Hot take: First book from childhood

What's the first book you can remember reading (or having read to you) as a child?

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"Five Fairy Tales" (Пет Приказки) by Valeri Petrov with the illustrations of Иван Димов (Ivan Dimov).

I am sure I had been read a lot of books and I suspect I read a lot more books in that school year but that was the first book I was given as a gift after I learned to read, the first book I read on my own (during the winter vacation of first grade (1987/1988)) and the first book I remember actually reading on my own.

The first book in Russian: either Eugene Onegin or Mother by Maxim Gorky in the summer of 1993 - I really do not remember which one I finished first.

My first book in English: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd followed by To Kill a Mockingbird in the summer of 1995 - it took me most of the summer to read them... :)

My parents never read to us that I can remember, but they bought the most amazing set of stories as a supplement to the Encyclopedias. They had color saturated illustrations throughout and introduced us to the classics.

Book Trails

They lived in the bookshelf behind the couch, and there was just room in the corner back there for one or two small children to curl up and absorb.

As adults in the 1980s, with small children of our own, we were expected to pass the set on to our siblings as they had little ones. I couldn't part with them. These are the first books I went looking for deliberately so as to have them forever.

The endpapers will give an idea of the colors inside:

The first book I remember being read to me was The Tawny, Scrawny Lion. There's nothing like the memory of sitting in my Mother's lap, and admiring the pictures while she read it to me. It's probably one of the things that helped me to learn to read; that, and the Funny Papers (long ago, when they were worth reading, and when everyone read the newspaper).

When my daughter was small, that Lion was one of her favorites as well. To my knowledge, lions prefer raw meat to carrot soup in real life, but I still like to pretend otherwise, now and then. :-}

Sometimes I regret learning to read so young. The world isn't always a nice place to read about.

Comic (bande-dessinée): Cigars of the Pharaoh at the age of 4-5.
Children's book: No idea. I learned to read before a time I have reliable memories from. But let's say it was Karlson on the Roof, just to put something down.
Adult book: This one I remember well. I was nine, and nobody had told me it wasn't meant for children: The Bounty Trilogy
First one in English: The spy who died of boredom

When I was six (I once thought four, but that's impossible), I picked up a book in my grandma's basement and realized, much to my surprise, that I could read it. School was good for something after all! In my case it was Old Mother West Wind and her bag full of Merry Little Breezes. Never mind that it made little sense to personify the wind, I was inspired to beg for and read another dozen Burgess books afterwards about the critters populating the Green Forest and Green Meadows, the Laughing Brook, the Smiling Pool, etc. My grandmother died in 2004, and that first book lies safe in my sock drawer.

>6 Cecrow: Oh! That reminds me that I devoured an old Uncle Wiggily on the Farm. I couldn't wait for the hyper-nonsense chapter endings.

Peter Churchmouse by Margot Austin

The first book I remember being read to me had an exciting poem about a race between a big train and a little train, "from Timbuctoo to Kalamazoo, and Kalamazoo and back". It also had something about a caboose, which I thought was hilarious, as what they were talking about was clearly a guard's van. So it had to be more word play (to a young mind "Timbuctoo" and "Kalamazoo" come perilously close to "poo"), and "caboose" just sounds rude.

It was probably Margaret Wise Brown, The train to Timbuctoo (1951), and if not, perhaps Marian Potter, The little red caboose (1953), with Gertrude Crampton, Tootle (1945) a distant third.

Dick and Jane in the first grade.

I remember my third grade teacher reading Little House on the Prairie and I fell in love with the series.

Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

followed by

Little Golden Book stories

Struwwelpeter which my dad brought back from Germany after the war. It's in German but he read it in English. I still have it in very battered condition and can follow the stories. And there was Little Black Sambo and Mother Goose nursery rhymes which I think were sent to us by an adopted "aunt" from America. I read all these to my own children when they were little.

Probably one of the Golden Books ... Pokey Little Puppy perhaps?

