My Life in Books

The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone: Plain and simple, this was my favorite book as a child. It’s really a bunch of nonsense, but it kept me snickering until the last page. There is no significance to the plot since it is just the Sesame Street character, Grover, trying to stop the reader from turning the page and finding the monster at the end of the book. I remember reading this to my parents because I wanted to show off how I memorized it, and I would laugh hysterically at their faces because they acted terrified when I would warn them that I was turning the page…which is what Grover didn’t want me to do.

The BFG by Roald Dahl: I’m pretty sure this was the first book I wrote a book report on in elementary school. I stepped out of my comfort zone at the time because this was a pretty hefty chapter book. Despite the ghastly number of minutes it took me to finish, it remained one of my favorite books a young reader. The BFG got me into the groove of reading to spur my imagination. Roald Dahl painted fantastic pictures in my mind with the obscure characters, activities, and vocabulary sprinkled throughout the book. The Big Friendly Giant ate “snozzcumbers,” drank “frobscottle”, caught dreams and labeled them in jars, and even broke wind by “whizzpopping.” As a matter of fact, I loved this book so much that I reread it five or six times in grade school after giving my report.

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo: Not only is this a fantastic book for any Christian, but also a nice conversation starter. This is about a young boy who takes a visit to Heaven while under the knife in emergency surgery. Colton Burpo describes the vivid images of Jesus and meetings he had with family members who were deceased and he had never seen pictures of. I enjoyed this book because it got me thinking about my life in the next world. Many people at my church read it and their awe inspired me to pick it up and give it a try. It is a great read for anyone struggling with their faith because it comes from an innocent child who happened to have a beautiful experience with divinity.

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen: Taking time to find out who you are on the inside is something this book taught me- as Annabel Greene was outcast by her friends and discovered a special friendship with Owen Armstrong. Both of these characters have trouble with the idea of their appearance and reputations and together they realize the importance of music as well as the power of silence. This book thoroughly prepared me for high school because the themes spoke to me in such a way that I knew it was important to know who I was before I could become friends with others. Sarah Dessen also teaches the harmful effects of judging others without knowing them first. It is a great lesson for teenage girls who struggle with confidence and those who feel the need to live up to ‘social standards.’

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: To be honest, this was the first book I read in school that I actually enjoyed and found interest in. For some odd reason, the whole idea of being beautiful on the outside but corrupt on the painting thing turned on the light bulb for once. I think that this book has great historical information and shows that evil will eventually get the best of us, no matter how hard we try to run from it. It’s the first book that I didn’t mind reading, even though most other classmates found it utterly disturbing. I don’t have a super deep connection with this book, but I know that out of all the English novels I’ve endured, Oscar Wilde placed first in the “like” category.