A List of Books That Made Me a Reader

 A List of Books That Made Me a Reader

    I was at a conference recently surrounded by my favorite people, librarians. We listened to motivational speakers from the likes of Danyelle Musselman, veritable Razorback Royalty, to librarians who are in the trenches of the culture war on books. With the passage of SB 81, librarians have been stressed out, and our motivations and our professionalism questioned by legislators. Even amidst immense criticism, we continue with our job--connecting kids with books.

    One particular speaker, 2023 AASL Intellectual Freedom Award winner Amanda Jones, invited us to try something that might reenergize and reignite our joy.  She suggested that we make a list of books that changed us. The thought immediately sparked nostalgia for books from my school years and the wonderful, kind humans who connected me to them. For that reason, I decided that I would take her up on that practice and share some of the books from my formative years that made me a reader. 

Amy Byrd, age 5

1. Jillian Jiggs by Pheobe Gilman

This is a magical book that my mom introduced me to. The illustrations were nothing short of AMAZING. It had such lively rhymes that I quickly memorized them all. Besides, Jillian was imaginative and quite a mess--not unlike a young Amy Bess Byrd. And when the sequel came out, The Wonderful Pigs of Jillian Jiggs, you could not wipe the smile off my face, "Jillian, Jillian, Jillian Jiggs, it looks like your room has been lived in by pigs!!!!" You see, I didn't come by the nickname "Besser the Messer" by accident. I saw myself in this character, and I was instantly connected to her. That, my friends, is a powerful thing for a young reader.

2. Just Me and My Babysitter by Mercer Mayer

One day many moons ago (I must have been 5-6), I was sick enough to have to stay home from school. This NEVER happened. Most things were cured with a dose of acetaminophen and a Luden's cough drop. One did not miss school. But this particular day, my mom went to the store to get some 7-UP because you get to drink actual soda when you are sick, for the sake of hydration and all. Not only did I get to drink soda, but she also brought me a little treat home in the form of my first Mercer Mayer book. This little critter cracked me up. You might sense a theme here. Messy Marvins seemed to be my jam. All the messes! And that babysitter just let it happen! I was delighted to learn that this little critter had many more adventures available at the local library.

3. The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies by Stan and Jan Berenstain

I simply cannot boil it down to one particular book in this series that I loved more than another. I think the earliest one I read was the one about strangers. I remember it really caught my attention while at the same time addressing a very serious topic in an accessible format for children. Brother Bear and Sister Bear were always learning valuable lessons and being parented by the most kind, gentle Momma and Poppa Bear. For kids without that steady home life (my own childhood had some rocky patches as my parents eventually divorced), the Berenstain Bears can be a comfort read.

4. Unnamed Florence Nightingale book

I was probably 6 or 7 and somewhere, somehow I had gotten my hands on a short chapter book, a biography of Florence Nightingale. I sat down and devoured it in one sitting. She had a fascinating life, and it captivated me. It was the first "chapter" book I ever read, and I was so impressed with myself that I read it again, and again, and again. If only I could find a copy of that book today. 

5. Babysitter's Club series by Ann M. Martin

This series is the one I credit for really making me a reader. There were over 200 books published in this series, and I guarantee that I read them all. Kristy and the gang were close friends, and the Super Specials and Super Mysteries were a real treat. I remember when I outgrew these books and my mom finally convinced me to donate my massive collection to the library. I might have shed a tear or two.  I could have included Nancy Drew books here, as I devoured them as well at this time in my life. These are the first series that I could not put down.

6. The Cay by Theodore Taylor

What is so special about this book? I'll tell you--the teacher who read it to me.  This is when I realized the power of a read-aloud. Mrs. Hunter, my sixth-grade teacher, read The Cay to our class. I remember when we got to the end of the book, she was so overcome with emotion that she cried as she read. I learned then, through her modeling, that a book could and should move you. I learned to interact with the book and invest emotionally in it. I'll never forget that. Years later, when in my own classroom, I finished up teaching the play version of the Diary of Anne Frank. Otto returns to the Annex after the war, and picks up some of her journal. As he reads, he senses Anne's optimism and is suddenly aware of his own pessimism saying, "I am ashamed." I sobbed in front of my eighth-grade class. I was unafraid of how they would react because Mrs. Hunter, whether she realized it or not, had taught me not to be.  After all, they needed to know the power of a book.  Middle school years are so very important for reading formation, and half the battle is connecting emotionally. Never forget that.

7. Don't Die My Love by  Lurlene McDaniels

Teenage Amy. Crushes. Unrequited love. It is no surprise that a cheesy romance novel such as this would make the cut. Lurlene McDaniel wrote tragic love stories (think A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks).  I could not get enough of her books. I was a teenager and everything was just so EXTRA and I had BIG FEELS and these books allowed for some escapism that helped me survive my teenage years. Nothing compares to a good Lurlene McDaniel book. They were pretty wholesome, but at the same time packed a punch.

8.  James Dean: The Biography by Val Holley

It wasn't only fiction that impacted me, nonfiction did too. Specifically, any biography I could find on James Dean. What sparked that random obsession? Allow me to explain. My 9th grade English teacher had students analyze symbolism and imagery in the movie Rebel Without a Cause which originally debuted in 1955. As soon as James Dean's face came on screen, I was fascinated. He was handsome and enigmatic, plus he had a tragic story. I was hooked. I watched all his films over and over. My mom bought me everything I could get my hands on to read about him. This biography (among others) I devoured—marking pages and highlighting portions that meant something to me. My mom had a conference in Indiana when I was in the 10th grade. She flew me up there with her (my first flight), and we rented a car and drove to the museum in his hometown about an hour outside of Indianapolis. I will NEVER forget that. To this day, I am a big fan, albeit not as enthusiastic as I once was. This past Spring Break, we stopped in Marfa, Texas, to see some artwork where he had filmed the movie Giant. 

Marfa, Texas, March 2023

Fairmont, Indiana, Winter 1996

9.  The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

This debut Nicholas Sparks novel came out in 1996.  It was the first adult novel that I remember reading. It was incredible. It had a story within a story and tons of romance.  I guess you could say I was a Nicholas Sparks fan before it was cool to be a Nicholas Sparks fan. Years ago, my dear colleague Sue Shipp and I traveled to Philadelphia to the National Conference for Teachers of English for her to receive an award. She had never flown, never ridden in a cab, nothing of the sort, and we had such a grand adventure, but that's a story for another day. The convention hosted authors, and Nicholas Sparks and his brother Micah were there signing books. Because we were both huge fans, we got in line and had our book ready for him to sign. It was a long line, and it was taking longer than we thought it would. We waited so long that we barely made it to the luncheon for Mrs. Shipp to accept her award. We snuck in just in time for them to call her name and for her to walk across the stage to accept her award. We almost missed the very thing we had traveled so far to do.  But you know what, I bet if you asked Mrs. Shipp today she would agree, NO REGRETS. 

Until next time,

Mrs. Hutto