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Last night I finished Beholding Bee. Such a fresh idea, so well-written. It made me think about an idea I was noodling in a whole new way. I love that about books!

I don't keep books on my nightstand because I'd never fall asleep if I read in bed. But I do read earlier in the evening, when staring at the computer gets to my eyes. I'm currently re-reading some humorous MG stories, as research, including books by Wendy Mass and Carl Hiaasen.

And I also loved Beholding Bee!

The One and Only Ivan, Three Times Lucky, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, and Be-yond Ba-by Talk (a linguistic guide to your child's first few years). And on my Kindle, Voyager by Diana Gabaldon. Determined to finish that series before Luke turns one!

Oy! I have such a stack!

Me too. And this is Kimberly Fusco, right? I heard her editor, Michelle Frey, talk about her first book, TENDING TO GRACE at a conference in 2005. Kimberly had met Michelle at a conference one-on-one, and Michelle had said she'd look at the manuscript again with some work. I was fascinated with the way Kimberly buckled down and committed to the manuscript -- which led to an eventual sale.

Have you read that book? It's beautiful.

Love that books keep you up!

Reading is always research in some way. I love that I can both study and enjoy at the same time.

Lots of goodies! I haven't read THREE TIMES LUCKY yet, though I heard Sheila talk at the Decatur Book Festival. I'm three or four book in to Gabaldon's series and have a feeling I'd need to pick up that book of characters she has before I start up again.

By the way, how's motherhood treating you??

Jumping in here to say Tending to Grace is gorgeous! Did you know Kim wrote it as poetry first? That's why the language is so spare and luminous.

No! But I know she added Grace's stutter to the storyline after her critique with Michelle. It truly made the story.

Well, I must thank you all for making my day! We lost power tonight for several hours and my husband was reading to my daughter and me by candlelight - the new Schneider Award recipient, A Dog Called Homeless - the power came on and I saw these comments about BEHOLDING BEE and TENDING TO GRACE. I feel blessed to be a writer, and blessed to meet such talented people. And yes, each chapter in TTG began as a poem and I found the courage to write about stuttering because I was (and sometimes am still) a stutterer. And somehow I've become a rather fearless public speaker because I found a voice. Amazing how a little writing can transform your life. Thank you!

Hello and thank you for stopping by! I feel blessed to have heard your story (I met Michelle Frey at IRA last year and shared how much it meant to me) and to have read your work. You are an inspiration.

Can't wait to pick up A DOG CALLED HOMELESS.

Okay, I really need to read that. I keep meaning to, but somehow it never rises to the top of my shelf. That quote reminds me of the prayer of St. Francis...

I read this book with a book club I started when I my boys were young. This quote got me through a very difficult situation where, believe me, I wanted to stop everyone on the street and tell them my side of things.

Read it and tell me what you think!

Oh this is one of the books I return to again and again and again. LOVE IT.

So perfect for Women's History Month!!!

I didn't think of that, but yes, you're right!

I just started Volume II...I think there's a striking difference from the very beginning....
I can't say how much I appreciate the insights into her depression that her journals give. I've struggled occasionally with depression myself (pregnancy hormones aren't always very good to me), but mostly I am grateful for the chance to understand a little better some of my very good friends and close family members who have dealt with it and will deal with it all their lives. It's heartbreaking to see how much Maud tried to handle herself, especially because it reminds me of the times when I would have jumped at the opportunity to help my friends if they had told me what they were going through. I still feel guilty at not being there for them like I should have been...

I haven't started volume ii yet, but I remember feeling the same, Faith. This is the volume that covers WWI, correct? I remember the agony she felt as a result of the war, the deep heartache and distress at the magnitude of it all.

I lived with depression for a number of years and know our current culture is much more understanding of mental illness (though there are certainly strides yet to be made). Maud had so many things stacked against her: the local doctor at the end of volume one who had a hard time keeping patients' ailments to himself, an unsupportive housemate in her grandmother, and the happy books she produced (such a contrast to her anguish -- I would think if she tried to reach out, she might have a hard time finding support). Then later, as a pastor's wife, she had to hide her own pain and her husband's. I can say nowadays there is more transparency with the pastorate: ideally those in need can find safe people to share with -- and yet. There are strides that can be made in this respect, too. I both understand her situation and feel for her.

