Patrons' First Book Loves

Created on February 5, 2025, 10:33 am

Last Updated February 13, 2025, 1:50 pm

First book love is a special kind of romance. The kind that lingers, changes you, and maybe even breaks your heart a little. We recently asked patrons to tell us about the first book they truly loved, and their responses proved swoon-worthy. If you're looking to fall in love with a good book, this list is a great place to start.

1) Anne of Green Gables

Author

Montgomery, L. M. (Lucy Maud), 1874-1942

Series

Anne of Green Gables volume 1
Anne of Green Gables novels volume 1
Anne of Green Gables novel (Aladdin Books (Firm))
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Summary

"Anne of Green Gables' tells the tale of a little red headed orphaned girl, mistakenly sent to the Cuthbert's' farm on Prince Edward Island. Anne's strong character and vivid imagination both help and hinder her as she makes her way through childhood in the pretty little town of Avonlea. This early work by Lucy Maud Montgomery was originally published in 1908 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. Lucy Maud Montgomery...

2) "B" is for Betsy

Author

Haywood, Carolyn, 1898-1990

Series

Betsy volume 1
Betsy (Haywood) volume 1

Summary

Carolyn Haywood's stories about her irrepressible character Betsy have never been out of print, and now, thanks to dynamic new covers, the Betsy books will find their way onto the bookshelves of modern young readers-and into the hearts of a whole new generation. Betsy is scared about going to first grade, but it turns out school is a great place. She learns about tadpoles and the true meaning of Thanksgiving, makes new friends, and has more fun than...

3) Banner in the sky

Author

Ullman, James Ramsey, 1907-1971

Summary

"Fifteen years ago, Rudi Matt's father died trying to climb the Citadel, the last unconquered summit in the Alps. Now, at 16, Rudi wants to place his banner on the top to prove that it can be done."

4) The Berenstain Bears and the Easter story

Author

Berenstain, Jan, 1923-2012

Series

Berenstain Bears

Summary

Brother, Sister, and Honey Bear know more about Easter candy than Easter itself until their Sunday School teacher, Missus Ursula, takes them to see a passion play performed by another class.

5) Black Beauty

Author

Sewell, Anna, 1820-1878

Series

Great illustrated classics
Scholastic classics
Classic library
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Summary

One of the best loved animal stories ever written, the dramatic and heartwarming Black Beauty is told by the magnificent horse himself, from his idyllic days on a country squire's estate to his harsh fate as a London cab horse. No one can ever forget the gallant Black Beauty, a horse with a white star on his forehead and a heart of unyielding courage.

6) Borrowed light

Author

7) The boxcar children

Author

Warner, Gertrude Chandler, 1890-1979

Series

Boxcar children mysteries volume 1
Boxcar Children volume 1
Boxcar children mysteries (Listening Library (Firm)) volume 1
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Summary

Perfect for gift giving, this special unjacketed hardcover edition of the Boxcar Children is the ideal start to a beloved series. It includes bonus content about the books and the life of Gertrude Chandler Warner, including author photos, personal correspondences, and archival historical content. This edition of the chapter book makes a wonderful keepsake for classroom and family-read alouds and fans of all ages.

8) Bridge to Terabithia

Author

Paterson, Katherine

Series

ABC-Clio large print

Summary

The life of a ten-year-old boy in rural Virginia expands when he becomes friends with a newcomer who subsequently meets an untimely death trying to reach their hideaway, Terabithia, during a storm.

9) The call of the wild

Author

London, Jack, 1876-1916

Series

Puffin classics
Scholastic classics
Classic literature
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Summary

"Life is good for Buck in Santa Clara Valley, where he spends his days eating and sleeping in the golden sunshine. But one day a treacherous act of betrayal leads to his kidnap, and he is forced into a life of toil and danger. Dragged away to be a sledge dog in the harsh and freezing cold Yukon, Buck must fight for his survivial. Can he rise above his enemies and become the master of his realm once again?"--Amazon.com.

Author

Taylor, Theodore, 1921-2006

Summary

Philip, an adolescent white boy who is blinded in a torpedo attack at sea during World War II, acquires a new kind of vision, courage, and love when he is stranded on a tiny Caribbean island with Timothy, a kind, elderly black man.

11) change

This entry no longer exists in the catalog

12) Charlotte's web

Author

White, E. B. (Elwyn Brooks), 1899-1985

Series

Lythway book

Summary

"Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. Wilbur the pig wants to make a friendin the barn. Charlotte the spider wants a friend too! And with the words she makes in her web, she will make sure that everyone knows what a special pig Wilbur is."-- Provided by publisher.

13) Cubby in wonderland

Author

Farnsworth, Frances Joyce

Series

National parks and monuments

14) Daddy's little girl

Author

Clark, Mary Higgins

Summary

Ellie Cavanaugh was only seven years old when her fifteen-year-old sister, Andrea, was murdered near their home in Oldham-on-the-Hudson, a rural village in New York's Westchester County. There were three suspects: Rob Westerfield, nineteen-year-old scion of a wealthy, prominent family, whom Andrea has been secretly dating Paul Stroebel, a sixteen-year-old schoolmate, who had a crush on Andrea and Will Nebels, a local handyman in his forties. It was...

15) Danny and the dinosaur

Author

Hoff, Syd, 1912-2004

Series

I can read book volume Level 1
Danny and the Dinosaur volume 1
I can read book & CD
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Summary

Danny goes to the museum where his wish comes true, a friendly dinosaur comes to life and spends the day playing with him.

16) Dear Mr. Henshaw

Author

Cleary, Beverly

Series

Leigh Botts volume 1

Summary

In his letters to his favorite author, ten-year-old Leigh reveals his problems in coping with his parents' divorce, being the new boy in school, and generally finding his own place in the world.

17) Don Quixote

Author

Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de, 1547-1616

Series

Dover thrift editions
2018 Great American Read
Penguin classics

Summary

""The final and greatest utterance of the human mind." -- Fyodor Dostoyevsky. A founding work of modern Western literature, Cervantes' masterpiece has been translated into more than 60 languages and the novel's elderly knight, Don Quixote, and his loyal squire, Sancho Panza, rank among fiction's most recognized characters. This monumental parody of chivalric romances and epic of heroic idealism presents a strikingly contemporary narrative that also...

18) Double Fudge

Author

Series

Fudge volume 5

Summary

His younger brother's obsession with money and the discovery of long-lost cousins Flora and Fauna provide many embarrassing moments for twelve-year-old Peter.

19) Ender's game

Author

Card, Orson Scott

Series

Ender saga volume 1
Ender saga volume v. 1
Ender's Saga volume 1
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Summary

Child-hero Ender Wiggin must fight a desperate battle against a deadly alien race if mankind is to survive.

20) Enduring light: a novel

Author

Summary

A newlywed couple struggles with the hardships of maintaining a ranch in Wyoming in the early 1900s.

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