What is the most memorable or influential book you read as a child and why?

[Paul]

The book that made the biggest impression on me as a child was The House with a Clock in Its Walls written by John Bellairs. The book cover and illustrations were drawn by Edward Gorey. I was 9 yrs old and this was the first book that literally scared the bejesus out of me. Those that followed The Figure In the Shadows and The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring were just as exhilarating. As a teenager, I went on to read more "adult" gothic, horror novels by authors such as Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Peter Straub and eventually branched out into fantasy, sci-fi , and mainstream fiction but Bellairs' works built the foundation.

[Ruby]

The most influential of all was probably Seaward. Second to that would have to be Deep Wizardry. If you have read these, you can guess why! I would say The Changeover: A Supernatural Romance, before those other two, except I was ten by the time I read it and I read the other two much younger. That makes a difference.

[Lora]

I can't list only one. But I remember reading Charlotte's Web while walking from class to class in school. I felt so less alone when I was in that book.
Julie of the Wolves was another one. It made sense when my world around me didn't. I also got into horse stories around that time. We had just moved from the country to the city and I think the stories of kids being close to animals comforted me greatly. I felt I had lost a great deal by moving- space, freedom, familiarity, etc. There's a certain sadness in these books as well that was cathartic for me at that time. I was able to read them and have a darn good cry!

[Cindy]

to Paul: Have you ever read John Bellairs great novel "The Face in the Frost"? It is hilarious, creepy, and a rousing mystery all at once. One of my all time favorites, but it has been out of print for decades, though a Bellairs fan may find the search rewarding.

[Scott]

A Wrinkle in Time. It really hooked me into reading science fiction and fantasy (before that I read mostly animal stories.)