The 21 Books That Turned POPSUGAR Editors Into Lifelong Bookworms

"I loved A Series of Unfortunate Events ($85) as a kid. It was the first book series that I truly took an interest in and it paved the road to my teen novel obsession in middle school (looking at you, The Clique series). Plus, it gave me a reason to finally start buying actual books instead of fuzzy purple pens at book fairs." — Nora Smith, social and partnerships coordinator

"I always liked reading, but the Harry Potter series ($53) converted me into a bona fide bookworm. I remember being sceptical at first that any book about a boy could be interesting, but once I read the first chapter, I was hooked. Every time a new book was released, I would beg my mom to order it in presale so I could have it delivered to my house the same day it came out! My best friend and I would even bring our Harry Potter books to playdates and read them together on the bed, without talking, until we finished them and could compare notes. Even now, I still feel that childlike sense of wonder every time I reread one of the Harry Potter books." — Annalise Mantz, associate native living editor

"The Harry Potter series for sure! I vividly remember sneaking into the bathroom so I could read chapters after bedtime and running to my nearest Barnes and Noble the day a new book was released." — Tembe Denton-Hurst, assistant editor, Makeup.com

"The two series that really shaped me into a bookworm were probably the Judy Moody series ($46) and The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes series ($3). My grandmother bought them for me and she would read them with me until I got hooked and started to read them all. I remember I would make any family members or friends who were coming from America to India to get me a copy the latest editions to the series because they would always release a year later in India. My friends also liked these books and we would trade them with each other and the books would circulate through my friend group." — Zara Patel, editorial intern

"As an '80s baby, I grew up absolutely loving the Junie B. Jones series ($14), and when I got into writing, I made up my own series inspired by her character. Junie is funny, spunky, and so sure of herself, and I've held on to all my books in hopes that my kids will fall in love with her, too." — Laura Meyers, content director, Trending and Viral Features

"The series that turned me into a bookworm was the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories ($330). My mom had all 56 books in the series and once I read the first one I couldn't stop. After reading Nancy Drew, it turned me into a major crime junkie, and now I read books by Stephen King, Paula Hawkins, and Ruth Ware." — Lauren Harano, editorial coordinator

"I started with the Nancy Drew books!" — Dana Avidan Cohn, executive style director

"I was a big fan of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series ($32) from Rick Riordan. A bunch of demigods at Summer camp? Count me in. A fellow bookish friend recommended these to me in elementary school and I. was. hooked. Take Harry Potter and give it a Greek mythology twist, and this is what you'll get." — Karenna Meredith, editorial assistant, Trending and Viral Features

"The books that really inspired my lifelong love of reading were Beverly Cleary's Ramona books ($35), starting with Ramona Quimby, Age 8, which I read at age 5. I tore through every book in the series, then moved on to anything I could get my hands on. Seriously, my parents had to scramble to find me new books to read." — Nancy Einhart, SVP, executive editor

"The first series I remember really diving into in elementary school was Redwall ($10) by Brian Jacques. I distinctly remember the series taking up a substantial amount of space on the shelves in the school library, and the books seemed like they had been well-loved — a good sign for my 10-year-old self. The reading level may have been a bit advanced for me at the time and I don't remember anything that happens in the books, but that series definitely ignited my love for old-timey adventure fantasies." — Stephanie Nguyen, native editor, Style

"A few different books and series fed my appetite for reading. Besides Harry Potter (because I definitely read those the most growing up), I loved Roald Dahl books ($40) like Matilda, The BFG, and Fantastic Mr. Fox. There's a reason so many of his books became famous movies, too — these stories are written so vividly, you can basically imagine every detail in your head. While his books may be geared towards kids, the storylines are far from childish. I can reread these as an adult and still get sucked in." — Karenna Meredith, editorial assistant, Trending and Viral Features

"The American Girl Doll books ($20) were a big staple in my childhood. I was only lucky enough to get one doll (shout out to Kirsten!), but my mom was always willing to get me any of the books. Molly was definitely my favourite." — Amanda Elser Murray, senior native style editor and content strategist

"I really loved the series The Borrowers by Mary Norton ($27) about tiny people who live in the walls of a house." — Nancy Einhart, SVP, executive editor

