Books That Made Skimm HQ Love Reading

This did the trick. Judy Blume’s “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” is the formative AF book about growing up that we can’t forget. In this one, a pre-teen aged Margaret navigates fitting in with new friends, puberty, a new school, and what it means to be ‘normal.’ A coming of age story if we ever saw one.

Let’s hope Stanley and Zero are too. Before it was the Disney movie you had on repeat, Skimm HQ’rs were reading this book cover to cover. In it, Stanley (aka young Shia LaBeouf…) is sent away to a cruel detention center where he digs holes all. day. long. Stanley and Zero’s friendship, and their ultimate redemption, is one that we’re still thinking about.

Sorry not sorry. “The House on Mango Street,” is the coming-of-age story of a Mexican-American girl growing up in Chicago. It's beloved by critics and school curriculums across the country. The story unfolds in vignettes, each revealing something about her thoughts on herself and the world around her. It’s both heartbreaking and heartwarming, and a book Skimm HQ can’t let go of. 

This was our cure. The book has sold more than 65 million copies in more than 55 languages, and tells the story of Santiago, a shepherd boy who is searching the Egyptian pyramids for treasures. We went on a journey with him as he learned to trust his instincts, follow his heart, and experience all the cheesy cliches. And Skimm HQ loved cheese even before we loved wine.

We were reading this. Written by R. K. Narayan, the book, which is told in a collection of stories, explores the everyday lives of people in a fictional Indian town, Malgudi. Narayan’s been famously compared to Chekhov and it's easy to see why.

Meet your match in Junie B. Jones. Barbara Park’s books tell the story of rambunctious kindergartener Junie B. (for Beatrice and don’t you forget it) Jones. She made us laugh and made going to school and finding your sass something we’ll never forget. Remember the book with the fruitcake? We do too. The series has sold more than 55 million copies. Junie Big Deal.

Hurston’s book is largely considered one of the most important books of the century. It’s an unofficial love letter to black women and is a foundational text for some Skimm HQ’rs. In it, readers follow the granddaughter of a slave, Janie Crawford, through her life and multiple marriages to find true love. 

Say hello to your friends in the Babysitter's Club. The series, which has sold more than 176 million copies, cemented our obsession with books from an early age. The thin colorful book spines are hard to forget as are its lead characters: Kristy, Claudiai, Mary Anne, and Stacey. In it, the girls hatch their plan to run a baby-sitting club, and become mini entrepreneurs in the making. Their feminist legacy still sticks with us too.

Remember the Dewey Decimal System? How about the Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Book Award? Curtis’s book won both awards, and is a BFD to critics and librarians everywhere. In it, you follow a young boy from Flint, Michigan, who sets out on the road to find his father. Curtis also wrote “The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963” and has remained one of the most influential authors of our childhoods. 

Jack and Annie to the rescue. The siblings, gripped Skimm HQ from the start, from their backyard treehouse adventures exploring the moon, mummies, and dinosaurs. It became a worldwide success—with almost 53 million copies sold. The saying is true: you never forget your first (chapter book).