Friday, June 1, 2007

alisonwonderland's list

at first i had no clue what books i could pick that somehow represented me - and now i'm having a hard time keeping it to just five! these are the ones i've settled upon:
  • Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
    one of the few books i've read over and over, this classic non-fiction book was given to me by my mother after i had graduated from college and taken a job in another state. the issues Lindbergh explores are just as pertinent to women today as it was when it was first published in 1955.

  • All of a Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
    i am the oldest in a family of seven daughters and no sons, so i grew up in an "all of a kind family" like the one in this novel. i also think this children's book, read to my sisters and me by our mom, was the beginning of my interest in the Jewish culture.

  • Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
    i read this book a few years ago when it was required reading in my daughter's middle school English class. i immediately fell in love with this celebration of nonconformity. the girl called Stargirl is my hero!

  • Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix
    this young adult novel is a spin on the Cinderella story that takes place after Ella has been whisked off to the castle by the prince and she finds that both he and life as a princess are not all she had hoped. as a feminist, i believe that, like Ella, girls need to find out who they are as individuals before they become somebody's wife.

  • Winter Wheat by Mildred Walker
    this classic novel is a recent discovery for me, and i decided to pick it partly because it's set in the Western United States - and i'm definitely a Western States girl. i also picked it because it is about a young woman growing up and figuring out who she is. (you can read my review of the book here.)
i guess there's a bit of a recurring theme there - but maybe that was the point!

5 comments:

Stephanie said...

Stargirl is a FANTASTIC book! I loved it!! I read it a couple of years ago, and it has stuck with me every since!!

The Bookworm said...

hi, I had no idea Just Ella was a book. I love the movie Ella Enchanted...I will be reading 'Just Ella' for the reading challenge :)

1morechapter said...

I will probably choose Winter Wheat as one of my books. I grew up on a farm that harvested mostly wheat. Looks great!

tinylittlelibrarian said...

I really liked Just Ella, too!

And Stargirl! Did you know there's sequel coming in August - Love, Stargirl?

Heather said...

I almost put Stargirl on my list too. :)