"The California Diaries series ($8) was a spin-off of the Babysitters Club, but it was older and edgier. The books were written in first person diary entries by the characters, and chronicled high school, love, sex, drugs, and the pain of growing up. It also included some particularly bad teenage poetry that inspired me to no end. The series let me feel like I was getting away with something by reading it, even though it wasn't so scandalous. It made me feel grown up at a time when I was truly still a kid, but all I wanted to be was a moody teenager. Lucky for my mom, I soon became one!" — Casey McCormick, Senior Creative Strategist

"I couldn't have care less about reading until I read The Clique series ($65). I remember staying up late reading the entire series, on repeat, before I went to bed for years. You don't want to know how many times I read all 15 books. I even tried to convince my parents to let me audition for The Clique movie." — Jessica Chassin, Social Media Coordinator

"The book series that turned me into a bookworm was the Fudge series ($40) by Judy Blume. My mom would read a chapter to me and my brother every night when I was about 6 years old. She would read them to us and do "voices," which I thought were the funniest things in the world. That series and my mom showed me the magic of how words on a page become an incredible story in your mind, and I've loved reading ever since!" — Charisandra Perez, Assistant Social and Partnerships Coordinator

"My dad read the Lord of the Rings books ($26) to me when I was young and for some very weird reason I got obsessed with the part where the hobbits were cornered by the giant spider Shelob in The Two Towers. I would ask my dad to read that scene to me all the time (in my memory literally every night) which is objectively weird because I a) am terrified of spiders and b) do not handle scary stuff well even as an adult. Yet Shelob was my go-to bedtime story for years. Who knows." — Bryce Aston, Copy Editor

"The Magic Tree House books ($75) were objectively so cool; they taught you about history without even realising it, AND they were perfect as a kid because you could so easily imagine yourself into them. I used to make up stories in my head about my own magic tree house adventures. Plus, they were easy to blow through; I remember my dad would get annoyed at how often he had to buy more or check them out for me because they were such a fast read." — Bryce Aston, Copy Editor

"I made my parents read The Quiltmaker's Gift($12) to me so often that I memorized it, and would recite it to myself over and over before bed. This was all before I actually knew how to read a word. The pictures were so vivid and the story was simple and sweet. It was the book that made me want to learn to read." — Maggie Ryan, Assistant Fitness Editor

"As an obsessive (and perhaps insufferable) horse girl, I lived for The Saddle Club series ($6). It followed the adventures of three horse-crazy girls: Carole (an army brat), Stevie (a tom boy), and Lisa (a goody two shoes). The cool thing about the series was that it went beyond the barn antics and pony problems, and showed the real obstacles faced by the girls with family, boys, and growing up. I found that it treated the reader like an adult, and didn't water anything down even though it was for kids, which made me love it even more." — Casey McCormick, Senior Creative Strategist

"Hands down, the Great Illustrated Classic's version of The Swiss Family Robinson ($8). I sat in my parents' pink Queen Anne chair and read it cover to cover on a rainy day. It wasn't for school or anything, I was just bored. Now I read a few books a month, so I guess I'm still a big nerd!" — Murphy Moroney, Assistant Editor, Family

"A book that really stands out from my childhood was The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues ($7). I can vividly remember sitting on the floor of my local library reading it because I couldn't wait until I got home. I can't even remember the specifics of the plot, but it clearly had a lasting impact on my love of reading and my genre of choice because from there I devoured the whole Nancy Drew series, and ever since then I've been obsessed with reading as many thrillers and murder mysteries as I can get my hands on." — Tara Block, Content Director, Growth and Strategic Features

"My parents instilled a deep love of reading in me since day one, pretty much, but The Transall Saga ($8) was the first book that truly opened up my imagination in a big way, simultaneously solidifying my love of sci-fi. I still vividly remember picking it out at my elementary school's Scholastic Book Fair (aka the greatest day of EVERY school year), drawn to it because I'd also loved Gary Paulsen's other book, Hatchet. I ripped through this one at warp speeds, devouring the survival story about a teenager who gets transported to a parallel universe and has to fight against a ton of otherworldly enemies. And, to this day, I'm still deeply offended that it hasn't been turned into a movie yet! What are you waiting for, Hollywood?!" — Quinn Keaney, Editor, Entertainment