What is you take on accurately capturing a life through a journal?

That's a good question, and one I thought about frequently reading the first volume. I remember the first time I read it I took Maud's word for everything, but this time--with the knowledge of what was to come, I realized Maud was a rather unreliable narrator...or, rather, an incomplete narrator.
I found my answer in the beginning of Volume II, when Maud looks back at her previous entries and actually says how unbalanced they were: that the early ones tend to focus on all the "gadding about" and don't accurately reveal the introspective, studious child she was; whereas the later ones focus on all the "grumbling" that she couldn't release anywhere else, and thus fail to show much of the joy she had during those times. I feel like Volume II is giving me a better picture, although I still have questions from time to time.
And it's interesting for me to think about, since I'm trying to be better at journaling myself, for myself but also for my family in the future. I am quite certain they will never be published, thank goodness! But isn't that interesting, too? Even fairly early on you get the idea that Maud knew others would find her journals interesting, and I do think she kept that in mind as she wrote.
Um...I think I had better stop. I can get really long-winded about things which excite me!

I don't think it's fully possible through journaling for a person to present a true picture of themselves. There will be intentional or unintentional filters used. The timing or purpose of recording an event ("writing it out" and "grumble book" entries are types that give us specific but not whole glimpses of a person) will show limitations, biases, and the like. That said, I am impressed by the the totality of things Maud chose to include, especially the aspects of her world that weren't so pretty. This is a true attempt at recording a life by letting it all "stand", as she says. It's fascinating and commendable.

By the way, I feel this way about memoir and autobiography, and I wonder about it with biography (not to say I don't enjoy these genres. I'm just not sure how able anyone is to truly capture a life without letting other things influence or limit the telling).

It is so hard to journal accurately. In general, each entry captures only a mood. And these fluctuate so much. There is always quite a bit more going on besides what is written. And I sympathize with the inaccurate picture she feels her journals paint. I had seasons in which I only wrote when I was supremely happy. That's not a very accurate overall picture either! In the end, I'm not sure I care. Although I always consider posterity, journal-writing for me is more about the moment. It's such a good way to center.

I like this idea abou it being about the moment. Well said and true.

It was SO encouraging to read Maud struggle with the same things about writing that I struggle with! Her description of rediscovering Anne and sending it to Page after having set it aside--her examples of the other rejecting and their "damning with faint praise"--definitely gave me courage to keep going on my stories that have been rejected.
And it amazed me that, even in her private journals, she never seemed to consider giving up...as I do often enough in the face of rejection.

I've only read the first 150 pages but she's already so earnest about her love of writing and reading, her dedication to it, that I can only imagine how she delves more deeply into this literary life. I look forward to reading more : )

One of the most heart-wrenching, prevalent themes for me throughout this volume is the pre-feminist position that makes things more difficult for her. I don't have the reference, but more than once she mentions the wish for her own home and garden. I get the feeling she would have chosen that life a million times over a less-than passionate marriage. She is so often lonely and depressed - especially through the winter - as she has to live with her grandmother. And she says, "There are times when I hate life! Other times again when I love it fiercely with an agonized realization of how beautiful I could make it if I had only half a chance."(p329) She was able to write such happiness and "fullness of life" into her books. I hate for her that she was not able to make it happen for herself.

I'm away from home and only have my phone with me. Unfortunately, it doesn't always let me comment; happily, I've finally gotten in!

There is a solidarity in seeing authors we love struggle with and yearn for the same things we do. I must say I'm the opposite in the "faint praise" dept: throw me a bit, and I'll cling to it. Of the eleven years I subbed directly to editors, my husband often said he couldn't believe how much encouragement I could milk from rejections with faint praise. I could tell you specific editors I still admire from their bits of kindness shown me. Those words were enough to fuel me to continue.

