I’m with Joanne. I can’t remember my first book, just as I can’t remember my first outfit, or my first word. And I love clothes and talking almost as much as I love reading and writing.
But if we’re talking about “Loving It,” what I can remember is my first book crush.
Reeve from The Face on the Milk Carton. Anyone remember that book? I lurved it so much. Janie sees her own picture on a “Missing” ad on the side of her lunchtime milk carton, and it’s all drama drama drama from there. But, at least in my memory, she had this wonderful boyfriend who just adored her. He seemed like the perfect boy. And, in my imagination, he looked just like Keanu Reeves. Which was clearly due to the name thing. Real imaginative, Rachel.
On the ABC Family TV movie version, in which they forced Kellie Martin to sport bright red hair, Reeve looked like this. Cute, right? I 
mean, cute in an I-would-have-liked-him-when-I-was-8-years-old kind of way.
But Reeve was more than just looks. I mean, he helped his girlfriend find her real family after discovering that she’d been kidnapped by her supposed parents’ cult-
obsessed daughter. (You got that?) That guy stuck around when things got rough…and he was only in high school! Um, can you say dreamboat?
After some extensive Wikipedia-ing, I’ve learned that there was a later book in the “Janie Johnson” series where Janie and Reeve breakup. But—spoiler alert!—all ends well at the end of the series. Phew. I mean, who could give up those eyes?
Who was your first literary crush?
Charlie Brown. I know, I know. Good grief, Kim! I always loved Charlie Brown. I still do. Ned Nickerson was a hottie too.
Kim, remind me who Ned Nickerson was? I could google but I bet you could give me a more compelling answer 😉
Nancy Drew’s hunky boyfriend!
Yes! Of course! Which brings me to the Hardy Boys…though I won’t even pretend I liked the literary Joe Hardy over Shaun Cassidy’s TV version. I mean, that’s just not believable in any universe.
I love loved Nancy Drew, but don’t remember much about Ned. It was weird, I have such strong memories of female book characters, but fewer memories of the hunky boys. They were always so on the periphery..
Ned Nickerson was too much of a college boy for me. I like Carson Drew. Is that weird?
Nah. I suspect there were as many girls who liked Mr. Drew as liked Ned. Poll, anyone?
I remember neither! What is wrong with me? I just remember Nancy. Or, should I say, wanting to be Nancy. Or Harriet the Spy. Really any mystery-solving lady would do.
Hmm, I’ve probably confessed this one before but I’d say Will from the Tripods Trilogy by John Christopher. WAAAY before that, maybe Nate the Great.
OMG Nate the Great!!! Thank you for that fantastic throwback.
He lived for pancakes and had a best friend with a dog named Fang?! What’s not to love? 😉
This is probably randomly obscure, but my first literary crush was Michael from Christopher Pike’s Final Friends series, which proves that I always had a thing for nerdy dudes, even as early as 6th grade.
Nerdy dudes who SOLVE MURDERS, that is.
(Can we draw a straight line from Michael to David Boreanaz in BONES? Not nerdy, but he DOES solve murders! Discuss.)
Not too obscure for me, since I just wrote of my love for Christopher Pike a couple weeks ago. And clearly, Molly, you have a type. Murder-mystery solvers — nerdy minds in hunky bodies. Not a bad choice.. .
My first literary crush? Probably Alec Ramsey, the kid in The Black Stallion (and its sequels) by Walter Farley. I mean, come on! HE HAD THE BEST HORSE IN THE WORLD. What more could a girl ask for in her literary boyfriend?
Maybe the best car in the world? But really, any form of transportation (animal, vehicle) would do.
Oh man, Calvin O’Keefe the popular but awkward red head in “A Wrinkle in Time” who was into Meg even though she and her weird brother were outcasts and he was a cool guy at school. First literary crush no doubt! Great piece, great topic!