Joy of a Good Book

I love to read. I have wonderful memories of spending time in the old Sam Weller bookstore downtown just browsing at books with my father. I love the way a book feels in my hands. When I was little, there was a time that my parents could not figure out why I was always tired. They tried all sorts of things like changing my diet, to more exercise, to an earlier bed time. My sleep did not improve much until my mother took away my beloved flashlight and book, carefully hidden under the covers of my bed. That was a sad day.

I am blessed to have found a companion who shares my passion for reading. We are able to rate vacations by the number of books finished on a trip. (“It was a 2 book trip.”) Today it is not uncommon to find either of us tucked away with a book. One of my hopes is to instill this love of reading in my children. Several of my children have already become amazing readers. This makes this mom’s heart go pitter-pat!

I would like to share some of my/our favorite books of all time. I asked my oldest children to help me compile this list. It flowed onto the paper. We didn’t intend it to be so long. For this I apologize. We thought the list was complete, but when my daughter returned from the bookcase with a stack of must-include books, I could not resist. The “I LOVE that book... or that one makes me cry EVERY time!” or a “that one is THE BEST!” are truly what make some of these books special. We have read all of these books. I recommend them as great reads for adults as well as kids. As a parent, I try to preview most of my kids’ books. For the few I have not read, my older kids recommend them wholeheartedly. I am a happy mom.

(p.s. Another child has just wandered in, and is now thumbing through the stack…he can’t help himself but to open them, touch them, and say their names aloud, and comment on them. I smile. It's a start for him. I pray he'll learn to love to read!)

Children/Young Adult:
The Outsiders by SE Hinton
Holes by Louis Sachar
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Stargirl / Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson
Inkheart (series) Cornelia Funke
Fablehaven (series) Brandon Mull
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Hatchet / Brian’s Winter by Gary Paulsen
The Chronicles of Narnia (series) by CS Lewis
Anne of Green Gables (series) By LM Montgomery
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
PrincessAcademy (series) By Shannon Hale
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Uglies / Pretties / Specials by Scott Westerfield
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
City of Ember (series) by Jeanne Du Prau
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Gregor the Overlander by Nancy Pearl
Pendragon (series) by D. J. MacHale
Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling
Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
39 Clues by Patrick Carman
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Amber Brown (series) by Paula Danziger (younger girls)
The BFG by Roald Dahl
Judy Moody (series) by Megan McDonald (younger girls)
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Lord of the Flies / The Princess Bride by William Golding
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Diary of Wimpy Kid (series) by Jeff Kinney (younger boys)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Matilda by Roald Dahl
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Goose Girl By Shannon Hale
Series of Unfortunate Events (all of them) by Lemony Snickett
Stephanie Pugsley