What Your Favorite Childhood Book Says About You

The books you read as a kid were likely a big influence in shaping your personality; yes, all that time you spent reading with your parents or siblings at bedtime probably had a big effect on who you are today. No matter which book was your favorite, you can probably pick out little things about how characters and story played a role in shaping your identity, and, of course, these books will always hold a special place in your heart.

You learned how to rhyme from Dr. Seuss. You explored your imagination with Max and the Monsters in Where the Wild Things Are. You grew to love reading even more with Matilda. These first books were just the beginning to your long life as a book-lover. If it's been quite a while since you've read your favorite childhood book, it's always a good idea to pick it back up and scan through it. Along with the heartwarming nostalgia, children's books can still teach you important lessons as an adult.

Get ready to venture down memory lane with these popular children's books you read multiple times as a kid. From Shel Silverstein's engaging poetry to E.B. White's heartwarming writing, here are what your favorite books as a kid say about who you are today:

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

As a kid, you loved The Giving Tree with all your heart. You have really strong relationships with your family and friends. You were always the kid who knew right from wrong and steered clear of getting into trouble on the playground. As an adult, you've become somewhat of the "mom" in your friend group, especially when trying to get everyone home from the bars safe and sound. Sometimes you tend to feel guilty over small mistakes, but that's just your big heart doing some serious overthinking.

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

If you were a big Dr. Seuss fan as a kid, you still are today. You've always had a knack for telling jokes and one of the first traits people usually list about you is your sense of humor. Growing up, you were always the curious kid asking questions and listing off theories of why the world is the way it is. Today, you're still just as curious and use that to your advantage in getting to know people and doing a kick-ass job at work.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Your sense of adventure has never withered, even as a stressed out twentysomething. Your teachers used to always tell your parents that you had an "active imagination" and it sometimes got you into trouble. But now your imagination is one of your best qualities. You're always up to trying new foods or going on a road trip with friends. If you aren't working, you're usually looking for something else to do with your time so you tend to take up new, sometimes strange, hobbies every so often.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

Ever since you read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, you've secretly always wanted to own a small, adorable little mouse. Aside from that, you've grown into a pretty patient person and have the ability to listen intently to your friends and family sharing long, sometimes boring, stories. People have always commented on your politeness and easy-going personality.

The Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon

Like Camilla Cream, you tried to fit in once upon a time, but quickly learned it wasn't for you. You've always embraced your individuality, whether through fashion, culture, or your different interests. Standing out from the crowd is one thing you do well, but you're also an incredibly understanding person when it comes to friends making mistakes or your significant other forgetting an anniversary.

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

As a child, you didn't see rules as rules, but more like guidelines. You've always been a quick decision-maker, and when it came to deciding which game to play during recess, you were usually the one in charge. You have an outgoing personality and love talking to new people. At the same time, you're also content with hanging out with your childhood best friends and watching reruns of Friends on Netflix.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

You adore the classic stories within literature and film. The Hungry Caterpillar is one story that will never grow old, and neither will you. You're a kid at heart in everything that you do which also makes you a great person to be around kids. You remember how awkward and strange you and everyone else was before blooming into beautiful butterflies, which makes you an empathetic person overall.

Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings, Shel Silverstein

The size of this book didn't scare you off as a kid because you were in love with every poem and drawing inside. You love telling stories as much as you love reading them. As a kid you were always the one who was ahead of the trends and still are to this day. You're a big fan of pun jokes and cheesy pick-up lines, but more than anything, you've always been a poetry nerd at heart.

The Rainbow Fish, Marcus Pfister

If you had a sibling or two, you remember this book being pulled out in the midst of a non-sharing fight. As an adult, you actually love sharing your books and movies with friends. More than anything, you love sharing advice which makes you the friend everyone goes to when someone needs help. You're proud of all your accomplishments, but you're the one always making sure to triple-thank the people who've helped you along the way.

Corduroy, Don Freeman

A really big part of you still believes that the idea behind Toy Story is real and all your stuffed animals were alive at one point. You have a big imagination and a big heart to go along with it. You probably still have your teddy bear from childhood and don't care what anyone thinks about it. You're more on the quiet side, but when it comes to making friends you've got a talent for picking out some of the best and being a pretty thoughtful friend yourself.

Charlotte's Web, E.B. White

If you didn't grow up on a farm, Charlotte's Web made you want to. You like the simple things in life, but that doesn't make you a simple person by any means. When you were a kid, you wanted to be a vet simply because you wanted to save all the animals in the world (including spiders). Now that you're older, whether or not you became a vet, your caring and passionate personality has only continued to grow.

Matilda, Roald Dahl

You were a kid who loved books — and that's one thing that will never change about you. You're addicted to learning new things and are usually sharing your discoveries with anyone willing to listen. You're compassionate like Miss Honey and intelligent like Matilda. With your wits and charm, you can handle just about any situation life throws at you.

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