10 Books I'd Want My (Hypothetical) Kids To Read

This week's Top Ten Tuesday prompt is books I'd want my kids to read, if I ever have any. Boy, was I tempted to choose all picture books -- I have some favorites from my childhood, and I see adorable ones at work every day. Plus there are tons of great picture books that help explain important issues (like "And Tango Makes Three"), teach positive behaviors (like sharing, friendship and understanding feelings, as in the fabulous "Bear" books by Karma Wilson -- my go-to baby shower gift!), and make scary things less frightening ("The Berenstain Bears Go to the Doctor" was one I loved as a kid).

But I decided to think about what I'd want my "kids" to read as they got a little older, and this is what I came up with:

 
1. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling: You might have noticed that I'm a pretty big HP fan, and if we ever have kids I will do my darndest to insure they love Harry Potter too! There are so many life lessons to be taken from these books, plus I want my kids to be able to escape into this magical world and enjoy all the fun of the fandom.

2. Wonder by R.J. Palacio: This is a charming, sweet book that reminds everyone -- not just kids -- to be compassionate and kind.

3. Bunnicula by James Howe: I was obsessed with rabbits as a kid, so of course I loved this story about a vampire bunny. I'm always excited when kids check it out at the library, and obviously I'd foist it on my own children!

4. Magic School Bus series by Joanna Cole: There are so many books in this series, and they really make non-fiction fun and interesting! The one above, with the popcorn-filled stomach, was my favorite when I was little.

5. March graphic novel trilogy by John Lewis: Now we're getting into some high school-level books, and I think "March" would make excellent required reading, but if that doesn't happen I'd read it with my kids anyway. It's a fresh way of educating people about the American Civil Rights Movement, and it hit home much more than anything I'd read or learned about it previously.

6. Maus graphic novels by Art Spiegelman: In the same vein as "March," "Maus" brings the Holocaust to life. I read the books in college and it wasn't until then that the full atrocity of it all sunk in; the narrative non-fiction and graphic novel formats give a face and a name to the horror in a way a dry textbook never can.

7. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury: I didn't read this book until I was around 30, but I think high school is a great time to explore the harms of censorship. Plus this is a highly readable classic! And if my "kids" are anything like me, they'll largely shy away from the classics genre, so it'll be gratifying to find one they'll (presumably) enjoy.

8. 1984 by George Orwell: This book goes hand-in-hand with "Fahrenheit 451." Everyone needs to know where the phrase "big brother" came from!

9. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger: This is another book I didn't read until recently that I'd want my hypothetical teenager to read. What adolescent wouldn't relate to angsty Holden Caulfield?

10. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline: The earth is wrecked and everyone escapes from their miserable lives in a virtual reality universe -- sounds like something that could happen in our not-too-distant future! But the main reason I'd want my "kids" to read this book is so they can get a feel for the decade during which their parents were born! (Plus, kids these days probably have no idea about half the stuff in there -- cassette tapes? Arcades?)