read to me. Rumpelstiltskin was one of my favorites. Actually, it was one of the only books we still owned up until recently when my mom had me search through the internet for others. She was obsessed with these books, so having copies of some fairytales again brought a smile to her face. 

And you know what? We’re never too old to read some fairytales. 

Goodreads | Amazon (link to Rapunzel) | BookShopOrg | Book Depository

Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene

Nancy Drew started my love of mystery/thriller. While I can’t claim to have read all the books in the series, I read all the available ones at my school and local libraries. This series (along with Goosebumps) is the reason I continued to read so much and so often.

I hope to someday restart this series and read all of the original books. When that day arrives, I don’t know. you can bet I’ll try.

StoryGraph | Goodreads | Amazon | BookShopOrg | Book Depository

Fudge series by Judy Blume

It was third grade. My teacher read the Fudge books to us at least once a week for 30 minutes. By this point, I was already on my way to being a little chapter book reader. But these books pushed me over the edge. I don’t think I would have advanced in my reading levels the way I did without the Fudge books. These books forced me to read on my own. I didn’t want to rely on others to read to me. I wanted to read and know what happens in a book.

Seriously, I’m forever thankful for these books. While I don’t think I’ll be reading these anytime soon, I hope someday my kids will find a book like Fudge and grow to love reading.

StoryGraph | Goodreads | Amazon | BookShopOrg | Book Depository

The Royal Diaries series by Various Authors

Oh, I loved these books so much. They started my love of history in general. These books were the reason I began to see history — not as that boring subject in school — but as our shared past filled with interesting (and cruel) people whose lives and actions made an impact on society. Yes, these books certainly whitewashed these historical figures, but they also made them relatable. Rather than being names in some reused, outdated history book, these women became compatriots and real.

A while back, I tried to reread the series. However, I ended up stopping because I much prefer to read historical fiction targeted to older audiences. 

StoryGraph | Goodreads | Amazon | BookShopOrg | Book Depository

Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine

Who doesn’t love a good spooky book? 

I adored this series. Rather than be a Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark kid, I was a Goosebumps kid. Who cares if I got a nightmare or two after reading a book? I could not stop reading this series. They were so addicting. While Fudge was the series that pushed me to challenge myself, Goosebumps and Nancy Drew were the ones to get me to continue reading after I finished the Fudge books.

Plus, Goosebumps was my stepping stone into horror. 

StoryGraph | Goodreads | Amazon | BookShopOrg | Book Depository

A Series of Unfortunate Events‎ series by Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler)

You know? I’m 99.998% sure I didn’t finish this series. I don’t remember which book I stopped at because it has been a long time. But what I do remember is that I really liked this series. It was fun, and I enjoyed the characters, plot, and dynamics.  

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The Spiderwick Chronicles‎ by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

I remember reading these books and going, “Wow, I wish I had adventures like this.” While I can’t recall what happens in this book series anymore, this is another book that helped shape my reading tastes. Spiderwick helped fuel my imagination and love for fantasy adventure.

StoryGraph | Goodreads | Amazon | BookShopOrg | Book Depository

Avalon: Web of Magic by Rachel Roberts

For the longest time, I could not remember the title of these books. All I could remember was the colorful cover with three girls staring at something. So while I was looking up the titles and authors for this post, I saw the title on that wiki page I was on, and I just knew. Even though I can’t remember the synopsis for this series exactly, this is straight-up the magic girl trope in novel form, and I loved it. 

This is another book that fueled my love for fantasy. I am pretty sure that I read the first book in this series before starting Spiderwick, though I can’t tell you for certain by this point. 

StoryGraph | Goodreads | Amazon | BookShopOrg | Book Depository

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Honestly? I can’t remember if I preferred the movie or the book. Oh well, right? What matters is that I read this book like, five times and watched the film just as many times? I sighed and swooned. Oh, and I laughed! Seriously, I freakin’ loved this. How could I not? A Cinderella retelling that made me sigh, swoon, and giggle? It was everything I enjoyed bundled in a fun book.

StoryGraph | Goodreads | Amazon | BookShopOrg | Book Depository

Daughters of the Moon by Lynne Ewing

Wow, ok, so Goddess of the Night (the first book in the series) was my first YA book. Pretty sure that back then, these books were tucked in B&N’s children section. But in any case, these books jump-started me into reading about teenage characters in high school. I did have to make sure I never brought it into school, but damn I still had a copy of these books until a few years ago. 

Although I didn’t finish this series, I started looking for books meant for people older than me. It was also the first book(s) that got me thinking about high school. 

StoryGraph | Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JKR

Ok, so I know JKR is a transphobic a$$hole who deserves none of my money or praise. But I do want to briefly mention the Order of the Phoenix. Up until this point, I had never read any HP books. Order of the Phoenix was my first HP book and was my absolute favorite. I’m pretty sure that I didn’t bother to try and read it until Goblet of Fire had already come out in theatres. 

