What Books have Impacted Your Life?

Today I have been attending the Indian Education For All Best Practices Conference.  It is one of the best conferences that I have attended in a long time.  This evening several of us were discussing the conference.  Julie asked the group what books have been influential in our lives.
She turned to me and said you should blog about this.  So I am.

That question is very challenging for me.  It's like asking me for my favorite book.  I have so many.  It is usually the last one I read.  But back to the question, "which books have been influential in my life?"

The first book is "Mr Dog: The Dog Who Belonged to Himself" by Margaret Wise Brown

My mother read this to me before I ever went to school.  At the end of the story she would ask me, "Whose little girl are you?

"Daddy's little girl?"

"No."

"Your little girl?"

"No.  You are your own little girl.  You belong to yourself."

It took me many , many years to replace this book.  I received such a wonderful gift of self because of this book. 

The second book that is memorable for its impact on my life is "The Magnificent Obsession"  By Lloyd Cassel Douglas.  My copy is a red hard bound.  I read this book when I was in my early 20's.  It taught me about making investments in other people.  In my opinion the book is better than the movie.

The third book is a very recent read.  "The Simple Act of Gratitude" by John Kralik.  I loved the story of how writing 365 thank you notes changed his life.  


It is a book that found its way to me after I chose gratitude as "my one little word."  Its a very fast read.  


There are other books that have influenced me in so many ways.  I have been influenced by an authors writing style.  I have been haunted by stories.  I have been uplifted by the gift of humor that some authors share.


Can you name three books that have influenced you?  I hope you share your list.

I LOVE Books

I LOVE books!  I have many other shelves and boxes with children's books, art books, teaching books, history books etc.  We have a garage that my husband has never parked a vehicle in because it is filled with boxes of books.

I have a friend who was on her way to China to visit her young grandson.  She asked me if I had any children's books that she could take to him.  When I told my husband I was going to give her some.  He smiled.

"Did you tell her you had 2 to 3000 books she could have?"

"Honey, she couldn't fit that many in her suitcase."

"Hm, but you could give her that many and you'd still have more."

One time when I was moving a gal I knew was thinking about going back to teaching.  She and her husband were planning to go to Alaska.  She mentioned she didn't have any of her books.  I gave her 11 large packing boxes of books.  Her husband told her she couldn't accept anymore!

My one big regret is that I never learned how to make those wonderful big bookcases.  I think every bibliophile should know how to make bookcases!  Otherwise they sit in boxes or on non-stable bookcases made from cinderblocks and boards.  I have had lots of such shelves give way because of too much weight on them.

I once attended a Scholastic Book Fair Training session and won the main prize - a collection of new books.  I called my husband and told him.  He groaned, "Where are you going to put them?'

"In the school library."

Thank goodness he is a reader, even if he's not a collector.

Love Affair With a Book

I am a an elementary Teacher-Librarian. My K-3 students get 30 minutes for library each week. My 4th -6th Graders are in the library for 60 minutes a week. Their lessons are 45 minutes and 15 minutes for check out. I usually read the K-2 students a story and then they check out books. My 3rd graders also get lots of story time but I start introducing them to the the academic side of library. Students in my classes learn about choosing books, how to do research, library skills, using reference materials. They also learn about story structure and how writing and reading connect.

I have a young 1st grader who fell in love with the book "Cat Heaven" she has checked out that book every single week since the beginning of February. The other day I ran into her mother. I looked at her and said, "I bet you wish that our library had more than that one book"

She chuckled, shook her head and said "I know it by heart."

I thought to myself I bet you do.

Some years back I had another little girl who kept checking out "Little Red Hen". I thought she should check out another book so when the book came in I hid it figuring she would choose another one, when that one wasn't available. Boy was I wrong on all counts.

When the book couldn't be found she broke down in tears. I felt about 2 inches high for making a kindergartner cry. Later at a school function her mother asked me if there were any other books her daughter could check out.

Smiling I reassured her there were a few. All the while knowing I would never come between a kindergartner and her book ever again.