Are the books you read at age 12 the most important?

This writer thinks that the books you read as a child are the most influential and life-changing books you'll ever read. He says:

We love these books, dearly and uncritically, the way we love the smell of our first girlfriend's perfume, no matter how cheap or tacky it might have been. Let's be honest: We all know that Ulysses and A la recherché du temps perdu are "better" books than The Velveteen Rabbit or The Little Prince, but come on--which would you take with you on a spaceship to salvage from the dying Earth?

It's an interesting point. I think people often overlook the greatness of "young adult" literature. However, I feel like if a book can't change your life when you're an adult, you must be reading it wrong.

What were your favorite books as a kid? Have you read any really life-changing ones recently?