My dad was an expert reader of The Cat in the Hat, so that is one of my first memories of being read to. My grandma had The Pokey Little Puppy at her house, and I think my brothers and I wore that book - and Grandma - out, having her read it several times each day.

My first day in the 1st grade my teacher read to us The Three Billy Goats Gruff, in the 8th Grade my English teacher read us The Outsiders

Loved uncle wiggly too!

I recall a book called Pantaloon, about a poodle!

"Nils" by Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire. Had the book around for years. Would like to have it back, now that I'm in my dotage (sort of). It's $35 used and I'm trying to justify it.

I'll never know my first ever books (but would pay good money to know...because reading is so important in my life), but I do remember being completely taken by 'Charlotte's Web' and 'The Cricket In Times Square' I spent time at my aunt's farm in upstate New York and I absolutely think Charlotte's Web happened in her barn!

I guess the earliest book that I remember is One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss. I have a vague memory of sitting around in a circle in the first grade learning to read the Dick and Jane books. I remember the first book was just pictures. We would describe what was happening in the pictures. At that point, none of us could read. Then the next thing I remember, I could read. I don't remember the actual process. Just the before and after. I've always found that a little strange. There's no memory left of actually learning to read. I remember learning to tell time. I remember learning to tie my shoes. But learning to read was like an instantaneous transition.

>18 LukeS: Buy it. I've recently repurchased books from my childhood, and they've been a wonderful experience well worth the money. In the past could of years, I've purchased Your Wonderful World of Science which I must have read in the second or third grade, and The Forgotten Door from a year or two later. I need to find a copies of The Spaceship Under the Apple Tree, Mystery of The Haunted Mine and Time of the Great Freeze from when I was in the fifth grade.

I remember the moment I realized I could read - I was in the car with a parent, and the signs and store fronts and billboards suddenly all made sense.

The Little Engine That Could. Loved it.

Hitty, Her First Hundred Years, by Rachel Field. It is the memoir of a porcelain and fabric doll. I was fascinated by the idea of a doll writing her memoirs when this was read to me. All my dolls started writing their stories after that.

Oh, I LOVED A Cricket In Times Square! Thank you for reminding me of that treasure!

I can remember my mother reading Arsenic and Old Lace out loud, thinking I wouldn't understand any of it and just be soothed by the rhythm!

I grew up in Africa in the '70s but we always had a small treasury of children's books at home (although in later years my family dedicated themselves to steering me away from bookshops because books were distracting me from studying the serious stuff). We must have had picture books and ABC books (though I don't remember board books or lift-the-flap books of the types that I bought for my children). I do remember that my mum taught me to read and she used the Ladybird Peter and Jane books; I purchased the whole set for my kids (which we still have, upstairs in the attic).

'Horton Hears a Who' by Dr Seuss. First (and favorite) of his classic books that I had read to me and later read for myself.

I'm sure it wasn't the first one I had read to me but I always go back to it even today. It's Seven Little Postmen. Click on the touchstone to see the cover as I can't seem to cut and paste. I even found one with the red record that came with it later on. That's probably why I'm intrigued by transportation things as it has trucks, planes, RPO cars, etc.

>22 2wonderY:, nice. It's like the ending of The Miracle Worker.

Gudgkin the Thistle Girl by John Gardner and The Practical Princess by Jay Williams.

The first book I can truly remember being read to me was Charlotte's Web. My grandmother, who was an elementary school teacher, read it to me many times and I still love it.

The Secret Garden read to me by my great aunt and she was 65. she had a beautiful voice and could do all the characters with accents. She went on to read me any and every British young adult book she could find and I was only five years old

Laurie and the Yellow Curtains by Sara Asheron. It’s about a little girl who has a tree house with yellow curtains. I’m not sure what grade I was in, but I loved it. There is such adventure in a tree house.

We had these!!! I LOVED them. I wonder if someone in the family still has them!?

