Teddy's Virtual Bookshelf

1. The Outsiders By S.E. Hinton

The Outsiders was the first book that I read after moving to Florida at the beginning of my junior year in high school. I was able to connect to many of the Greasers from the story as I felt like an outsider in a place that I didn't yet consider my home. Although the Greasers had many bigger problems to deal with, including low socio-economic status, gang life, and abusive family members, I still was able to connect with Ponyboy, Sodapop, and Dally because I felt alone in a world where I was not yet accepted. Not only did this book help me through the move, but it also made me thankful for all of the things I did have compared to the high school characters. I always had a great place to live, care from my family members, and safety, which is much different from the Greasers, who could have been attacked by the Socs at any moment just because they were from the wrong side of town. I believe one of the reasons Hinton wrote The Outsiders is to show that people that do not have a high financial status and live in a bad area are not inherently evil or any less human. This idea can be shown by the scene in which Ponyboy and Johnny help save the kids trapped in a fire just because they are good, decent people. This novel helped me get through a tough time when I thought I was alone and helped me realize that I will always fit in somewhere.

2. Fablehaven By Brandon Mull

Before I started middle school, I was not very interested in reading and only did so when I was forced to by school and my parents. I never got into any books until I started reading the Fablehaven series and it served as a catalyst for my transition into reading for enjoyment. The fantasy genre has always been one of my favorites and this jumpstarted me into reading more famous series, such as Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings. Life on the Larsen nature reserve was an escape for me to a place of magical creatures and a storyline that featured fast-paced action when it came to defeating evil beings that Kendra and Seth, the main characters, always had a way of finding. Fablehaven became more than just a book series to me, it helped introduce me to the importance of family and doing anything it takes to protect the ones you love. It helped give me the reassurance to reconnect with my grandfather, who had been estranged from my family for many years. I used this series to help repair a relationship that I thought might be lost and now I see my Grandpa Mike every year for Christmas. We read books and literature to take us to places we have never imagined and to escape reality, but we use what we learn to do better in our own lives.

3. Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation By Joseph J. Ellis

This non-fiction book helped me realize how difficult it was to establish the United States of America and stand up for the rights to freedom that the British did not allow. It also gave me a sense of pride in my country because of the hardships our nation has overcome to be one of the most successful in the world. Ellis gives us a look into the personal relationships of many of the Founding Fathers, including George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, and how a few certain events impacted our country for the next couple centuries. This book has inspired me to explore the field of political science at college as it is fascinating how our country was built and continues to grow on the basis of our past leaders. Coming from a military family, I have always taken deep pride in my country, but Founding Brothers helped me discover the importance of standing up for my rights as an American and becoming a leader that helps others understand their freedoms across the world. Ellis writes Founding Brothers to show the personal lives of the people most influential in the foundation for the United States. It gives the audience a clear message that these men were just as flawed as the everyday person, but they were able to overcome their own mistakes and shortcomings to build something great.

4. The Hobbit By J.R.R. Tolkien

I started reading Tolkien's works in the beginning of high school and absolutely could not stand it. I attempted to read The Hobbit and just gave up as I thought it was so dense and too detailed to be interesting. I decided to give it another try a few summers ago and fell in love with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and it was all of the detail and imagery that made it work for me. One of the main themes of Tolkien's novel is the growth in Bilbo's character from a shy and fearful Hobbit to a strong leader in the group attempting to save Middle-Earth. Before moving to Florida, I was pretty reserved and did not often take many chances. This novel, although completely fantastical, helped me step out of my comfort zone and become more confident in taking calculated risks. This led me to try out for my school's football team and eventually win a state championship. Without The Hobbit, I never would have realized the need to take some chances in order to improve my own life and accomplish things I never thought possible. Tolkien initially wrote his first novel as a source of entertainment for his kids and it became one of the most famous series of all time. People read literature to experience the lives of the characters and through them learn how to improve their own lives for the better.

5. Beloved By Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison's novel is considered one of the best American works due to its connection with the African American community and use of magical realism to show how the characters move on from their lives as slaves. As a high school student I learned a lot about the horrors of slavery, but I never discussed life after slavery and how hard it must have been to recover after being owned by another person. This gave me a different perspective into those people who had to continue their lives and remember all of the mistreatment and degradation that they endured. I had just assumed that the African American community got stronger and recovered after being freed, but never took into account that it is impossible to forget the past and move forward without more pain. Toni Morrison wrote Beloved in order to reveal a healing process for African Americans and to show how to move on from the hardships of the past.