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Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore
My grandparents had an animated bear that held a book and would recite this entire story/poem. Though I'm sure my parents had read it to me multiple times before, I remember the bear reading it to me first. -
First Clear Memory of Being Read to in the Hospital (no specific book though)
I was diagnosed with a kidney disease when I was two years old so I spent a lot of time at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh. Though I do not have a clear memory of what books were read to me, I have specific memories of my parents and grandparents reading to me while I was in the hospital bed. There was not much for me to do since I was so sick and attached to an IV all the time so reading was a great way for me to pass the time and it helped me forget about the scary events taking place. -
Marsupial Sue by John Lithgow
This was my absolute favorite childhood book (and honestly still is one of my favorite books). I can't count how many times I read this book. However, I know that I read it enough times to have the entire story memorized which I would recite for pretty much everyone I knew. I still have parts of it memorized today. In my opinion, this is one of the best books ever written. -
Freckle Juice by Judy Blume
My mom had enjoyed this book when she was younger, so she had kept it over the years. I came across it one night when I was looking for a book for my mom to read to me at bedtime. I asked her if we could read that one and, of course, she agreed. From then on, this book made multiple appearances in my bedtime reading selection and it also grew to be a favorite of mine as a child. -
Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss
My great aunt used to read this story to me when I was younger, but only if I asked. Unfortunately for her, I knew how much of a tongue-twister this book was for her and I, at four years, found that very entertaining. Therefore, she ended up reading "Fox in Socks" almost every time she saw me. She got rather good at reading it aloud! -
"Educational Sticker Books"
My grandpa would work on these educational sticker books with me when I was younger. Before I could read, he would read the descriptions that were to fit the sticker while I followed along. Then I would get to find the sticker and then put it in its right spot. This was a great help for me when I was learning to read and a great way for me to bond with my grandpa that I will always cherish. -
The Puppy Place Series by Ellen Miles
I don't think I had a favorite book from this series, I just remember falling in love with literally every puppy mentioned in any book. These books were a few of the first chapter books I ever read, making them a very important milestone on my reading journey. -
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
This was the first piece of poetry I was asked to memorize in school. This was how we obtained bonus for our English classes in third grade. Though we were asked to memorize numerous poems, this is the one that is most prominent in my memory. -
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
We read this novel as a class in Mrs. Hostetler's room. I will forever be intrigued by the creativity of Ellen Raskin and her ability to write such a captivating novel. I remember always wanting to read ahead when I was specifically told not to. This was the first "murder mystery" I had ever read and I'm sure this novel is the reason I am still, to this day, completely fascinated by the genre. -
The Maze Runner Series by James Dashner
I read this series in three weeks in sixth grade. The third book of this series was the first book I really cried over because I was so connected with a certain character. James Dashner did such an incredible job with these novels: the descriptions, the characterizations, the intense plot, everything was so intriguing. Honestly, this was the first full series of books that I read and was so upset when I finished. -
Entwined by Heather Dixon
Words cannot express how much I love this book. I found it one day in the library and absolutely fell in love with it. I recommended to a few of my friends and they felt the exact same way. We all seemed to bond over the literary beauty in this book. -
Madam and Her Madam by Langston Hughes
I used this poem for my research project in 9th grade. I remember choosing this particular poem because I enjoyed examining literature and poetry through the Marxist Lens. This poem fit the lens perfectly, not to mention it was written by Langston Hughes, who is one of my favorite poets. -
The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare
This is another of my favorite book series that was recommended to me by my best friend, Sara Zatek. These books are written with such immense detail and action it is practically impossible to put them down. This was also the longest book series I have ever started and actually completed, making this series very important to me. -
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
This was a piece of classic literature that I remember thoroughly enjoying throughout the entire time Ms. Yevchak taught it to us. The intense plot of this book had me captivated the entire novel and I was sort of upset when we finished it. I remember thinking that the courtroom scene in this novel was one of the best written scenes of any novel I had read. -
The Chamber by John Grisham
This is my favorite book. Focused on a man living on Death Row, Grisham does an outstanding job of telling his story and telling the story of how his lawyer does everything possible to declare him innocent. This book changed the way I viewed literature, since I was not aware that any book could actually be that good. I was an emotional mess the entire time I read this book, so it was definitely well written. By far, the best book I have ever read. -
The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
This is another favorite series of mine...and another series I vividly remember crying over once I finished it. The characters in this book were so easy to become attached to and (once again) there really are no words to describe how much I loved these three books. -
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
This is another book that changed my views on the way literature is written. The use of details make the entire plot of this novel come alive and give a whole new insight to the lives of those living in a mental institution, a perspective that most authors do not dare to tackle. -
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
This was my favorite book we read in Mrs. Livermore's class our junior year. The amount of plot twists present in this book is insane and constantly had me on the edge of my seat. I remember telling my mother at one point that "this book had my whole heart." I was so attached to the characters in this book and was devastated when we reached the end. However, I learned so much about the history of Afghanistan from this novel. It was a very educational and emotional reading. -
Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep by Mary Elizabeth Frye
I lost my 24-year-old cousin to drug addiction over the summer and this poem played a huge role in helping me cope. Reading this poem, I was able to remind myself that he was at ease with himself. Obviously, this poem didn't take all pain away from the situation. However, having a small reminder that he was at peace was beyond helpful.