My Mama read the Raggedy Ann and Andy books by Johnny Gruelle. I can remember that the way she said, "cream puffs" made them sound so delicious (even though I didn't like whipped cream at all!). The dolls always took cream puffs on all their adventures! I also loved the illustrations. Camel with the Wrinkled Knees was a favorite.

My favorite was Raggedy Ann stories -- early 1960s

I belong to a book group that reads the books we remember from our childhood. It is amazing how they change over time. We've been reading for almost ten years now and are starting to look for suggestions from others. Though we are mostly reading chapter books for older kids, I've found a couple of ideas from this thread. Thanks!

My mom read me a number of the Golden Books, but the first real solid memory I have of laying in bed and being read to was from Little Women. I *loved* that story and when my mom finished I made her start over and read it again. When I asked for a third go-round she used Little Men instead. I didn’t like that one nearly as much.

My mom read to me from my dad's childhood books. I remember her reading Wizard of Oz with a photo of Dorothy and Toto in the back cover from the movie, and Uncle Wiggly's Airship. The first books I remember having on a shelf were Whitman Tell A Tale books, especially, "The Night Before Christmas," and "The Gingerbread Man."

"TOM SWIFT and His Incredible Flying Machine". Ahhh, there was so much a young fellow could do back in the early 50's!!!"

I still have my first book, read when I was five: "Storybook of Jesus." I don't suppose it's the first one I read, but it's the first one I remember reading. I sat on a high red stool in the kitchen while my mother worked, so she could help me with the hard words--like "beautiful," on the first page. I remember thinking the word "baby" was so cute--visually, I mean. I liked the little round b's.
I was going to post a picture of this dilapidated old book, but can't figure out how to add photos.

The first book was The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. I remember reading it out loud to my Grandma all by myself. Later on in life, I read it to my kids, and now my grandkids. I've recently bought a new copy, because the one I had is worn all the way out.

White Fang. First novel I read on my own. Still love it.

First book I remember as a child was Babar the Elephant. The first book that I remember reading was Johnny Tremaine.

Not sure which was first, but A Hole is to Dig , Harold and the Purple Crayon and Churchmouse Stories were very early.

The Bingity Bangety Schoolbus I liked when the bus “chortled”.
She also read the Little Elephant books, Flicka Ricka snd Dicka and Snip Snap and Snur books.

I love White Fang and Tarzan of the Apes

You are talking about the chapter books. I read those too.

I was a heavy reader as a kid so not sure what came first. Mr. Pine's Purple House was likely one of the earlier ones, though the books that affected me most were the Chronicles of Prydain, the Chronicles of Narnia, and Alfred Hitchcock's Monster Museum. (I was terrified of the short story 'The Slime').

The first books I recall having been read to are the Mother Goose series and also, Grimm's and Anderson's Fairy tales. I loved them all!

The Lorax in 1976. The book had a profound effect on me. The artwork, the way my sister pronounced the word (Once-Ler) it kind of creeped me out, but within a year I was reading Stephen King. Ira Levin and Bill Blatty. With a healthy dose of C.S. Lewis, Roald Dahl, Asimov and Burroughs. Teachers did not like me bringing those books to school.

I distinctly remember kids in Kindergarten during 78 fighting over the Lorax. By the end of the school year the room copy was taped, glued and re-taped together. Shame the movie was such a PC police mess.

I remember the day my parents bought an encyclopedia set from a travelling salesman. It included a set of beautifully illustrated literary classics...best of which was the Grimms collection. I can still see the illustration Red Riding Hood standing by a bed with a wolf dressed like grandma in it. Don't remember which was the first my mother read to us, but I remember the fire that added to our evenings.

Not the first book I had, but the most memorable, Children On the Oregon Trail, by A.Rutgers Van Der Loeff is am amazing story.

The first book I remember being read to me was The Pokey Little Puppy and the first I remember reading was an old copy of Dick and Jane.