In any case, this was my first thick book. Every other book I read up until here was a decent size. Order of the Phoenix was massive to me back then. But when I finished it? I had been so proud of myself. It gave me the confidence I needed to pick up longer and thicker books.

And it snowballed from there as I went back to read Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire. And of course, went to B&N to pick up books around the same thickness as Goblet and Order. 

StoryGraph | Goodreads

Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan

I can’t tell you which book got me on the vampire train, but this was definitely one of them and one of the ones I’d say had the more significant influence. Sure, I read some of Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz and tried to start Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, but those books left a more minor dent. 

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Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber

While I can’t pinpoint which book started me on the vampire train, Vampire Kisses was definitely the one that got me on human/vampire romance. Twilight, who? Nah, my friends. Vampire Kisses was the one that got me going into a bookstore to look for more vampire romances. This book is what lead me to read Twilight in the first place.

I didn’t end up finishing this series. 99.99% sure that I got up to the fourth book. All I remember from this book was how emo it was and random that the MC worked in a travel agency. Oh, and how those newer covers straight up looked like someone at old and extra emo Hot Topic put together.

StoryGraph | Goodreads | Amazon | BookShopOrg | Book Depository

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Just like HP, I have to mention this book. This series had a lot of issues. But it impacted my reading tastes. Maybe this will sound strange, but Twilight is what started my foray into adult romances. I used to sneakily read my mom’s old romance books because these books weren’t exactly age-appropriate. Still? Those adult romances made me curious about love, sex, and relationships. 

Was I way too young to be reading those romances? Maybe. But Twilight causing that chain reaction to lead me to read romance novels which helped push me to ask my mom questions about sex and relationships. 

StoryGraph | Goodreads

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous (Beatrice Sparks) and Crank by Ellen Hopkins

My school wasn’t shy about exposing us to the realities and consequences of drinking and doing drugs. It certainly didn’t help that I grew up in a Filipino household with two healthcare workers. But from what I remember? Those were nothing compared to reading these books. While I can’t remember what happened in them, I can remember that they left me numb and shaky. 

Still, while I admit that I should have read them when I was a bit older, I’m thankful I read them. Now, I can’t tell you if these books are accurate or not and if they had a “good” representation of mental illness and addiction. It’s been far too long for me to make that judgment. But it doesn’t erase the fact that these books got me asking questions. These books made me both curious and sympathetic to people with addiction when I was impressionable and continuously (and unfortunately) exposed to the disgusting and vile thing known as Fox News. Additionally, these books pushed me to read more about addiction, its consequences, and the victims it claims. 

Go Ask Alice: StoryGraph | Goodreads | Amazon | BookShopOrg | Book Depository

Crank: StoryGraph | Goodreads | Amazon | BookShopOrg | Book Depository

Well, that was fun but also depressing. 

As I look back at the books that made an impact and shaped my childhood, I feel all fuzzy inside. But looking back also reminded me that the books I was exposed to as a child were all very white. Depressing? Absolutely.

I never saw myself in those books. 

I never saw people who looked like me in the books I read as a kid. It wasn’t until I was already an adult that I started seeing Filipinos and Filipino mythology/beliefs/culture appear in books. Filipino representation in books? It felt like a fantasy when I was growing up. Often times, I told myself I’d one day write that Filipino-inspired fantasy filled with Filipino characters and representation.

The only times I was exposed to Asian characters in literature was through mangas. Asians — especially Filipinos and other Southeast Asians — were always shoved aside in Western published books. We were invisible, and we just had to use our imaginations to make believe that those white characters in those white books looked like us. And hints of our culture? We just had to pretend it was all there in the background.

But I’m so grateful that books like Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly (my review) and My Fate According to the Butterfly by Gail D. Villanueva exist now. It’s such a relief to see more good, respectful BIPOC representation in all levels of literature but especially in middle-grade books. 

Check out my reviews of books by Filipino authors.

God, it’s such a blessing to see BIPOC authors finally get the recognition they deserve here in the West and that they’re able to tell the stories they want to tell. I’m getting emotional just thinking about it. 

Today and from now on, we will be represented. 

We’ll be able to go to B&N and see ourselves on book covers. We’ll see aspects of our culture and history in between those pages. BIPOC kids will grow up knowing that, yes, it’s possible to become an author and write stories based on their culture if they want. Yes, we can write fantasies outside the confines of European ideas and history. 

I can’t deny that we have a long way to go. Publishing has a ton of issues. Plus? There are books out there that perpetuate harmful, hateful tropes and stereotypes. And yes! Marginalized authors are just as capable of writing problematic and offensive content as white authors. Just because someone is an #ownvoices writer, doesn’t mean they are suddenly incapable of writing harmful stereotypes about their own culture. These authors deserve to be called out for such problematic content.

But we can’t deny the progress that has been happening and continues to happen in publishing. It makes me hopeful for the future of literature. 

What about you?

Did you read any of these books? What books impacted your childhood/reading preferences? Let me know down below or on Twitter. I’d love to hear your thoughts.