I started early. First I listened to my mom reading to me, asking her to show me all the bright images on the book's pages, then, at about 4, I started reading myself and was never able to stop since then. Not that I wanted.
There is something special about those books you read as a kid — the ones you loved so much you still remember them very vividly — the way they looked, the way they made you feel, sometimes even the way they smelled. Some of them are still somewhere on your bookshelves; you hardly ever touch them, but each time a shabby book back catches your eye, it brings a smile to your face. Do many people remember lines from their childhood books, I wonder? I do.
This one was the first one I've ever read without my mom's help. At the time I lived in a country that both tried to prevent any cultural influence coming from outside the Iron Curtain and shamelessly snitched lots of ideas born "on the other side", from technical know-how solutions to scientific and literary works. I was just a kid and had no idea that the author of this book (Alexander Volkov his name is) has conveniently appropriated, changed and extended another author's work and published it as his. Another author's name is Lyman Frank Baum. Yes, that's right; this is a Soviet version of the "Wizard of Oz" titled "Wizard of Emerald City".
Would I care if I knew this then? I don't think so. The book was good, and I was totally fascinated with all the adventure, nice illustrations and... its five sequels. Yes, Volkov actually turned it into book series.
Unfortunately, the book was badly damaged when my little brother took it to the sea ang gave it a nice bath.
This next one (titled "the Order of the Yellow Woodpecker" by Monteiro Lobato) gives me the warmest memories. It actually belonged to my mom; she read it when she was a kid. After many years of lying in some very distant dark corner of my grandparents' house, it was found and given to me. I think I can say that it's one of the best books a child can read. It's about childhood and imagination and has this absolutely amazing, subtle humor in it. Wonderful.
This book (The title is "From the Living Well") is a collection of Ukrainian traditional fairy-tales; I suspect that many of them, if not all, date back to very old times, and there is nothing like the feeling ancient folklore gives: a little dark, a little suspenseful, thrilling and totally awesome. Besides, this book has the most stunning illustrations. Loved it so much.
And this is the first unabridged English book I ever read — much later, though, when I was just beginning my journey as a university student, but it gave me so much of great experience I just can't leave it out of this list. It took me a long time to read, it was hard, but I totally enjoyed it. It must be noted that I read the transIated version of Walter Scott's Ivanhoe many times long before attempting to read the original version. That's a habit of mine, actually: I often read the books I love several times.
These are not all books I ever read as a kid, of course — just a few I still keep because of all the fond memories.