90's and 00's book nostalgia

Fave books from my childhood

I can remember the first book I ever read by myself. It was Lily and the Bears by Christine Ross.

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss was another childhood favourite, along with Oh the Places You’ll Go.

The first chapter book I read by myself was James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. I followed that up with several other of Dahl’s books: Matilda, The Witches, Fantastic Mr. Fox, George’s Marvellous Medicine, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.

When I was nine, I read Girls Out Late by Jacqueline Wilson, and there was a scene where the main character, Ellie, kisses a guy and he touches her chest. This blew my mind. It seemed very raunchy to me at that young age! (Fun fact: I got my copy signed by Jacqueline Wilson when she did an NZ tour and I went with some kids from my intermediate school.)

Later that year (1999), I read the first two Harry Potter books after receiving them as Christmas presents. Like many my age, this was a turning point in my life which cemented a love of reading.

Other fantasy series I enjoyed a few years later in my early teens were Tales of the Otori by Lian Hearn and the Abhorsen series by Garth Nix. I also read classics like the Chronicles of Narnia and the Lord of the Rings.

In my tweens and early teens I also consumed every contemporary YA book I could get my hands on. Some of my favourite authors were Lousie Rennison, Meg Cabot, and Jaclyn Moriarty.

What are some of your favourite books you remember from your childhood? Please share in the comments!