I discovered Tolkien LOTR universe when I was a kid. It hooked me up right away and pushed me even more in the Fantasy Genre (I've been already a big fan of Discworld by Terry Pratchett). The Hobbit isn't my favorite of the whole universe as adult, but it is still one of my favorite books ever. I reread it every year with the rest of the LOTR universe. I consider this one the easier book in LOTR to start with, and a great start, especially for younger reader.