Most Influential Books - Part 1

I recently read a tweet about the "50 Most Influential Books of the Last 50 (or so) Years." Of the 50, I had read five. (Hitchhiker's Guide, DaVinci Code, Seven Habits, Harry Potter and The Purpose Driven Life) The post got me thinking. If I haven't read most of those books, what books have been the most influential to me? I came up with 20. I'll be covering them over several days, five at a time, starting with #20 (although they aren't really in a particular order).

20) The Bobbsey Twin mysteries - you would have rarely seen me as a kid without one of these books in my hand. I read them over and over and over. They started my on my mystery-loving path and eventually led to Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden. Bobbsey Twins Complete Series Set, 1-12

19) Six+One Traits of Writing - This book was part of a life-changing master's level class I took a couple years ago before starting Creative Writing Club at my son's school. I learned so much from that class, and the book still has more to teach me. 6 + 1 Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide (Grades 3 and Up)


18) Looking for God in Harry Potter - This book introduced me to the symbolism in the Harry Potter series and convinced me that reading the series wouldn't be a sin. Looking for God in Harry Potter


17) The Candymakers - A recent discovery - brilliant example of good storytelling and plotting. Part of one of my favorite memories of this school year with my students. The Candymakers


16) Big Picture Scrapbooking - This book was the precursor to the Library of Memories class taught by Stacy Jullian. The premise is to move away from chronological scrapbooking and the quest to be "caught up" and  tell the stories you long to tell and make connections between moments that help tell those stories. The Big Picture: Scrapbook Your Life and a Whole Lot More.


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