The first book I distinctly remember getting was entitled 'Fairyland' and it was by someone with a very Japanese name. It was a poem about fairies, and the illustrations are quite cute with the late 70's/early 80's nature art style.

I still have it with the small collection of childhood books I've kept (including Magic Elizabeth, The Wednesday Witch, and The Phantom Tollbooth).

"BOOKS ARE MY FRIENDS!!!"

The one that I first remember was about the Campbell Soup kids. I don't remember the name but it was about them cooking because it was raining and they couldn't go out and play. I wish I could remember the name because I have such fond memories of my grandma reading it to me.

Velveteen Rabbit

"You BECOME, the horse said to the rabbit. It doesn't happen all at once. It takes a very long time. Generally, by the time you are REAL most of your hair has been loved off and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But those things don't matter, because once you are real, you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

The first book I remember reading (that wasn't of the "Run Spot Run" variety) was the Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White. It was so cute and cuddly. The first book I owned (that I asked for and wasn't randomly given to me) was Into the Land of the Unicorns by Bruce Coville.

I don't remember exactly what was first (lots of Seuss though), but memorable before age 8?
All Horses Go To Heaven (compilation)
The Dark Is Rising Series (Susan Cooper)
The Shining (Stephen King)
At the Mountains of Madness (Lovecraft)

I was into horror early

OMG I forgot! Bearenstein Bears! I had TONS of them. Then I got older and was very much into Goosebumps and the Hardy Boys (the old school original ones).

The Neverending Story. I was 8-9.

There were several I remember from around the same time period; I was probably around four years old. I think most of them were Golden Books:
-The Tawny Scrawny Lion,
-The Poky Little Puppy,
-and my absolute favorite was one about barn animals that got loose and came into the house, but I can't remember the title of it! Now I'm curious if it's still floating around in my parents house somewhere; I'll have to look.

What a great question. That brought back some memories. Thanks for posting it.

My parents were reading to me before I was even forming long-term memories. And as soon as reading lessons began in kindergarten I started reading for myself. But I can't honestly remember the first book I ever read on my own.

I will always, however, remember the first Bunnicula book as the one that really got me hooked on reading, at around age 6. It was the first book I stayed up late to read, and kicked off a period of my life when my parents would have to check on me to make sure I was sleeping and not reading. Not that they minded the reading, of course (they heartily approved, really), but they didn't want me becoming sleep-deprived on account of it. Which, given my voracity for books, was a distinct possibility.

I was reading Golden Books and Dr. Seuss when I was 2 so I don't remember what my first book was. I remember reading The Chronicles of Narnia in first grade.

I can't be sure which one it was, but it was either Sharpe's Rifles, or Sharpe's Eagle, though I'd guess the former. I'm relatively new to the literary world, starting when I was just 16.

I don't remember which one, but I'm sure it was a Little Golden Book. My mom used to get them for me at the store instead of getting a toy.

oh man, I wish I could remember, but I dont. My mom was reading to me all the time when I was little. We read through A LOT of books.