So glad you're enjoying this, Melissa! There are some quotes coming in Friday's post that show her devotion to her craft I'm sure you'll appreciate. One talks about how all of life somehow points back to bettering her work. It's something that rings true to me: in reading, in looking out the window, in conversation, in all things I look to see how to capture, explore, or explain. It is a very basic, deep drive, and kind of connects to Faith's comment above: it becomes so deeply ingrained, there is no way to give up.

Yes. So few options open to her (even simple things like establishing her own bedtime in her 30s, for goodness sake!) coupled with her lonliness and difference (the two selves I'll talk about Wednesday) certainly deepened her depression. I think she would have been happier alone...but I hesitate to fully wonder about such a change. It feels like it's not my place, like I'm tinkering in her life somehow. But I'm there with you, Serenity.

Would she have read Virginia Woolf, I wonder? When was A Room of One's Own published? Later? At any rate, there is a similar yearning, for sure.

Powerful!

A Japanese author I'd love to read!

Wow!

This is the only Endo book I've read, but let me tell you: ten years later, it is still with me.

Such power in such a short post. :)

I love finding books at the library. One of the sad things about blogging is that I have so many books to read for interviews that I don't get to the library to just look for books that much anymore. But it's how I've found some of my favorite authors.

I do, too. There's something very satisfying about discovering on the library shelves a book you've never heard of and falling in love.

Thanks for sharing this. A great quote on why writing, and reading, historical fiction is fascinating...

Isn't it wonderful?

And this is a god time to bury ones self in another world. Thank you!

Agreed.

So great to hear from the author on why she writes this particular genre (and does it so well!) Thanks for sharing!

I haven't read it but I've heard so much about it I downloaded it to my Nook. Hoping to get to it in the next few weeks!

Voice is such a tricky thing. I think it's the hardest thing for a new writer to grasp, but when you get it...it can make the story.

You know what else I loved about this book aside from the incredible voice? Flynn's mastery of plot twists, the way she structured the narrative...wow wow wow. She slapped me across the face a couple times (metaphorically of course). This book is on my read-again-and-study-carefully list.

Yes. Plot twits. And black humor. Wow.

What beautiful writing and imagery. I'll have to read this sometime soon.

I was also blown away by this book. I got so caught up in the story, I forgot to see it from a writing standpoint, but will look forward to reading it again. LOL.

Did you know they're making a movie? Reese Witherspoon is producing and Amy Adams is starring in it. Good choice, I think.

A movie?? Don't know if I could see it. Amy Adams will be Amazing Amy?? She's so sweet...but it could definitely work.

Thank you infinitely! It is an honor!

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La Becca,
So deserving.
Le Clown

Yay!
Happy Holidays!
xoxo
The Clarences

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You’ve made some wonderful picks here!

Thanks for sharing this. I'd love to read them. I'm not sure I can commit to a read-along but I will look for your posts : )

Works for me! I hope you can come across a few of these sometime in the future. They are GEMS. It's a set of books I know I'll revisit throughout my lifetime.

I will absolutely join you! I just re-read the first volume last year, but L. M. Montgomery goes on the list of "things I can never have too much of." :)
I agree with you...knowing more about her personal struggles makes the hope and joy in her books that much more significant. Reading them all together gives an even bigger message: sometimes joy is an action, not just a feeling.
It even makes you look at her "happy-go-lucky" heroines differently...I mean, everything seems so light and fun at the first read, but just think about the horrendous things that Anne lived through!
Anyway...yes, I'm in. :) I'll just need to make sure I can still get copies of the later volumes at the library, because I only own volume 1.

I'm in. :) I haven't read the first one in almost seven years. I remember consoling myself with LMMs words during the awful morning sickness of my first pregnancy. Perhaps I'll add to your read-along idea the idea of regular journaling. LMM always inspires me because her journals read like a book - witty descriptions, fascinating details, and all those memories stored up!

So, so happy to hear this! I remember reading about LM losing her firstborn and saw how she used that experience to tell Anne's story...well is was all deeper and more meaningful somehow.

