When I was a kid, my parents quickly discovered it didn’t work to punish me by sending me to my room.

Because that’s where I liked to be, lying on my futon bed and reading a book.

I would get lost in the mystery adventures of friends Hawkeye Collins and Amy Adams (books by and M. Masters) or Encyclopedia Brown (Donald J. Sobol) or get caught up in the drama of Ramona (Beverly Clearly) or the confusion of Amelia Bedelia (Peggy Parish).

But books did more than just entertain me. I actually learned a thing or two. For example, I learned perseverance from “The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper, how to organize my bedroom from “The Berenstain Bears” by Stan Berenstain, and what sanitary napkins were from “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” by Judy Blume.

Books were my escape, my TV, my friend.

So when my pregnant girlfriend — and fellow book lover — posted a call-out on Facebook for names of our favorite childhood books, I decided to turn it into a blog post.

I mean, I couldn’t possibly list them all there!

There are so many books that I fondly recall from childhood, from “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams Bianco to “Bunnicula” by James and Deborah Howe. There was the folky “Stone Soup,” recast by Ann McGovern, the charming “Madeline” by Ludwig Bemelmans, the unforgettable “Tikki Tikki Tembo” by Arlene Mosel and, of course, anything by Dr. Suess.

These books only encouraged me to read more, and my collection grew to include the “The Chronicles of Narnia” by C. S. Lewis, the eerie tales by William Sleator, the satirical works of Kurt Vonnegut and the controversial — but, let’s face it, completely exciting — “Forever” by Judy Blume.

Because of my early introduction (and attachment) to books, I’ve grown into a voracious reader who reads nightly and scans everything from restaurant menus to cereal boxes. I’m a reading addict.

So to help my girlfriend start her unborn daughter’s collection of great reads, here’s a list of some of my favorites. And add yours, too!

• “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak
• “The Story of Ferdinand” by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson
• “Harold and the Purple Crayon” by Crockett Johnson
• “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle
• “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” by Judy Blume
• “Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings” by Shel Silverstein
• “Miss Nelson Is Missing!” by Harry Allard
• “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White
• “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes” by Eleanor Coerr
• “Harry the Dirty Dog” by Gene Zion
• “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Suess
• “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown