12 Teachers Share Their Most Important Books

“I fell in love with the ‘Little House’ series as a child. I also loved Beverly Cleary books. I use these books in my classroom. We even make butter like they did in ‘the olden days’ to celebrate the end of ‘Little House in the Big Woods.’ We then use the butter on a pancake breakfast.”
Dawn V., Big Bend, WI

“When I was younger, I could not get enough of the ‘Nancy Drew’ series or the ‘Trixie Belden’ series. I loved mysteries. Then, I went through a period in my teen years of enjoying romance or horror. There was not a lot of quality teen fiction when I was young. It has only been as an adult that I have seen the genre explode. Through books such as ‘Touching Spirit Bear,’ ‘The Giver’ or ‘The Last Book in the Universe,’ I have been able to open the world of reading to students who otherwise would never think to touch a book.”
Andrea P., Wyoming, MI

“As a child, the books of Judy Blume were influential in my wanting to read chapter books.  As an adult, many books have influenced me, but one in particular that was pivotal is ‘Esperanza Rising’ by Pam Munoz Ryan. This is one of the books that I read in preparation for taking the Target Language Proficiency test that was required for my certification.”
Tammee P., Beardstown, IL

“ ‘Harry Potter’ of course! Every child should be imbued with a sense of empowerment and wonder at a young age. The themes of loyalty, determination and doing the right thing are still with me today.” Colleen S., Woodridge, IL

“How can I choose only a few? As a teen, I fell in love with ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’ In college, I was required to read a LOT of picture books and young adult books. I love children's books because they make difficult concepts accessible to children. Today, my favorites include ‘Harry Potter,’ ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events,’ ‘The Crossover,’ ‘Wonder’ and books with diverse characters.” Robin B., Milwaukee, WI

“I loved ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ since I was very young. I was always intrigued by an author that could come up with such a unique story with strange characters. I still read it!” Jamie S., Byron Center, MI

“The books that really impacted me as a child were the ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ series. The ‘Harry Potter’ series and the ‘Chronicles of Narnia.’ I try to stay with the times and what the students are reading. As an educator, I really looked towards Deepak Chopra books to enlighten me about everyday things that happen and to get a new perspective on life.” Bart P., Chicago, IL

“There are several books that impacted me the most as a child and as an educator. First and foremost was ‘Matilda.’ I could relate to Matilda finding solace in books, and it caused me to enjoy reading even more than I already did. I often found escape in the story, and went through many copies of the book. Additionally, ‘The Giving Tree’ is another book that really impacted me as a child. It taught me to always be generous in spirit and give whatever I am able to. Further, and most importantly of all, it taught me that no matter what status you currently are in life, there is always something you can contribute. As an educator, I think texts by Dr. Ross Greene, ‘The Explosive Child’ being foremost, have really provided me a wonderful foundation and changed the way that I view and interact with children with emotional and behavioral disorders.” Barry W., Stevens Point, WI

“As a child, a maroon bound book of diverse poetry styles was my favorite. It was given to me by a school librarian who was a published poet and encouraged me to write. I also enjoyed reading ‘Anne of Green Gables’ and discussing the book with my mother. As an educator, my favorite book for students is ‘Wonder’ by R.J. Palacio. It opens the eyes of intermediate students to a broader world around them and the struggles some go through. As an educator, my favorite book for colleagues is ‘Mindsets in the Classroom.’ ” Cheri A., Sherwood, WI