Ashley's Virtual Bookshelf

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Suess

The cat in the hat was my favorite book as a young child. My parents read me this book over and over again as a child in order to help me learn how to read. I remember how proud my parents were when I could read some of the words on my own. The memories of reading this book help me to understand why we read literature. Reading this book helped me to build a bond with my parents as a young child, and literature can help people build connections with others. The Cat in the Hat was part of the reason that I loved to read and learn so much as a kid.

The Magic Treehouse Series by Marie Pope Osborne

I loved to read the Magic Treehouse series all the time when I was a young because I was part of a neighborhood book club that read and discussed a few of The Magic Treehouse books. I believe that Marie Pope Osborne wrote these books so that kids had a chance to escape and feel like they are in a different world when reading. The adventures were always exciting and intriguing. Reading this series also helped me to feel connected to other kids in my neighborhood. I was always excited to discuss the book with my friends at every book club meeting. 

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

The Merchant of Venice is the play that helped me to understand how to read Shakespeare. I enjoyed the plot when I first read it in high school, and because I read this play multiple times, I became accustomed to Shakespearean language. The play also talks about important themes like mercy, which is a concept that I value and try to practice in my own life. Portia's speech was something that stuck with me after reading the play. I also appreciate Portia's strong female role when she pretended to be a man and convinced Shylock to spare Antonio's life. I think this play was written by Shakespeare to express his values. The Merchant of Venice is my favorite Shakespearean play.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series by Rick Riordan

I started reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series because a girl in my neighborhood recommended the first book in the series to me in fifth grade. I ended up becoming really close friends with the girl because every morning before school we would meet to talk about the book, and we even saw the movie together. Even when my friend moved in seventh grade, we continued to stay in touch. This series helped to establish one of my closest friendships. This was my favorite series throughout a lot of middle school, and it helped keep me interested in reading as I grew older. 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carleton

The Very Hungry Caterpillar was another book I read many times with my mom as a young kid. I was fascinated by the pictures in this book, and our house became filled with books by Eric Carleton. I think Eric Carleton wrote these picture books in order to creatively display his interesting artwork. I remember being so excited to read when my mom brought home a new Eric Carleton book. I think reading with parents as a child is a great way to form a bond between parent and child. This was another book that caused me to love reading as a kid.

Virginia's Virtual Bookshelf

1. The Boxcar Children, originally by Gertrude Chandler Warner

I was read this series every night before bed as a child, and it greatly influenced my love of literature and my values as a person. I can still remember my mother’s voice, and how she’d lick her thumb to turn the old pages. This book connects to the theme of why literature is taught. It doesn’t have to be in a classroom. My love of literature was planted in me as a young girl, and grew as I matured. After we read the first book together, I craved more. With over one hundred books, the first nineteen from the original author, I never tired of hearing of their adventures. Even now, I can recall the stories without hesitation- they’re ingrained in my memory. The curious and caring nature of the children influenced me as a person, since I basically grew up with them. This series, especially the first book, has shaped me as a person by instilling family values in my little five-year-old heart and nurturing my growing mind and soul. I’m a better person for having grown up with these books, and I couldn’t imagine my childhood without them.

2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter was the series that really made me fall in love with books and reading. I read The Sorcerer’s Stone when I was 10, so you can imagine my disappointment when my 11th birthday came and went without a letter from Hogwarts. This book connects to the theme of why we read literature. For me, reading Harry Potter was an escape from a dull school life into one of magic. I quickly read one book after the other, more times than I can count. The majority of my adolescence has memories associated with my love of Harry Potter- including making friends with people based purely on that fact. This book, in fact the entire series, has shaped me into the young adult I am today. It inspired me to persevere no matter the adversity I face, and that "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."

3. Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

I read Gathering Blue in the 3rd grade, when my love of reading was still a small sapling, just beginning to grow. I had just found it in the library one day and decided to read it, before even reading it predecessor, The Giver. I had judged the book by its cover, sue me-- but it led me to where I am today. The originality of the ideas in the novel were so amazing to me, I was in love with her writing style and the way the words came to life. Personally, this book connects to the theme of why authors write literature-- to create a world outside our own. Experiencing another’s life in a universe different from my own was what sealed the deal for me. I loved reading. Gathering Blue helped me get there.

