NO. 10: THE VELVETEEN RABBIT — MARGERY WILLIAMS
What is real? Is the essential question of The Velveteen Rabbit. And although this question is being asked by a toy in relation to its existence, the answer to the question, spoken by the Skin Horse, is a truth that will carry through every other facet of a child’s life until death…
“… Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
This answer tells a toy what makes it real, but to me it also tells what makes a dream—the thing that you longed for your entire life—real. Most lifelong dreams take a lot of work to make happen and often you might feel like giving up on your dream along the way. People might question why you don’t give it up, but when it finally happens, you might feel like you’ve been through the fire and traversed the entire world, but the dream is has finally come true… to others who also didn’t give up on their dream, you’re not “crazy” but to those who gave up, they simply just don’t understand why you continued.
NO. 9: THE WITCHES — RONALD DAHL
First, I got to say thank you to, my 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Tidwell for having us read The Witches as a class. I remember how skeptical I was about reading Witches because I, honestly, didn’t like the cover artwork. However, my skepticism quickly diminished as we started reading this book.
Witches is a quintessential horror book for kids. It’s got just enough mystery and comedy to allow kids to experience the horror genre without the fear of nightmares.
NO. 8: DAYS WITH FROG AND TOAD — ARNOLD LOBEL
Days With Frog and Toad is all about friendship and life, and for kids just learning to read, this book will quickly become one of their favorites—just as it was for me. In addition to teaching me the differences of physical appearance between a frog and toad, this book taught me about resilience and perseverance through the small story “Kite.”
NO. 7: JUNIE B. JONES #16: JUNIE B. JONES IS CAPTAIN FIELD DAY — BARBARA PARK
Out of all the amazing Junie B. Jones books, why is Junie B. Jones is Captain Field Day the only one to make the cut? The answer is simple… it holds an emotional tie. I think that I was in 1st grade when I first read Junie B. Jones is Captain Field Day, and I eagerly awaited the day that I could participate in field day. Plus, I always loved being the top dog, the boss, so the title alone just spoke to my little kid heart.
But much deeper than the surface level emotional tie that I hold to this book, is the life lesson that leaders don’t just boss others around… they lead by example and encourage others to do their best.
NO. 6: MAGIC TREE HOUSE #35: NIGHT OF THE NEW MAGICIANS — MARY POPE OSBURNE
Part of the reason that I like this book so much is that I discovered it at a time where I really wanted to visit Paris and the Eiffel Tower. The other part is because this book is how I first learned about Alexander Graham Bell and some other important inventors… “They’re like magicians in disguise.”
NO. 5: HATCHET — GARY PAULSEN
I must admit that in elementary school when we read this book class I found it interesting, but I would have never considered it a favorite then. Somehow over time after we had long finished reading Hatchet, it slowly started to creep its way onto my favorites list (sometime during late middle school).
I didn’t realize it at the time, but reading a book about a young boy who is trying to survive in the wilderness after a plane crash, was the foundation for my adaptability and resilience traits.
NO. 4: OLD YELLER — FRED GIPSON
The only reason that Old Yeller is not in my top three is because of what happens to Old Yeller in the ending… and if you read this before, then you know exactly what I’m talking about.
These next two books actually tied for second place, but there can’t be tie in a favorites list, right?
NO. 3: HERO — MIKE LUPICA
Honestly, it’s kind of hard to remember the specifics of why Hero made the list because I’ve only read it once in seventh grade—a long time ago—and I don’t own my own copy; I checked it out from the school library. But I will say that the cover is pretty cool, which probably part of the reason.
However, it my memory serves me right, then Hero is about stepping up to the plate and overcoming unexpected challenges.
NO. 2: THE MOUSE AND THE MOTORCYCLE — BEVERLY CLEARY
How can you not like a book about a mouse riding a toy motorcycle?
But much deeper than that… this book is a book about chasing your dreams and looking for opportunities. It wasn’t some type electricity that made the motorcycle move, it was Ralph’s belief that it could move that made the motorcycle drive… it was just a toy, but to Ralph… it was an escape from reality.
NO. 1: THE LAST OF THE REALLY GREAT WHANGDOODLES — JULIE ANDREWS EDWARDS
The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles is the only book that will never be tough for me to rank; it has been my #1 favorite book ever since we read it in my 1st grade excel class—and it will remain my #1 book long after death.
Sidenote, I know that I’m recommending children’s books; however, if you’re an adult and you’ve never read The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, then I highly recommend that you read it… I promise you won’t be disappointed, and you will wonder why you never read before now.
So, why is The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles my all-time favorite book?
One reason is because this was the first book that I saw come alive in my mind. I first read this book in 1st grade, but there’s no telling how many books I read before this book because as a kid I was an avid reader—I do think this was the first chapter book I read though, but I’m not completely sure about that. And honestly, even now as an adult, whenever I need to escape to a magical world, I pull this book and start reading; yet the images are still just as alive and bright as they were when I was in 1st grade.
“My publishers asked me if I wished to have the book illustrated. The tale is about using one’s imagination (and discovering what is under one’s very nose), and I hoped that readers would discover the Whangdoodle for themselves—just as I had—so I decided not to.” (Julie Andrews Edwards, 1999)
In fact, one of things that my 1st grade excel teacher had us do is make our own bookmarks by drawing what we imagined a Whangdoodle to look like.
To avoid spoiling the book for anyone who hasn’t read it yet, I won’t go into grave detail about the second reason The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles is my favorite book. But I will say that the second reason has to do with a tall, thin house with shuttered windows that’s half obscured by trees.
One last reason that this is my favorite book is because this book is where I discovered one of my favorite words… fiddlesticks.
So, just as Edwards hoped readers would discover Whangdoodles for themselves so do I. From kids to adults, this book will sure be one that you will remember forever because of where it takes you… adventure awaits!
Now, looking back over my top 10 list, I can see how these books are attached to me being an Enneagram Three and an ENTP on Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). This list also fuels some of my top five strengths, specifically, adaptability and responsibility.
My personality and internal make-up aside, I think that not only are these books great reads for children, but that they can even be enjoyed by adults… especially, The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles.