Moms are the worst influences. Mine had me reading before I was supposed too and then accelerating to older levels of books. Agatha Christie, Ed McBain, and non fiction. She, still at 87 destroys books so fast and will reread one from years ago occasionally. I listened to the whole book Moby Dick. I told mom it was to long and boring. I would rather read War and Peace and the New York phone book before Moby Dick again. Trouble with older authors is the history of the times has to be in your mind or you don’t appreciate the story so much. To be able to read and be absorbed into the story is a gift from mom, mom is a gift from God.
As a small child, I couldn't wait to be able to read myself and once I could, I was an avid and yes, voracious reader! My mother said that I could read any book in the house, so I did. I found Shirley Jackson's THE LOTTERY at quite an early age and loved it! And once I found an author I liked, I would then try to read EVERYTHING written by that author. Which usually stood me in good stead.
Since it's how I grew up, I read to my progeny from almost birth. And now the progeny dis that to theirs.
And books for Christmas and birthdays is another family tradition that is still kept!
You're correct about older authors and having to know and understand about the time each wrote during, though. Ditto MOBY DICK; though TYPEE ( which I had to read in college ) is far worse!