Hope you can track down all five. If not, maybe Christmas gift ideas?

I haven't read the first for maybe twelve. I remember reading #4 while in the hospital with my second guy. And I totally agree: she makes everything interesting -- even spring cleaning!

So glad you're joining in!

I would love to join you! I own her early journals, but for some reason haven't yet jumped in. This is the perfect opportunity to do so. :)

Can I have a syllabus with reading deadlines? Heh, I'm mostly kidding. (But really . . . I want to follow along!)

Sonia! Have we ever discussed LMM before? Love that you already have a few and want to join in! What I'm thinking is starting in February and reading one every other month. I think it's doable. They're hard to put down. So excited!

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I've read GRAVE MERCY and A MONSTER CALLS, and I absolutely LOVED the HECK out of them. I've been dying to read CHIME and WHERE THINGS COME BACK for a while now, so I better get on it!

And yes, I agree with you--these authors are brave, and it paid off. Big time.

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Please tell me what you think!

Hi, Caroline! Nice to meet you!
I haven't heard of A Monster Calls, but I'm going to go look it up right now!

Amen! I'm so glad I didn't miss any of these books.

I just remember how much I loved this series when I was a kid. How he was so smart and it was cool!

Gorgeous photo! I would love to live there.

It's Spiez, Switzerland. I'll have Swiss photos up all month.

I love these blog tours. It's a nice way to learn about more great blogs!

Please tell me you're going there on vacation! ;) Gorgeous! Enjoy your month off blogging!

We went three years ago.

My daughter and I listened to THE GRAPES OF WRATH all the way to California and back. We still have about 10 hours to go. It's another Steinbeck classic. I had forgotten how rich and insightful his writing is.

I can't drive through Santa Rosa without thinking of the Joads (they lost a ball bearing there...which always confused me. Did their tires have ball bearings?0.

I Love EAST OF EDEN, though I did not love THE GRAPES OF WRATH.

Funny story. The second time I read this, I was visiting my parents. I just got to the part where Aron was cutting wood and got the Mark of Cain cut on his forehead. Not five minutes later my dad walked in with the SAME gash on his forehead! He had been cutting branches.

Caroline, I LOVE this book. And I love Francie Nolan. I can identify with "Only let me be something every blessed minute." This morning, my 7th-grader was in a bad mood, and she snapped at me on the way to school. Instead of responding, I thought about the situation and just said let her be. She has every right to have a bad mood moment as anybody else. So I didn't say anything else to her for the rest of the ride. And by the time we were almost at her school, she struck up a delightful conversation. So by the time she got out of the car, her bad mood had changed to a good one. So sometimes we just need to let people be, especially our kids.

Have a great weekend, Caroline.

Linda, so well said! Your girl has an insightful mama. I've always felt like Francie and I would have been good friends (if she were a real person, that is).

She's wonderful. I also really liked Caddie Woodlawn and I really like Arya in the George R.R. Martin books.

Time to read this book again!

What a great cover! I'd never heard of this book. Now I will have to check it out. :)

On my to-read list...thanks.

I've contemplated this book, but you just made up my mind for me. Thanks for the review, Caroline! :-)

So well-said! It's the journeys I've taken with characters who are different, characters who taught me something and made me think and see things in a new way, that I most remember.

It's pretty darn beautiful.

Sounds just like something I would love.

Sounds like a great read. Can't wait to read it! I just discovered the Schneider Family Book Award and have enjoyed many of the winners: A Mango Spaced Shape, and Rules especially come to mind.

We're Beverly Cleary fans, too. We have two of her books on cd: Henry Huggins (read by Niel Patrick Harris) and The Mouse and the Motorcycle (read by William Roberts). Listening to those stories during a long car trip is like settling in with a good friend. The other audiobook we love is The Indian in the Cupboard read by the author, Lynn Reid Banks. Definitely comfort books for our family.

The Princess and the Goblin, Follow My Leader, and Inkheart. :-)

My all time favorite comfort book is Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell.

