Books that actually MEAN something…

We’ve talked about a lot of books on this blog: funny books, dramatic books, new books, classic books… One thing we don’t always talk about is how books can be important to us. Today, I want to talk about books that actually mean something to you. Maybe they speak to your own personal experience. Maybe they’re about important issues, like teen pregnancy or domestic violence. Maybe they just make you happy when you need cheering up.

The book I’ve chosen to share is The Once and Future King by T.H. White. I read this book back when I was in 4^th grade, mainly for the challenge of tackling something that was more than 600 pages long. (This was before elementary school children were routinely reading 700+ page Harry Potter novels!) What I discovered instead of a big, boring tome was an enchanting work of magic and adventure (it formed the basis for the broadway musical Camelot and the Disney film The Sword in the Stone). I later found out that the author suffered greatly from loneliness and depression — which didn’t stop him from writing words of great beauty and imagination. To this day, it remains my favorite telling of the King Arthur legend, and it helped shape my lifelong love of fantasy literature.

So here’s my question — for teens, librarians, or anyone else who might be reading this: What book has a special meaning for you? (You can give your first name, or post anonymously.)

Stephanie Meyer’s “Breaking Dawn”

Breaking Dawn, the fourth and FINAL book in the blockbuster Twilight Saga (Twilight, Eclipse, New Moon), will be released on August 2nd — but you can place your hold today!  There’s already a waiting list for this ultra–hot summer read, so don’t delay.

Also new from Stephanie Meyer is The Host, a novel of romance and alien possession.  Does it stack up to Twilight?  We’d love to hear your thoughts!