I loved this book as a child, but have an even greater appreciation for it now as an adult. When reading this story to my students, I can see the excitement that Max's marvelous adventure brings them. I love sharing this story with a child for the first time.

The Giving Tree was the first book that ever made me cry and feel grateful for everything I was given. It showed me that books can convey the deepest of sentiments, and opened my world as a reader.

I love this book because of the unique Native American mysticism it offered me as a child. It was also great to read and hear a story about a character that I could identify with and learn about culturally.

This is the first book I can remember my mother reading to me. I'm sure it wasn't actually the very first book, but it's the first one I remember, because we probably read it about 342 times ... give or take. I remember getting to the famous refrain and my younger brother and I would go nuts, screaming out the words and jumping around like crazy frogs. Bless my mother for her patience in reading it so many times. She inspired an early love for reading and showed us from the beginning that words can be fun. And in retrospect: I love how grammatically correct the title is!

The Wanderer has a special place in my heart, because it is what made me start to love reading. I read it for the first time in 4th grade, and then re-read it at least once a year through middle school. I’d always loved stories and learning about the characters, but this book made me feel like I was jumping through the pages and onto the boat with Sophie, Cody, and their uncles.

I enjoyed all the Samantha books because they helped to fuel my passion for reading and history. All the stories took place in 1904, and I loved being able to feel like I stepped back in time. Samantha Parkington was my idol: She was so cool and adventurous, and I wanted to be just like her.

This was one of my favorite books when I was little because it paints such a beautiful picture of how bluebonnets came to be. And, being from Texas, it was always so true to my heart.

This book inspired me to explore the world, and I absolutely love the illustrations.

Her mother lies ill at home, the snow falls thickly outside—but the ball is tonight, and the duchess must have her dress. Irene, an eager volunteer, braves a blizzard to deliver her mother’s handiwork. My family loved Steig’s illustrations, sophisticated vocabulary, and his tale of one girl’s courage and loyalty. Today, when I face challenges (or bad weather), I remind myself of the people counting on me, I think of the warmth and welcome waiting ahead, and I put one foot in front of the other—just like Brave Irene.

When I first read it, this book scared me because some of the creatures were too mysterious and menacing. But once I made it to the end, I felt as though I became braver for finishing the story. I like that the story is complete nonsense, and in its own strange ways, made me feel better about myself.

This book was my introduction to poetry, and I can remember staying up for hours getting lost in the rhythm of the words and the illustrations. This book also opened me up to humor, which became a huge part of my life. I try to give that to my students—I always have one of Silverstein’s poems on the classroom wall where I tutor.