The truth is, we were all little kids at some point. When I reflect on how I was in elementary school, I realize that in a lot of ways, I’ve matured and changed. But in other ways, I haven’t changed at all; take my love for reading, as an example.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always spent long amounts of time with my face in a good book. And like most kids, there was one particular book series that I favored the most…Junie B. Jones!

Now, just in case you aren’t familiar with this series, it is starring an almost-five-year-old girl named Junie, who is in kindergarten. While the series began in the early 90s, it didn’t end until the very last book in 2012. What I think really sparked my interest with this series is the humor and relatability, especially considering that I loved these books when I was the same age as Junie; around 1st or 2nd grade.

The Junie B. Jones series were some of my first chapter books–despite the fact that they contained pictures, and I truly believe that they were a big part of what sparked my love for reading in the first place. Although I remember buying my first few from Goodwill, me and my great-grandmother–a.k.a. Goodmommy’s mother–found about 12 of them at a thrift store one day, and she bought every single one for me. Super sweet, right? You have no idea how truly happy I was, LOL.

The books that we read as children, when we are beginning to learn how to read, are a critical part of our development and our interests as we get older. Not to mention that our favorite bedtime stories make great early childhood memories.

I’ve kept a lot of the books that I read when I was little, and I’m glad that I did. Although I prefer reading more advanced books–as my reading level has naturally increased through the years–looking back at what used to be my favorite books is a great experience, even today.

Without the books that I cherished as a little girl, I might have never really embraced the wonderful gift of reading.

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Overall, it was really fun to take a look back into the past with my favorite book series in first grade. I think a person’s favorite childhood story can tell you a lot about them and what they find interesting. What we familiarize ourselves with at a young age can make the most precious childhood memories that we cherish and remember for a lifetime. And thank God for it.

LET’S CHAT~What was your favorite childhood story? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

Thank you so much for reading! Have a beautiful and blessed day, y’all! ✨