I started reading them in 6th grade, when I was 11, with Dragondrums... I only later realized that was the third book in a trilogy. I eventually bought all of the books in the series, and read until Ms. McCafferey stopped writing them and let her son take over. (I generally don't support children taking over their parents' artistic endeavors.)

Since then, though, I've learned that Ms. McCafferey is more than a bit homophobic. That tainted my views of the series. When I was younger, I read them and saw queer men and women in prominent roles, and thought she was progressive... but then, later I found out she had rigidly defined what roles were acceptable for queer men, and could not see those roles ever changing.

I also realized that her world was missing religion. Pern reads like a philosophy major trying to create a world without the problems Earth has had based on religion. I think it would have been a more complete world if she had included some religion... whether a carryover from their voyage from Earth or a deification of the Dragons and their riders, something is needed.