Summer reading throwback: The books we loved as kids
If there’s one thing we love more than reading here at Libby, it’s reading for pizza. Every summer in our younger days, our brains were on Book It. Now that it’s been revived for a new generation, we find ourselves looking back on all of those summer days and nights spent with the books that made us into the readers we are today. Some of these were assigned reading that we either loved or hated (and from my school, seemed to involve way too many titles where a poor animal meets an untimely end), or they were books discovered while doing our beloved summer reading challenges at the local library.
So, enjoy this highly millennial-coded trip down memory lane as we unearth some of our favorite summer reads. Maybe they’re some of yours as well!
From Meghan:
Ella Enchanted
by Gail Carson Levine
“For me, it would have to be Ella Enchanted (narrowly beating out Animorphs). I remember picking it up from the Bookmobile, which would stop in front of my house every Thursday over the summer (probably because my mom baked them treats every week!). It solidified my love of fantasy stories with strong, independent female MCs. It's still one of my favorite books, and I'm waiting less than patiently to have my daughter read it as well!”
From Annie:
A Light in the Attic
by Shel Silverstein
“As a kid in the 90s, I consumed all of the weird and wonderful Shel Silverstein books I could get my hands on (A Light in the Attic, Where the Sidewalk Ends). The poems were smart and a little wacky like the double-tail dog or the kid who turned into a TV. Each had a little black-and-white sketch that was just the right amount of creepy. I still love poetry to this day, and probably have Shel to thank!”
Kristy's Great Idea
by Ann M. Martin
"I also have to include the Baby-Sitter’s Club. Every pre-teen was reading these and could identify with one of the core sitters. I wanted to be a Claudia, but was very much a Mary Anne. I never was a babysitter myself—got enough of the shenanigans from these books."
From Bobby:
Island of the Blue Dolphins
by Scott O'Dell
“Powerful book and emotional as a kid! I don't know if this counts as an 'animal dying' book, because animals do die, but it was definitely a summer reading book for me somewhere in my elementary years."
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
by Stephen King
“I also vividly remember reading The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and it really freaking me out! Since, I have read loads of Stephen King after and this was what started it for me in middle school.”
From Maria:
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
by E.L. Konigsburg
"I'll go with [a] non-downer and say From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler— like... how could I not romanticize staying overnight in a museum and solving a mystery?! Perfect for a bored Maria in the summertime.”
From Amanda:
Horse Games
by Bonnie Bryant
“As a horse girl, I was heavily into Pony Pals. I probably read every single one, I used to match my Breyer horse collection to the covers 🤓😂”
For those who loved Pony Pals, you might also remember The Saddle Club!
From Anya:
Inkheart
by Cornelia Funke
“Pre-teen Anya was obsessed with Inkheart by Cornelia Funke! There was something thrilling about infusing the long, slow days of summer with a good dose of magic. I dragged my well-worn copy with me on a road trip, and it inspired me to look for the extraordinary in everything and everyone I met.”
From Claire:
The Outsiders
by S. E. Hinton
“I was obsessed with The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. It was required summer reading for my seventh grade English class, and it blew my mind! I couldn't believe that a teenage girl had written a classic, and I just remember falling in love with all of the characters and their chosen family. And now with the musical I feel like it's having a whole resurgence with new readers and old fans. It's one of those picks that I revisit now and again, and each time I find something new to love in it.”
From Emma:
Shadowland
by Meg Cabot
“Hugeee fan of Meg Cabot's Mediator series. It got me through many a boring summer and I remember being so captivated by the plot, the love triangles, the setting, and the FMC's immaculate wardrobe lol. Bonus is that I read the entire series again as an adult three summers ago and in my opinion, it holds up!!!!!!!”
From Molly:
Amelia's Notebook
by Marissa Moss
“Does anyone remember Amelia's Notebook series? I remember obsessing over these for the fun doodles and trying to make my own stylish diary and doodles (but failing because I am not artsy at all). They were just so fun to read and I vividly remember 90s summers reading the first Amelia's Notebook.”
From Shannon:
The Secret
by R.L. Stine
“We all had that book that started it all and I read (kid appropriate) thrillers and suspense and a lot of witchy/curse stuff during summers. R. L. Stine Fear Street, but particularly this trilogy stands out. It’s the why behind the Fear Street curse!! Who doesn't love a good murder mystery or three while trying to stay cool? I was always drawn to books like this and it's probably why I still read witchy fiction today.”
*Title availability may vary.
Whether any of these were the books that had you up late reading under a flashlight—or maybe it was something else entirely (none of us have the attention span to hear about how much pre-teen Meghan loved historical fiction, myself included)—that joy of reading was planted early and was tended to by all of us.
The fun doesn’t end though! Be sure to check out your local library and see if there are adult summer reading programs available for you! While you might not get free pizza, you can still have lots of fun falling in love with new authors and stories (and maybe even staying up past your bedtime).
RELATED READ: 9 picture books that will bring on the nostalgia
Published May 27, 2026
Meghan Volchko
Meghan Volchko is a writer for Libby Life and a Libby librarian. Her English degree set her up perfectly for grad school, where she received her MLIS and has been immersed in the world of books ever since. You can find her reading with her cat, traveling with her friends and family, or having kitchen dance parties with her daughter. HEAs are life.