6 Authors who shaped your childhood

2016 Sep 15

by Vandana Hiranand

If you’re an avid reader who can spend hours clutching onto a book, then no doubt, your love for reading stemmed from your childhood. You were introduced to different worlds and stories, always eager to discover what lies within those pages. That said, there are a few authors who definitely invoked your love for reading in your childhood.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we?

1. Roald Dahl

The quirky and magical stories penned by Roald Dahl definitely encouraged many children to explore the world of reading. His insanely popular books such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will be remembered for ages to come. Books such as The BFG, Esio Trot, and The Witches were so clever, unique, and creative that they fascinate us even in adulthood. Dahl even published Boy: Tales of Childhood, and Going Solo to illustrate his own life, which was as interesting as his fictional works! His stories, coupled with the amazing illustrations from Quentin Blake, definitely sparked a sense of wonder in us as children.

2. R. L. Stine

If you ever read Goosebumps, we know what your nightmares consisted of as a child. The frightening and creepy horror stories written by R. L. Stine were some of the most enjoyable reads we ever had (even though we may have had trouble falling asleep later at night). Even more interesting were his ‘You Choose the Scare’ books, with multiple different endings, depending on what the reader chooses to do. As you grew older, you began to read his series Fear Street, which were longer, more suspenseful, and undoubtedly much more terrifying. Stine’s books succeeded in fascinating and frightening a whole generation of kids, even for those who never liked to read.

3. Enid Blyton

For most of us, our childhoods revolved around Blyton’s works. Her books were colourful, imaginative and packed with action. Many of us began reading Blyton with her series’ such as The Faraway Tree and The Wishing Chair. Nevertheless, nothing holds a greater place in our hearts than her many series of detective books! The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, and The Five Find-Outers, sparked our love for mystery. All we wished for was to solve crimes, go on adventures, and definitely own a dog like Timothy or Buster! Enid Blyton was a gifted storyteller who penned hundreds of children’s books and invoked our love of reading.

4. Judy Blume

Blume’s books were incredibly funny and exciting. Her characters were vastly unique and very relatable for any middle-school kid. She is well-known for tackling serious dilemmas and issues that children face, such as family and school problems, and presenting characters who try to overcome them in a bright and cheerful way. Blume’s characters were incredibly realistic and equally quirky. Although some of her books were catered towards slightly older readers, they never failed to capture the essence of reality and adventure within regular life.

5. Carolyn Keene

Although Carolyn Keene is simply a penname and collective pseudonym for the many ghostwriters who contributed towards the Nancy Drew series, the books were a rather large part of many of our childhoods. Nancy Drew is a talented, inspiring and independent female character who solves mysteries with her friends. These books were adventurous, daring and made every young kid want to be a detective. Kids used to love following Nancy’s mysteries and attempting to solve them with her. Although written by many authors, the character of Nancy Drew under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene is rather loved worldwide.

6. Ann M. Martin

The Babysitter’s Club is a timeless series of books, written by author Ann M. Martin. Her young female characters were incredibly relatable, with the different personalities and characteristics they each had. Her characters faced serious conflicts such as parental marriage, divorce, illnesses, competition and typical lighthearted problems too, such as boy drama. Martin’s books are extremely entertaining and comical, not to mention inspiring for a whole generation of girls, reading about independent young girls who began their very own babysitting business! Needless to say, this series shaped the childhoods of many young girls out there.

Undoubtedly there were many other authors out there who shaped parts of our childhoods through their creative stories and beloved characters. Nonetheless, these six authors are quite definitely the most popular and influential. The books we now love and read, and even our mannerisms, values and behaviors may now be shaped by these wonderful books we read when we were kids!