Five about me, Sarah Miller

Strangely enough, I didn't have a hard time chosing my five books. Picking just five favorites is a misery, but somehow, chooisng five books that say something about me is much simpler.

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Zel, by Donna Jo NapoliIt's no secret I love Donna Jo Napoli's books. Her writing sounds like the voice in my head, and that's all you need to know. This is the one I read first, which makes it more or less my de facto favorite.








The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant

This is the type of story I love best -- strong characters, strong relationships, and terrific writing. I'm also fascinated by books that dig into the nooks and crannies of well-known stories and bring out something new. There are definitely some similarities in theme between this book and Zel. That's no coincidence.






The Giver, by Lois Lowry

The Giver gets the award for Book that Most Amazes Me. The premise itself astounds me, and then to top that off, she went and wrote it so well. Oh, and for the record, I believe in happy endings....








The View from Saturday, by E.L. Konigsburg


I honestly can't tell you exactly what it is that makes me love this book so much. The way everything fits together appeals to me - -how with the characters and the story itself, the whole is equal to more than the sum of the parts. I also love the haven these kids create for themselves.






All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, by Robert Fulghum


It seems to me I discovered Fulghum sometime around middle school, and I've read and re-read him ever since. This is where I learned to find the little flecks of happiness and magic in everyday life. (Come to think of it, Fulghum probably has a lot to do with the way I see the conclusion of The Giver!)