It's very "in" right now for my generation to ask for books as shower gifts when they are pregnant. If the sex is known, I always buy girls The Secret Garden and boys Stuart Little. I rarely give easy readers (32 page children's books) to expecting parents. Those are not the books that will truly shape their children.

Sherrie, Beverly Cleary is a great road trip author. Every time I read or listen, I'm astounded by her understanding of and sympathy for the young. Have you ever listened to anything by Daniel Pinkwater? His books are hilarious and great for long trips.

Shannon, you know how I feel about FOLLOW MY LEADER. I think I'll have to re-read this year.

Lauren, I love THE SECRET GARDEN and STUART LITTLE. I actually read TSG with my St. Matt's after-school book club last year (sixth and seventh grade). They loved it and made some amazing comparisons between Mary, the garden, and Collin.

I also love giving books for new moms. There are a handful of picture books I love giving: anything by Phyllis Root or Lisa Wheeler, to name a few. Many of my friends have also received THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH. I just can't help giving the book I adore so much.

Shannon, I read THE PRINCESS AND THE GOBLIN while I was going through a tough time, and I'll never forget a line from the story that spoke so clearly to me:
"I must be content with being misunderstood."

So often I want to explain my situation to others. If what I'm doing is right, this should be enough. I gained a lot of strength from this idea. Thanks, George MacDonald!

Oooh, comfort books. I've definitely returned to THE SECRET GARDEN several times. Also the Narnia books. And Edward Eager's books are some of my all-time favorites -- their magic and humor are so cozy.

Cold Nights, Fast Trails by Dave Olsen is one of the few books I've read over and over as an adult. I used to re-read books all the time as a kid though - Island of the Blue Dolphins, Clan of the Cave Bear, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and possibly my all time favourite - TARZAN by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Read the whole series. Also his other series - though, not as good.

Sonia, we're reading THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER as a family right now.

Terry, you're the second person to mention ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS to me recently. I have to confess, I never made it through this book as a kid. In college I tried again and liked it. I love survival stories, but this one took some work for me.

THE SECRET GARDEN, definitely. I have to re-read that periodically. But I also love SNOW TREASURE.

And I haven't thought about FOLLOW MY LEADER in years -- I remember how much I loved it. Thanks, Shannon and Caroline, for the reminder.

That settles it: I'm re-reading FOLLOW MY LEADER this year. Anyone else care to join me?

Great description of the book. I loved THE SECRET GARDEN and SHADOW CASTLE.

Joanne and Natalie: I've never heard of your comfort books but have just looked both up. Now I'll have to find them at the library. Thanks!

I always loved the Ingalls books too. A few years ago, a guy told me, "Don't take this the wrong way, but I totally see you as Caroline from Little House on the Prairie." He could not have given me a bigger compliment. :)

The books I read ragged as a kid were Jacob Have I Loved and A Summer to Die, and when I was younger, Katie Kittenheart, Bettina's Secret, and Striped Ice Cream, all of which, I think, are out of print. All of A Kind Family, too... the list could go on. :)

Heidi, I didn't discover Katherine Paterson until college. She's been my idol ever since. I've seen her speak several times, sent her gushy fan mail, and even entered her Hunger Mountain contest, just so she'd read my words.

A Summer to Die sounds familiar, and you know how I feel about the All of a Kind Family. Now I must hunt down these others you mention...

Just thought of another great comfort book: BLUE WILLOW by Doris Gates. I still have my old hardcover that's falling apart.

And, yes! I'll gladly re-read FOLLOW MY LEADER. Gotta dig it out, but it's here somewhere.

For me, it's the Anne of Green Gable series by Lucy Maud Montgomery. God, I love those books so much. Specifically, Anne of the Island is my favorite, because it resolves a storyline that I like to see resolved, but for a you-have-to-earn-your-happiness I like Rilla of Ingleside.

I also have a habit of revisting old Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley books when I am really, really not feeling well. The last time I had the flu I went through the entire oeuvre of BSC Super Specials that I found in a box in my attic. :)

Constance, I'm a huge LMM fan! Rainbow Valley was one of my favorites. Have you read the Emily books? The Story Girl and Pat books?

