Today’s
post begins our annual TeachingAuthors series in which my fellow bloggers and I
share our favorite book(s) of the year – children’s and otherwise.
My
Shelf of Favorites boasts books of varying formats, genres and audience appeal.
Each,
in some way, re-sounded in my reader’s and/or writer’s heart, filled me with
hope and spoke to my humanity in true and honest ways. Some brought tears; some brought laughter;
one or two left me fist-pumping! All modeled superb craft in storytelling.
As
this crazy-crazy year began winding down, and I kept wondering “what condition
my condition was in,” I became enormously thankful for these noteworthy books and the authors who created them.
The
Reader in me, the Writer, the Teacher, the Human Being – we all want you to
know and love these books too.
Read
the flap copy I’ve shared and you’ll understand why.
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I-h655fniKc/WEThbdUEOhI/AAAAAAAABh8/TVwOARs0IsM3gDVEBGhZ2vhhJHsH1OBIwCLcB/s1600/The%2BJourney.jpg)
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-48J-jHf2hjQ/WETiKhxeYLI/AAAAAAAABiE/YPpT5TUcGgIw5JVeF4SY-fYLIeBF8huPQCLcB/s1600/We%2BAre%2BGrowing%2521.jpg)
“Walt
and his friends are growing up fast!
Everyone is the something-est.
But…what about Walt? He is not
the tallest, or the curliest, or the silliest.
He is not the anything-est.”
THE POET’S DOG, Patricia MacLachlan, Katherine Tegen Books/Harper Collins
“Alone
In
a fierce winter storm
Nickel
and Flora are brave
But
afraid
A
dog finds them
Teddy
Speaks
words
And
brings them to shelter
The
Poet’s cabin
Has
light and food
And
love
But
where is the Poet?
Teddy
will tell the story
Of
how words make poems
And
connect those who hear
Each
other”
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MnPhlpK37Bw/WETjir0nm0I/AAAAAAAABiQ/Q1kbDu_nsCYyDN2Q9Lg_7e8hpOf7s-8HgCLcB/s200/Raymie%2BNightingale.jpg)
“Have you ever in your
life come to
realize that everything,
absolutely
everything, depends on
you?
Raymie
Clarke has a plan.
Two
days ago, her father left home with a dental hygienist. If Raymie
can win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, then
her father will see Raymie’s picture in the paper and (maybe) come
home.
…a rich story of three
girls, one summer and a friendship that changed
their lives.”
THE BEST MAN, Richard Peck, Dial
“Archer
Magill has spent a lively five years of grade school with one
eye
out in search of grown-up role models.
Three of the best are his
grandpa,
the great architect; his dad, the great vintage car customizer;
and
his uncle Paul, who is just plain great.
These are the three he wants to
be. Then along comes a fourth – Mr. McLeod, a teacher, in fact, the first
male teacher in the history of the school.
Then one of them wants to
marry another one. In
pages that ripple with laughter, there’s a teardrop here and there. and
more than a few insights about the bewildering world of adults, made by
a boy on his way to being the best man he can be.”
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ivr1QJnhS_E/WETkT5_FwBI/AAAAAAAABiY/8MO4zyxnniMT6qHoDCt0F8FBKzE6FxjCgCLcB/s200/the%2Bsun%2Bis%2Balso%2Ba%2Bstar.jpg)
The
story of a girl, a boy, and the universe.
Natasha:
I’m a girl who believes in science and facts.
Not fate.
Not destiny. Or dreams that will never
come true. I’m
definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a
crowded New York City street and falls in love with him.
Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good
student, living
up to my parents’ expectations. Never the poet.
Or the
dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that.
The
Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before
us. Which one will come
true?
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HL-v6bQliJg/WETlIbkdZkI/AAAAAAAABig/DWXtewvMKk8J607SSwyVpBKTPKapX9r0ACLcB/s200/Some%2BWriter%2521.jpg)
“I
feel that a writer has an obligation to transmit, as best he can, his
love of life, his appreciation for the world.” – E.B. White
“Like
my grandfather, Melissa Sweet has somehow kept that child-like
sense of wonder at the world and (thankfully) found an avenue
to share it with the rest of us...Here, in these pages, you will
find the grandfather I remember so well…Now, thanks to Melissa Sweet,
you can know him too.” – Martha White
“Jennifer
Weiner is many things: a bestselling author, a Twitter
phenomenon,
and an ‘unlikely feminist enforcer.’ She’s also a mom,
a
daughter and a sister, a former rower and current clumsy yogini, a
wife,
a friend, a realityTV devotee. In her
first essay collection,
she
takes the raw stuff of her life and spins it into a collection of tales
of
modern-day womanhood as uproariously funny and moving as the
best
of Nora Epheron and Tina Fey.”
And,
last, but not least, THE OFFICIAL MLB OFFICIAL COLLECTOR'S EDITION OF THE 2016 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS! (Picture my VERY SMILING face here.)
Here’s
to a heart-full, hope-full 2017!
With
true and honest thanks to our Readers for their support.
Esther
Hershenhorn
P.S.
Congratulations,
Danielle H., winner of the Sandy Brehl 2-book giveaway!
P.P.S.
Don’t
forget to enter our Book Giveaway of Jeannine Atkins’ FINDING WONDERS – THREE
GIRLS WHO CHANGED SCIENCE!
There are many of my favorites here, too. No surprise that Melissa Sweet's book Some Writer! is there. What a treasure it is. And I recently read The Poet's Dog, loved it, too. Thanks for telling about the Weiner book, will put that on my list! Happy Reading!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad we're on the same wave length, Linda B.!
ReplyDeleteJennifer Weiner's autobiography is subtitled LIFE, LOVE AND WRITING.
Her authenticity is 4-star.
Oh, thank you for the recommendations, Esther--I recognize a few, & I can't wait to read the rest!
ReplyDeleteI just read We are Growing yesterday and really liked it. I also read The Best Man and enjoyed it too. I'm really hoping to read The Sun is Also a Star this year.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing these great books. Some of them are already on my wish list!
ReplyDeleteI also loved The Poet's Dog and The Best Man. I haven't read the others but will check them out. If you haven't read All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook, you might want to add that to your list. It's a great one. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteThanks, JoAnn, Linda, Danielle H. and Rosi for taking the time to respond.
ReplyDeleteThanks, too, Rosi, for suggesting a title for me to check out.
I love how we share titles and look forward to reading my fellow TeachAuthors bloggers' picks.
Some good ones here and a few I need to get my hands on! I'll have to pass on the World Series one - my Cleveland born hubby would not approve (hehe)!
ReplyDeleteGreat books Esther. Thank you. They are on my list now. I have 'Some Writer' and it's excellent.
ReplyDelete