I have always loved to read and it's all my dad's fault. It was important to him that his children read and out of the three of us, I was the one to take that idea and run. I was lucky that both my parents encouraged my growing addiction, and I have read quite a few books in my 32 years of life.

Today, as I prepare for motherhood, I think about the series and stand-alone novels that I loved as a kid, and hope to share them with my child. Here are some of my all-time favorites and must-have recommendations for anyone, young and old alike. In my not so humble opinion, all of these are worth passing on to those you love, whether they are your children, your younger siblings, your cousins, or your nieces and nephews. Happy reading.

1. "Calvin and Hobbes" by Bill Waterson

I know these are more comic books than actual novels, but my brother Luke loved them growing up and so did I. These comics are truly truly special. Funny and relevant even today, their commentary on life, parenting, school, and friendship is often both hysterically funny and heartwarming. Especially the very last strip in the series, but in the words of River Song: "Spoilers."

2. The "Harry Potter" Books by J.K Rowling

While I recommend that you be a little older when reading these books, do I really need to explain why the adventures of Harry, Ron, and Hermione made it on this list? No. The answer is no. Read them. You will understand by the first paragraph of the first book why.

3. "The Indian in the Cupboard" by Lynn Reid Banks

This series... Still one of my all-time top 10 favorite books I have ever read. I first heard about them when a student teacher in my elementary class read the "Return of the Indian" and I was hooked. Omri and Little Bear's story made me wish that little plastic figures could come to life, and the fourth book, "The Mystery of the Cupboard," just wraps everything up in a satisfying, though somewhat bittersweet ending.

4."The Boxcar Children" by Gertrude C. Warner

These books were some of my very first chapter books and they bring back fond childhood memories. The mystery-solving siblings who made a home out of an abandoned boxcar made me wish I had a special secret place like that to call my own. Thankfully, as an adult I can say that I was never homeless and therefore never needed an abandoned boxcar but reading about the craftiness of Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny as a kid made it sound quite romantic.

5. "Animorphs" by K. A Applegate

I can say so much about these books that they need their own separate article just to adequately describe how much I love these books. A story about kids who get involved in an Intergalactic War and help fight by turning into animals? Sign me up! Even now, I'll occasionally find myself revisiting the adventures of Jake, Cassie, Rachel, Marco, Tobias and Ax and reveling in the story. It's an incredibly painful series in some instances. There are real choices and consequences and horrors that when you really digest them (from an adult point of view) are scarier by far than "Hunger Games" or any young adult dystopic novel or series. And the series, while it ends with victory (spoilers), does not end with our heroes unscathed, by any stretch of the imagination.

6. "The Nancy Drew Mysteries" by Carolyn Keene:

I know what you're thinking. Nancy Drew is a staple of young girl's reading lists, or at least it was back in my day. Wasn't she always getting kidnapped? Wasn't she almost annoyingly perfect? And who the hell has natural titian (red gold) hair with no freckles? Yet we forget that Nancy was smart. She was kind. She cared about other people and their lives and often risked her own life to help them. She was resourceful. If your daughters want to be more like Nancy Drew, well... they could do worse.