4. Wing Nut by Mary Jane Auch

Wing Nut was another random library find that shaped me more as a person than perhaps any other book ever has. Most people have never heard of it, but it deeply impacted me. I read it when I was 8 years old, and the loving nature of the main character’s mother and the wacky old man and his purple martin birds were so original that I felt as if I knew them. This book connects to the theme of why literature is read. It felt so personal to me, the relationship between this mother and her son and their crazy, messed up life. It felt like a gift, to see a glimpse of their life. I often find myself thinking back on the book and its characters, wondering how my own view of them has changed as I grew up. I’d like to go back and read it again, to be able to fully understand how the novel influenced my personality and my character.

5. Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

The Merchant of Venice was a recent addition to my repertoire, but a much needed one. Personally, I don’t mind reading Shakespeare- again, it’s like a glimpse into another world. I enjoyed reading Merchant of Venice for its humor and interesting characters, and the original intent behind the writing. How we read and understand Shakespeare has changed over the ages, and reading it in the twenty-first century is an adventure all its own. For me, this connects to the theme of why literature is taught. It’s important to honor and analyze famous texts and keep them alive, to ensure that we see where literature came from and how it’s changed throughout the ages. Reading this play influenced me by encouraging me to look at things from multiple angles and examine how others view situations and take their point of view into account.

Parker's Virtual Bookshelf

1) To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee: This book by Harper Lee inspired me to become a lawyer and to fight for those who can't fight themselves. In the book when Tom, a black man, is accused of rape by a white woman, his guilt is assumed immediately. He knows he will not get adequate legal representation until a prominent lawyer named Atticus Finch takes his case and defends him. This book also inspired me to fight for the right cause even when you know the odds of victory are slim at best. Atticus proved Tom's innocence yet Tom was still convicted of the crime, all the while Atticus knew this was the likely outcome. This book speaks to the theme as to why author's write literature. In this book, I was not only inspired to become a lawyer, but I was also taught to fight for those who can't even when the odds are heavily stacked against you.

2) The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling: This entire series inspired me to believe in the impossible and to not let your life circumstances hold you back in life. While clearly fictional, Rowling creates a masterpiece in the character of Harry Potter. Harry loses his parents as a baby, overcomes challenges every year at Hogwarts, and is tormented by Voldemort his entire life (until he is finally defeated). He never made any excuse and always found a way to persevere. Reading Harry Potter allowed my imagination as a young child to flourish, it almost made me believe in magic. While magic is not real, the magic created in your mind when reading Harry Potter was and still is very real to me. This series answers the theme of why we read literature. We read literature for pleasure, but also to come way with the real magic in life: the lessons learned.

3) The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare: William Shakespeare taught me the power of language. His masterful use of the English language showed my the true power of words: they have the power to build up say in the case of Portia and the power to tear down and become sinister in the case of Shylock. Shylock's rant was particularly impactful on me because it taught me that in reality all humans are the same underneath our physical appearances. Maybe if we all focused on our similarities (of which there are way more) than our differences then maybe the world would be a better place in the long run. A place of acceptance and love rather than division and hate. This play answers the theme of why literature is taught. In this instance it is to showcase the mastery of Shakespeare's language and how it is used to better the lessons he wants to impart on the reader.

4) Founding Brothers by Joseph J Ellis: This book inspired my patriotism for this country. The founding fathers did not accept the treatment of the British and created their own country which ended up becoming the greatest country this world has ever seen. I aspire to be as powerful and influential as they were one day. Maybe not to the extent of changing the entire world, but I intend to be a maverick in my own right. They stood up for what they believed and did not dare settle for anything less than the best. I try to live that way each day. This book can be related to the theme of why literature is read and in this case it's for the history of our nation and to introduce the Founding Fathers in a different light.

5) Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: Frankenstein taught me to not just assume judgements of people and that the real monster could be very different from what you perceive it to be. It caused me to view conflict in a very different way and look at everyone equally until guilt is actually proved. The real monster of the story is not the monster, rather it is Dr. Frankenstein himself for trying to push the natural limits of science while creating life. It also taught me that there are natural boundaries that should not be crossed such as the limits of science and messing with life itself. This book can relate to the theme of why we read literature, it shows us the monster isn't always who we expect it to be.