As an adult, it’s been a constant source of frustration to me that there are huge gaps in my knowledge when it comes to literature that other people of my generation have read - either through school, or because they were popular at the time, or because they’re regarded as “classics”*
But it wasn’t like I didn’t read as a kid. I read A LOT. But the funny thing was, I was really specific about what I read.
For example, Jaws by Peter Benchley. I read that as an 11-12 year old and loved it. And then I read it 6 times in a row. Did I read anything else of his? Of course not. Wasn’t interested.
Or the Point Horror series (because I’m too old for Goosebumps!). I absolutely devoured them, but only the ones by R.L.Stein. Why? Because I read one of his first. That’s literally it.
Anyone else had this relationship with books as a kid?
*don’t worry, I know this is often more to do with matters of capitalism/patriarchy/colonialism than quality.
I wish my parents had pushed classics more when I was a kid, because the children’s classics I’ve read as an adult have been so unbelievable charming and lovely and just leagues above Pee Wee Scouts and whatever other crap I was reading when I was six or seven. I also have a ton of gaps in my reading with regards to popular books and classics, though I’m hoping to focus on that with my reading in 2024.
I was actually surprisingly unpicky as a child reader, probably because I didn’t have anywhere near the selection to choose from as I do today - small town, no bookstores, teeny library. My books were mostly stuff pushed at me by other people.