My absolute favorite LMM books are her journals. Not always happy and not easy to find, but brilliant. I'm planning on re-reading this year.

Henry Huggins! I loved Henry and I'd forgotten all about him. I lived in books when I was a kid. #1 were the Narnia books. Also loved the Secret Garden and A Little Princess. And the Oz books. And Little House. And a wonderful book called At the Back of the North Wind by the guy who wrote the Princess and the Goblin, whose name I forget...and so many more. Almost any book was comfort to me.

That kind of author intrusion has gone out of style, but the Narnia books do it well. I was trying to read the Princess and The Goblin to my kids but I had to stop because of the pages and pages of author intrusion that didn't add to the story at all! I was losing them.

Absolutely has gone out of favor. Still, I love it. And funnily enough, I've carried a Princess and the Goblin aside in my head for years (being at peace about being misunderstood)

Absolutely has gone out of favor. Still, I love it. And funnily enough, I've carried a Princess and the Goblin aside in my head for years (being at peace about being misunderstood)

Absolutely has gone out of favor. Still, I love it. And funnily enough, I've carried a Princess and the Goblin aside in my head for years (being at peace about being misunderstood)

Absolutely has gone out of favor. Still, I love it. And funnily enough, I've carried a Princess and the Goblin aside in my head for years (being at peace about being misunderstood)

Oh, this brings back memories. We also did Narnia as a read aloud and we also started with The Magician's Nephew.

The book I had to stop reading aloud was The Mysterious Island. It was one of my favorite books when I was a kid, but reading aloud? Pages and pages of description and language that is way out of style.

We read the Little House books by lantern light every night. Oh man! What fun that was.

But if I may give a plug for my favorite read-aloud books of all time: The Wildgerking Trilogy, by Jonathan Rogers. They are so much fun.

Too funny. We just finished the Narina series, again. My ten-year old daughter really liked the insights about "silly adults." Good conversation starter.

However, by THE LAST BATTLE, she (and I) tired of the "if you've never had fruit from there, I can't describe it to you. It's so much better than any in any other world" (paraphrasing here). She was upset that he didn't even try. Thank you Writer's Workshop!

Still, I've read the entire series many times in different life phases (childhood, college, pregnancy, and now parenthood) and each time was a unique experience.

Thank you, Sally, for the suggestion of The Wildgerking Trilogy. We'll check them out.

That's my favorite Narnia book! I love the Princess and the Goblin, too. You can find the sequels on Project Gutenburg, too, you know! Also, all the Oz books.

I've been reading Clockwork Angels, which is written in third person. I usually write in first person, so I'm trying to figure out how she makes third so intimate. Trying to read critically, but the pacing is too good, so I'm flying through it instead.

Have a great weekend!

Great conversation, everyone! Sally, thanks for the read aloud suggestions. I love finding new books that work well aloud.

I'm surprised how many of us have read The Princess and The Goblin. At the Back of the North Wind has been sitting on my shelf for years. I need to get to it.

For those of you who don't know, Tere just signed with an agent. Congrats again, Tere!

I think my favorite Narnia is The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

I can't wait to read those books with my sons. In a few years hopefully. It's interesting how certain styles go out or come in, but a great book is a great book no matter what.

I, too, enjoy those bits you've highlighted, and I enjoy when Kate DiCamillo's and Daniel Handler's narrators 'intrude' in their books, too.

Thanks for visiting my blog. . .

C.S. Lewis has such a way of making things so clear and poignant. I particularly love The Screwtape Letters, (even though they aren't necessarily for kids!)

I'm currently reading "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" and though it's not such a warm-fuzzy book, I'm gleaning all sorts of wisdom for it.

Sara, agreed.

Sharon, I was just thinking of The Tale of Despereaux and how Kate DiCamillo took an "antiquated" style and made it so new. Lemony Snicket, too.

Liesl, I've always meant to get to The Screwtape Letters, and I've heard wonderful things about Part-Time Indian.

