When I was growing up, what really got me hooked into reading books is Carolyn Keene’s Nancy Drew Mystery Stories.
I remember clearly that I was in Grade 2 then, Christmas, and Santa Claus filled my stocking with the first 4 books of the series: The Secret of the Old Clock, The Hidden Staircase, The Bungalow Mystery, and The Mystery at Lilac Inn. And from that moment on, reading books has become part of my life.
Reading books also sparked my love for writing. When stumbling upon new words while reading, I’d imagine how I can use those words as well in my writing and
Like any other Nancy Drew fan, I tried reading all the books but as I grew up, I met new authors and new characters. But Nancy Drew started it all.
Kids these days should have a reading mentor. In my case it was Santa Claus my parents. Mom would supply us all the books we wanted if budget permits while Dad would ask us (my brother and I) to read the newspaper out loud while he’s driving us to school. This way Dad is able to correct our pronunciation and explain to us new words — not to mention, that we were updated on the news and current events too. 
Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys were the characters of my time. I wish parents would still try and introduce their kids to them, including the Bobsey Twins. 
For variety, why not try Judy Blume’s first books like “Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret” or “Blubber”. Lots and lots of wonderful books back then.
These days, I’m thankful for authors like JK Rowling for her Harry Potter series, Rick Riordan for Percy Jackson and The Olympians series, and CS Lewis for his Chronicles of Narnia. And I do hope more authors would continue to write and inspire kids to read and dream.