Gregory the Terrible Eater. It's about a billy goat who only wants to eat human food, not old tires and shoelaces. I loved it! And I kept my copy to pass along to my daughter. Still makes me smile.

"Mother Goose," illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright, was read to me every night by my grandmother, with whom my mother, father and I lived after WWII until the early 50's. Later, I bought the one entitled "The Real Mother Goose," with the same illustrations, for my children in the early 70's. It has the black and white, checkered edges on the cover. I may have been the same "look" as the one read to me.

My parents read to us regularly. I can't remember firsts, but I do remember my dad reading “The Wheel on the School” by Meindert DeJong and “My Father's Dragon” by Ruth Stiles Bennett. The latter is still one of my favorite stories. I don't remember much of the former except that it was fun hearing about the great lengths the kids went to to get storks back to their village.
The first big book I remember reading on my own was “The Prisoner of Azkaban.”

Curious George.

I remember my mother reading Winnie the Pooh to me when I was very young, maybe 3. She read to us every night and I was fascinated. And the Book of Leviticus.

>22 2wonderY: That's a beautiful image, thanks Ruth! It wasn't like that at all for me, not that I remember. In fact, looking back on it, I don't remember when it all came together for me. I remember not being able to read, then learning to read, and then I guess taking it for granted that I could read because I'm drawing a blank. We moved to Frankfurt when I was pretty young, so maybe I was back at square one learning to read German? Dunno.

OK, not really on the Leviticus.

The Poky Little Puppy. I can still remember the cadences of my mother's voice as she read it.

Interestingly, I don't remember any specific book. But I know my grandmother read to me all the time and I always associate her with reading :)

Dr. Seuss’s A B C’s. I can remember my mom’s voice singing it. She and I still sing the whole book, in its entirety, to my seven year old when he gets nervous.

The first book I read by myself was "Millions of Cats."

"Jack and the Beanstalk" illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren. It was the luscious artwork.

OH MY! It was "Book Trails" for me, as well! I have been going a little crazy trying to remember the name of those two volumes, but the photo you posted brought it all rushing back! I remember taking my tiny fingers and tracing along the path, imagining I was walking along with the rabbit and his friends!

THANK YOU! I can now try to find copies somewhere!

My Mama read us A Hole is to Dig and then created a list for us to fill in the second half of the phrase. It is great fun to go back and see what we said as little ones. My sister thought dogs were to bite and cats were to scratch. I, two years older, thought dogs were to play with and cats were to pet. It is a very fun thing to do with children.

I remember reading My Father's Dragon. I was so amazed that the boy had just exactly the right thing to save himself in each situation.

>66 mamanyt1953: There are actually 8 volumes to the set. In the red bindings, Volumes 1 and 2 are titled 'For Baby Feet.' Good luck on your hunt!

Oh! Look what I found on AbeBooks

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30371267872&searchurl=sort...

The whole set in "Good" condition for $8.87.

I read a few books from second grade reading. I don't remember a specific one though

Golden Books - like The Monster at the End of this Book and The Saggy Baggy Elephant figured large in my early years. I loved the Little Bear books (http://www.librarything.com/series/Little+Bear) and also Frances the Badger books (http://www.librarything.com/series/Frances). I'd get them from the library over and over and over. Also the Frog and Toad books (http://www.librarything.com/series/Frog+and+Toad). When I "graduated" to chapter books it was the Thornton Burgess animal books. I was so proud that I could use the bookmarks they gave out at the library. So proud.

I remember being fascinated by a version of a Snow White book - a disney adaptation - because the hunter was sent to cut Snow White's heart out and put it in a box. What was wrong with me? But two books I have repurchased as an adult are The MouseBall and No Kiss for Mother because they are so great.

Oh and my parents kept a Grimm's Fairy tales book on the high shelf in my closet and told me that I shouldn't read it unless they were around. Of course that made me climb up there and look at it. There were pictures that went along with the original and highly gruesome tales. Can't remember if they gave me nightmares, but I went on to read and love Stephen King at an early age.

