Are there books from your childhood that shaped your character?

Black like me and the autobiography of Dr. King were big influences on me. I was raised that African Americans were all right in their place, but after reading these two books I realized how wrong that kind of thinking was and began to rethink all I was taught.

I grew up really reading two books.

Mostly the Harry Potter Series. There were characters like Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny who taught me the good and bad. The acts of evil characters such as Pettigrew, Voldemort and Bellatrix thrust me into knowing what was an act of terror.

I also read To Kill A Mockingbird. My mom used to read it to me and when I started to read, I gravitated towards that book. It is an excellent book with great morals and even greater characters. Characters like Atticus were an inspiration and created an magnificent novel.

The two biggest influences on me were Anne Shirley and Hermione Granger.

Anne of Green Gables really helped my imagination. Before I read the books, I never really allowed myself to get lost in daydreams, but seeing that Anne could be really smart and still slip away for a bit and dream helped. She was also a good character in that she tried to do what was right in the way of being nice to others no matter how much she didn't like them.

Harry Potter was another big influence, mainly because of Hermione. I started reading the books in 6th grade, right as girls were starting to act dumb in classes to impress the guys. Seeing that Hermione was respected by Ron and Harry and how she had two best friends like them really helped me remember that it was ok to be the smartest in the class, or at least try to be the smartest. She also showed that it's ok to read long books just because you like to and not complain about schoolwork (something I reminded myself of when we'd be reading novels in class and everyone "hated" them).

there were a couple that really made me think, even as a small child,

watership down - this is my favourite book of all time, and even now, at 27, i still get things from it that i never did before. it made me understand the sheer cruelty of some people and a basic grasp of politics. it helped install a 'screw you' attitude in me.

the LOTR - my father read this to us when we were still far too young to know what it was about. but i remember that i thought it was a marvellous adventure, and that i wanted my life to be an adventure too.

i guess that they both instilled some sense of justice in me, that sometimes the right thing isn't the easiest thing, and you have to really fight sometimesm, even when it seems that you are the only one on your side.

yes, growing up all i did was read, the top books i can remember reading over and over again were:

-Anne of Green Gables

-Ella Enchanted

-All of the "Little Women" books

-The Boxcar children

- then when i got a little older i got into books like:

The coldest winter ever, and books by Omar Tyree (i loved his books....especially Leslie and Flyy Girl)

yes exactly

enid blyton has a lot of moral stuff. like telling in an interesting way what is wrong and what is right. and there was all this about someone making a mistake and then 'owning up'

Enid Blyton books are excellent as a child i found them entrancing!

x

(Especially the faraway tree)

Hermione. I have always looked up to her. She is not all boy crazy and stuff and she is smart.

I started reading the books in third grade and I wanted to be her.

The Bible was very popular way back when and it influenced, not just me, but many in my generation. It's not as popular today maybe, but it is still as relevant today as it was then.

Didn't mean to sound boring.

His Dark Materials.