The Ramona books (well, anything by Beverly Cleary) and the Baby-Sitters Club were my favorites. My friend and I used to pretend we were Ramona at recess. :) I also read Sweet Valley and Sleepover Friends, and I LOVED Lois Lowry - the Anastasia books, and Autumn Street, which is kind of a mature book for kids, actually. Like you, I didn't read a lot of the "classics" until I was older. I hit my big L.M. Montgomery phase in college and read almost everything she ever wrote (still haven't gotten hold of the journals, though).