Books

I read about six to twelve books a month, and there are many, many books that I love. But then there are some books that are just INCREDIBLY good. Here is a sampling of some of the books I've read in the past few of years that were ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLY AMAZING:

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod by Gary Paulsen
Educating Esme: The Diary of a Teacher's First Year by Esme Raji Codell
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Fire, Bed and Bone by Henrietta Branford
In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer by Irene Gut Opdyke with Jennifer Armstrong
Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus by Barbara Park
The Moorechild by Eloise McGraw
The Ear, the Eye and the Arm by Nancy Farmer
Dr. Franklin's Island by Ann Halam
Eva by Peter Dickinson
Holes by Louis Sacher
Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Fisher Staples
Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klauss
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff
The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller

Authors

You say you need MORE books to keep you busy? These author links are from some of my friends in the writing world. Check out their web sites and you're sure to find loads of great books to read. Many of the sites below feature teacher guides, book talks, and discussion questions to go along with the author's books. Some sites offer tips and links for aspiring writers.

Barb O'Connor -- Middle grade contemporary fiction with Southern settings AND middle-grade biographies.
Lara M. Zeises -- Daring, edgy YA novels.
Toni Buzzeo -- Gorgeous picture books AND curriculum materials for educators
Ellen Jackson --From fun, funny picture books to entertaining nonfiction about nature, science, and history.
Lisa Wheeler -- Funny picture books for kids and childlike adults.
Laura Ruby -- Scary, funny, ghost-filled children's novel.
Greg Leitich Smith -- Humorous fiction for kids and teens.
Alexandra Flinn -- Exciting, edgy YA novels.
Kimberley Griffiths Little -- Fast moving adventure stories with a touch of magical realism.
Dr. Fred Bortz ­-- fun, fascinating books about science and technology.
Cynthia Leitich Smith -- A member of the Muscogee (Creek) Indian Nation, her books focus on Indian characters, but have universal themes.
Kelly Milner Halls -- Dinosoars! Fun activity books!.
Uma Krishnaswami -- Picture books, easy readers, retold traditional tales, and short stories

Quotes

"Everybody's different, and I'm no different from anybody else."
--Daniel Carbone (my brother)