Read aloud by Mom:
A. A. Milne Winnie the Pooh
She read us many many books until I was maybe 11? She had the BEST voices ever. Off the top of my head: Are You My MotherAlexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Watership Down, SounderWind and the WillowsHarriet the Spy
Read aloud to Kindergartners while in sped 2nd grade: Rabbit and Skunk and the Scary Rock
First books on my own? I read so much I cannot recall. Beverly Cleary Nancy Drew, Bobsey Twins, as well as many many more.

As an Adult, I managed to hunt down and repurchase a majority of my childhood favorites that included the above and Mouse and the Motorcycle, Han Christian Anderson, Summer of My German Soldier

My first book was Charles Perrault's fairy tales, and "Little Thumb"
was my favorite. I read it every day for some time. And in my games I imagined myself to be Little Thumb, helping my younger sister to avoid danger...Really good book and good memories.

No idea; all I can recall is that it tasted like cardboard.

I am guessing I also read the Frog and Toad, Little Bear, and Seus. The typical I can Read books.

Since I am Flemish (Dutch speaking part of Belgian), my first book was probably a Dutch book from the 'Boeboeks' Series by the Flemish author Marc de Bell. Read by my parents. It's about the adventures of imagined forest creatures. Very good, reread it at least trice, once at 14 or 16 years old

>71 Bookmarque: "...my parents kept a Grimm's Fairy tales book on the high shelf in my closet and told me that I shouldn't read it unless they were around."

A technique I used as well for my children, especially once they were adolescents. Told it was too mature for them, they would, of course, feel the need to sneak it. Worked every time.

My first was Beatrix Potter's "Peter Rabbit." Still love reading it after 80 years!

I don’t think they were trying to manipulate me in that way. I was three or four and it was pretty over-the-tip for that age.

Although my parents *must* have read to me, I don't remember it. But my earliest book memories are Dr. Seuss' McElligot's Pool and Happy Birthday to You!, and looking for what seemed like hours at the detailed artwork. I so much wanted that bird to pick me up on my birthday, although I remember being troubled by the kid swimming naked with that strange bird.

Another favorite was also Never Talk To Strangers - even tracked that one down for my kids.

Also Disney books like Button Soup and fairy tale and short story collections like 70 Favorite Stories for Young Readers.

Also especially Little Golden Books - I got my first black eye from one when we started throwing them around the room for some reason!

Probably "Bunny Blue", though I don't remember anything about it. It's become part of the Family Mythology, however. It apparently went to the hospital with me when I had my tonsils out at four or five, and didn't come home, which caused Great Uproar.

After reading others' comments, I remember my mom reading "Peter Rabbit" and "Little Black Sambo" to me. (Apologies for the latter -- this was pre-PC times.) ((BTW, Sambo was Indian, not African. Because tigers.))

First book I remember actually reading to and for myself (beyond the Dick & Jane & Sally primers then in use for first-graders) was Felix Salter's "Bambi". First grade. Sitting on the floor in the living room, right in front of the bookcase.

I don't remember ever not being able to read, so there are probably earlier books that are just gone from memory. And I remember being highly insulted that the Babar books were set in a font that looked like cursive handwriting, which I could NOT read, and feeling that was a great cheat!

I love that book!

I vaguely remember my dad reading to the three of us children a book about Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit. Brer Rabbit was a 'trickster,' according to reference books, brought to America by African slaves and somewhat common among oppressed peoples.

All I know is that I loved those stories.

Jennifer Goes to School. I loved this book because I always wanted to be a teacher and it had photos of school stuff! I was fortunate to have a friend find a copy of this boook for me in Ireland and have it shipped over.

>84 Diane-bpcb: Ah, Brer Rabbit; 'born and bred in a briar patch, Brer Fox!' (the one where Brer Fox finally catches him and he begs him to do anything, even cook him, as long as he doesn't throw him into the briar patch).

