What Kelly Said

I am a big reader. Big. I saw on the Daily Post the topic of the five books that have influenced you the most. I thought this will be easy but honestly, narrowing it down to five books was tough! But I think I did it.

In no particular order:

1. To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee

This book is probably my all time favorite book. I think it is an important book for every child to read at some point in school growing up. It is written through the eyes of a child living in the deep South when black and whites were still living in segregation. It is a deeply touching novel that has lessons we can all still learn today.

2. Where The Sidewalk Ends, Shel Silverstein

This is a childhood book that is a series of short poems. I loved this book when I was a kid. I would read it over and over and try to memorize the funny poems. This book taught me to love reading and to use my imagination.

3. Izzy-Willy-Nilly, Cynthia Voight

I read this book in middle school and it haunted me for years. So much so that almost 17 years later I still remember it. It is about a high school girl who gets in a car with an upperclassman boy after he’s been drinking. They get into an accident and she loses her leg. It is a heartbreaking story about a little girl finding herself.

4. Bel Canto, Ann Paget

This book is about a group of terrorists who hold high executives and people of high political standing hostage. It explores how the terrorists and hostages cope with living in a house together for several months.Many of the characters form unbreakable bonds of friendship, while some fall in love. It is a really interesting book that captivated me from the very beginning.

5.  The Faith Club, Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver and Priscilla Warner

After September 11th, Ranya Idliby, an American Muslim of Palestinian descent,  faced constant questions about Islam, God, and death from her children, the only Muslims in their classrooms. Inspired by a story about Muhammad, Ranya reached out to two mothers, one Jewish and one Christian, to try to understand and answer those questions for her  children. After just a few meetings, however, it became clear that the women
themselves needed an honest and open environment where they could admit—and  discuss—their concerns, stereotypes, and misunderstandings about one another. This book is amazing and will open your eyes to three beautiful religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

What is one book that has influenced you?