Because I have been an ELA teacher for many years, reading children’s books is one of my favorite hobbies. Although I do not have as much time to read them as I would like, there is a collection of books I have come to enjoy over the years. These are:

• Scouts by Shannon Greenland – such a fun story and reminds me of growing up in the 80s even though it is not set then.
• Hatchet by Gary Paulsen – loved teaching this to students and its a great survival book
• Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli – something about this book has always lingered with me. It is special and truly shows the importance of accepting all people.
• Far, Far Away by Tom McNeal – I read this book before going to teach ELA in 8th grade. It is an amazing concept and such a rick text. It is one of the books I could not put down and is a great blend of historical fantasy and biography (it includes the ghost of Jakob Grimm).
• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson – this is a true classic that came out when I was a kid, but I did not read until I was a teacher. It has so many interesting literary elements to teach, but a powerful story about friendship, too.
• Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit – my aunt, who was a teacher, loved this book and eventually got me to read it. Fantasy, blended with an important question that readers need to answer for themselves – what would you do if you had the chance to live forever???
• The Bicycle Detectives by Robert Forest – perhaps my favorite children’s book of all times because it was written by my dad (before I was born). It is a fun story about two boys who want to solve a mystery in their town. The settings and people are based on real ones from where my dad grew up.