Black Beauty! I was 7 years old and decided that I had learned to read well enough to purchase my very first book all by. Myself. For weeks, I trolled the book section of a department store and picked this book. Then, I spent weeks saving my coins to buy the book. It cost $1.99. I asked my dad for the last 25 cents, and dropped a large handful of change on the checkout counter. To my horror, the clerk said, “That will be $2.10.” What?! “No, no. You are mistaken. Look.” I pointed to the price tag and she nearly killed my new passion for reading by saying, “Plus tax.” How sneaky! I was devastated—until the checkout clerk one cash register over took 11 cents from her wallet and gave it to me with a smile. “Enjoy your book, honey.”

I’ve never worked so hard to purchase a book. Which is probably while I remember the book.

The first one that came to mind for me (before reading the rest of the replies) was Charlotte's Web.

I know we had the Little Golden Books around the house, but I don't remember reading them (or having them read to me), thought I'm sure that happened.

Another possibility is Heidi.

ETA: I see Black Beauty also mentioned just above my post. Could have been that one.

Obviously I don't remember which was first!

I'll have to go with first I recall reading, since I'm quite sure I was read to and did my fair share of book-grabbing essentially right after they weighed me in at the hospital. In my small bedroom, I had a twin bed, a floor lamp with a small table and a maple secretary-style desk--tall and narrow--that my great uncle made. My father would fold out the wee desk portion of that secretary some nights to pay bills right after dinner. The secretary--which I still have sixty years later!--has three upper shelves and three drawers. My clothes were in two of the drawers but the bottom one was mine and I filled it with books. So bedtime was about dragging open that squeaky drawer and pulling out a book or two.

My first memory of reading a particular book by myself is Old Mother West Wind by Thornton W. Burgess. This was one of a series and I read many of them. Each story had a moral, but the whole experience was so soft and warm and delightful, my kid radar for being told what to do didn't even go off. It's hard for me now, all these years later and living in the woods and in the company of real critters, to imagine seeing The Merry Little Breezes, Hooty the Owl, Old Man Coyote, and all other delightful characters through he eyes of a Brooklyn five-year old. But it was magic. That much I remember for sure.

Lovely story! I had a similar experience when I was six buying myself some little trinket. Loss of fiscal innocence!

That book is a whole boatload of sensory experiences for me. That big spoon in the dessert pan--I used to think I could hear the sound. And, of course, taste those desserts!

I don't know your group's age and so what they had, but I recently reread a Trixie Belden. Pure summer joy!

>89 LydiaFazioTheys: That sounds magical.

(Just to let you know, even if you reply to a post by clicking on ‘reply’, the post number doesn’t come up. You need to use the greater than chevron > and the post number. LT does the rest.)

>87 graceison:, Black Beauty was an early one for me too, on the heels of Burgess Tales about the Green Forest, thinking yay, another animal story! Wow, major eye opener - BB's world is WAY more stark and dark than the Green Forest, lol.

>89 LydiaFazioTheys:, wow, someone else! See >6 Cecrow:, above.

I have my copy of Time of the Great Freeze from many years ago. Did you ever read his Gate of Worlds?

The first book I was told I read and which had been read to me so many times I had it memorized was Scat, Scat by Sally Francis. I have it still. I have many books from my childhood (Scholastic and TAB book purchases) from Elementary School in the 60s. I ended up being a children's librarian and a collector of old children's books.

I believe the first book I read by myself was Howdy Doody haha. My mom read to me a lot, everything under the sun. Some of my early favorites were A Hole is to Dig, the Little Bear series, and Heidi

I've been racking my brain over the first book I ever read. I can remember not being an able to read, then Mom reading with me, then bupkis.

As far as I can tell can tell, as soon as I learned to read I devoured the Met collection of art prints my parents had. It's not worth a damn but I am the only five year old who could differentiate between Bosch and Durer. Again, I wish that was marketable.

This has been interesting. Before the question, I never knew there was such a gap in my memory.