*sigh* I love the Chronicles of Narnia.

I was sad about Moonrat, too. I was surprised she considered her blog a ranting blog when she made me laugh so much!

Also, thanks for the tips on novels in verse. I've reserved some more at my library. Pressing on to finish the challenge!

Amy

Deenie by Judy Blume helped me understand my mother and the roles she tried to impose on my sister and me.

The Accidental Tourist taught me about relationships.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone made me want to write for children.

Sorry, I couldn't choose just one!

Oh gosh, there are so many. But I think I'd have to settle on _The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle_ by Avi.

I love strong and independent female characters who live life by their own terms and I think Charlotte may have been the first I encountered. I mean, of course there was Ramona and Kristy Thomas, but Charlotte's story was full of dangerous adventure. It involved her leaving behind a familiar and easy way of life to pursue something completely unconventional.

I love her. I've read this book probably close to 30 times.

"Sarah's Key" by Tatiana De Rosnay. Not only is it a wonderfully written book - it's partially based on a true event in WWII. Some of it was hard to read because of the description of some atrocities to the Jews, but very compelling mixture of POV going back and forth from past to present day. It moved me very much and everyone I have shared it with feels the same way. It's good for us to remember what happened during that time in history.

Jane Eyre really moved me. Something abut her siutaion growing up, her looks, etc.. and how she handled everything with such grace.

I have to pick The Mountain is Young by Han Suyin, because any time in my life I lose my way, that's the book that helps me to find it again. What could be more powerful or life changing?

Great topic! :)

Gotta go with The Handmaid's Tale. It was the first book I ever read (I was 13 at the time) that made me appreciate how lucky I am to have been born a female in the 20th century, and not to take things for granted because they can be taken away from you without warning. And that life's not fair.

Not the most uplifting message for a 13 year old girl, but it definitely changed the way I saw the world, and hopefully made me a little less naive.

Theresa, I loved The Accidental Tourist. I listened to it on CD several summers back. I love the way Ann Tyler can take make so many tangents and weave them into a story.

HH, I read Charlotte Doyle in a college kidlit class and fell in love. I read Crispin with my after-school book club last year, and it was a hit. Avi really can connect with young readers.

Jan, I read Sarah's Key an a book club last year. It definitely made an impression on me (I listed it in a Fast Five post called Books That Broke My Heart).

Jennifer, another strong female lead! I love Jane Eyre, too.

Julie and Tere, I've never read your books (Tere, Margaret Atwood, right?). Look like titles worth reading!

Thanks for sharing, everyone!

Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist", hands down. That book changed my life. (You know it must be life-affecting when both you and your husband read it - seperately - on your honeymoon. True story.) It was the book that helped me understand what is possible in life.

Kathryn, The Alchemist has been on my to be read list for years. Must get to it!

Good question. There are several, but first place has to go to Anne of Green Gables. It opened my reading world :)

1984 by George Orwell and Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles. Also, The Narnia series.

Jemi, I'm a huge Anne fan. Have you read all the way through to Rilla of Ingleside?

Catherine, my husband and I both re-read 1984 several years ago and had some good discussions. I was thinking of this book just a few days ago. Chilling and wonderfully done.

We're actually reading The Magician's Nephew as a family right now!

The Clan of the Cave Bear Series by Jean Auel. It helped me to stick up for myself and know that it was okay I was a little different.

Well the book that changed my life the most is a little-known book called Papa's Daughter. A novel. I went from being a drug addict to being a Christian, as I read it. Powerful things novels can speak into the heart that is ready to hear.

I loved the Anne books and the Narnia books and the Lord of the Rings. I loved The Mysterious Island and Treasure Island. I loved the Scarlet Pimpernel and many more. They all changed my life some. The author shares his thoughts with you and you take what you think is good and make it your own.

Terry, I can't believe I've never read Clan of the Cave Bear. Love the connection you feel with the story.

Sally, by any chance is Papa's Daughter by the same author who wrote Papa's Wife? Is it about a large Norwegian family?

When we're young, books can change us for the worse and lead us astray. One book did that in my life: The Unbearable Lightness of Being, which I read when I was seventeen. It's a complicated story of how it messed up my idea of relationships between men and women. But it's a permanent caution to me about the power of books and the tenderness of young minds without guidance.

A book that changed my life for the better, forever? Perelandra, from the space trilogy by C.S. Lewis. Much though I love the Narnia series, I think Perelandra may be Lewis's greatest work.

Rosslyn, thanks for sharing this. Though not every author agrees with me, I think those of us who write for children have a responsibility presenting what we do.

I've never gotten to Lewis's space trilogy. Need to.

Yes, Papa's Daughter was by Thyra Ferré Bjorn.

I'm so impressed with your list! My son is only five and I like YA fiction best. Looking forward to reading some of the MG/YA titles together like The City of Ember.

I don't have boys, but the library where I work has a book club for boys ages 9-14. They've read some of the titles on your list, and also Alabama Moon by Watt Key, The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd, The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch, Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet, and many others.

I worked in an alternative school for 15 years that had a mostly male student population. These were mostly high school age kids and in the at-risk population. Many were reluctant readers. They tended to gravitate toward edgier books, although they loved Gary Paulsen's books as well. It was a pretty specialized population. I really enjoyed reading your lists b/c I've worked mostly with struggling readers and can have a skewed idea of what boys will connect with on the page. Thanks!

Those are great recommendations, Caroline. My sons also love The Ranger's Apprentice series, The Last Apprentice series, the Guardians of Ga'hoole books, and the Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage. :-)

Well... I was a tomboy growing up and I absolutely adored Bruce Coville's books!! And the Wayside School!!! ARRRGGGHHHH!!! Sorry. Those books were just too awesome.

Also (storytime)... when I first started dating my now husband, he had just bought a leopard gecko and was trying to think of a name for the little guy. I was working at Barnes and Noble at the time and remembered seeing the Chet Gecko series.... so... I named him Chet! Yay!! (storytime over)

My boys seem to have skipped the middle grade stuff almost entirely, although the oldest enjoyed the Chronicles of Narnia.

They both (ages 12 and 9) enjoy reading Louis L'Amour novels. I like that each story features a main character with integrity and common sense, and there is a great deal of survival information in there for the observant.

Good lists! You've got a lot of the books in my house on there :) My son also likes the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz, the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan and when he was younger, the Spiderwick series by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi.

i was an elementary school librarian for over 5 years and The Time Warp Trio books by Jon Scieszka were big hits with boys and girls alike (although the first four featured only the three boys as the MCs).

Scieszka is a former elementary school teacher who has been promoting getting boys engaged in reading for many years. his web site http://www.guysread.com/ is a great place to start when looking for books for boys.

matt christopher (http://www.mattchristopher.com/) has written upteen sports-themed chapter books for boys. they were always checked out in both of the schools i worked in.

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This is a fabulous list. I'm going to pass it along to the group of MG writers I write with, if that's okay.

Share and share alike.............................................................

This conversation is why I love blogging. Thank you so much for reminding me of titles I'd forgotten and adding new titles to my list!

Valerie, I sat next to Bruce Coville during an SCBWI lunch once. I love what he has to say about the need for books that speak to boys (and, of course, some girls, too!).

Paul, I continue to be amazed at the way Gary Paulsen's books reach out to so many kids in so many circumstances.

And The Time Warp Trio and Alabama Moon! How did I miss these?


And Tom, welcome!

My younger son loved the Captain Underpants series.
My older son liked Robinson Crusoe (classic adventures)
Good post!

My son's favorites in kindergarten and first grade were the Ricky Ricotta series, but the first books he truly fell in love with were the Deltora Quest books. He discovered these the summer between first and second grade and from then on, he was hooked on fantasy series. Following this was the Silverwing series, Warriors, Guardian's of Ga'hoole, Septimus Heap, Eragon, and the Gregor the Overlander, and The Cry of the Icemark series.

Thanks, Vonna. I don't know many fantasy titles.