Discussion Leaders and Their Favorite Books

~Ginger Shaw, Kahoka
I have spent the past 9 years working as a Family Advocate and Center Supervisor for NMCAA Wyaconda Head Start.  I live in Kahoka with my three sons, ages 10, 13 & 15 (& 3/4 if you ask him!). We spend a lot of time at sporting and marching band events throughout the year but we always find time to read individually and as a family.  I especially love to read in bed with my youngest son as it is a quiet, cozy place and it is the one rare time that he slows down long enough for me to actually connect with him in a meaningful way.

My absolute most favorite book is one from my childhood. I read it over and over as a child and then as an adult I accessed Barnes and Noble's network of used book dealers to purchase copies of it for each of my children. The title is The Maggie B. by Irene Haas. It is a beautiful story about a young girl who dreams of having a ship of her own to sail on with her little brother. The book is wonderfully illustrated with pictures of their day of adventure as the girl does all that is necessary to care for her baby brother on the ship named after her.

~Catherine Newland, Morrill Public Library Director, Hiawatha, KS
I have too many "favorites,"  but I picked three [oops -four]. No Matter What by Debi Gliori is a wonderful picture book with great illustrations and a wonderful message.  The author came to Kansas [and our library] for the first children's "one-book one state" project in 2005.

My juvenile fiction favorites include Christopher Paul Curtis books The Watsons Go to Birmingham and Bud, Not Buddy.  My young adult favorite is Joy School by Elizabeth Berg.

I love to read in the bathtub with a cup of tea,  but my two dogs really enjoy snuggling up next to me when I am on the sofa reading, so I have been spending more time recently reading in the living room rather than the bathroom. I have four grandchildren - two of them love to read and will read ANYWHERE!

~Annette Harrison, St. Louis
My favorite book is almost always the one I am reading at the moment. Each book opens a new world in such a dramatic and interesting way. I am now reading The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, which is a fascinating nonfiction book about a Hmong child and her American doctors, and the clash between the two cultures. So much to learn and think about!

The books we read in RFTS are perpetually exciting to me, even if I have read them hundreds of times! Each new group of parents brings new ideas and frames of reference to the books. I especially enjoy it when a seemingly uninterested parent finds a new understanding or connection to one of the books. A light goes on and they become totally engaged and an important part of the group. My friend Marti Reichman told me that her mother instilled in her the love of reading, and now she is never lonely! Here's to the opening of minds and new worlds!

I have been a storyteller for 28 years, a workshop leader for RFTS for at least 10 years, and an author of two storytelling resource books. I read at least one book a week and can't wait for bedtime because that is my favorite reading time. When all is quiet, except for my husband's snoring, I enter the book and experience the adventure.

~Diana Taylor, Moberly
The Pain and the Great One by Judy Blume sticks out as one of my favorite children's books.  I think the main reason I love this book is because it mirrors so much about my children and their relationship.  I discovered this book when my children were young, and its humor and subject matter helped us get through some rough patches of sibling rivalry.  The "Pain" in the book is the little brother, who tends to do what he can to irritate his older sister, the "Great One."  Of course, the "Great One" can do no wrong, and can barely contain her irritation at the younger brother.  My children are grown now, but still have spurts of rivalry.  I occasionally have to remind them of the book and the titles that sometimes still fit them.  Many summer afternoons and winter evenings were spent reading and laughing at this book.  I would recommend it to anyone who has more than one child!

~Sarah Howard, Columbia
One of my favorite authors as a child (and I still like to re-read them) is Julie Edwards (Julie Andrews of "Mary Poppins" and "The Sound of Music" fame).  She did a fantasy called The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, where an eccentric professor helps three children find and help the last Whangdoodle using their imaginations. 

She also wrote a more realistic book about an orphan who longs for a family called Mandy.  Mandy finds a secret cottage in the woods and creates her own home. Both of these are 1970's.   More current are the picture books she has done with her daughter Emma Hamilton.  I enjoy reading with a cat or dog around and a bowl of dry cereal.  I like it if it is raining or snowing and there can be a fire in the fireplace and if there are a few hours of uninterrupted time, that is rare, it is a true gift!  I live in Columbia and am celebrating my 20th year working for the Daniel Boone Regional Library system this year.

~Maureen Capetty, Theodosia
I'm a retired schoolteacher from Illinois. I've retired to the Ozarks --Theodosia, MO specifically. We live in a log house on Lake Bull Shoals (large lake with 1000 mi. of shoreline). We have 42 acres and mow 10 of it so it keeps us busy along with lots of golf.    I love sharing books with caregivers of young children and try to infuse my own love of books.   I have many favorites, but two books I really enjoy introducing are The Wump World and The Wartville Wizard.

Both books are very entertaining for children and as a bonus do an excellent job of teaching about pollution. Another of my favorites are two poetry books -- Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein and Mary O'Neill's  People I'd Like to Keep. Poetry can often be overlooked and it offers so much. Another fun idea I sometimes do at my programs is choral reading.

~Roslyn Burney, Kansas City
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe is my favorite children's book. It is a timeless story of two sisters and their interactions with others. I like the book's effective use of contrast to address attractive qualities, such as kindness and compassion, versus unattractive ones, such as selfishness and mean spiritedness. It was given to me when I was a young adult by a dear friend who said that Manyara's and Nyasha's braids reminded her of mine. As a college student, I frequently braided my hair for ease and comfort during Louisiana's hot, humid summers.

My favorite place to experience a book is in my designated reading chair -  a roomy, soft delight in my Kansas City, Missouri home. In it, I curl my feet under me and visit new worlds. A favorite volunteer activity includes reading to young children ages 3 – 5 years in daycare centers and preschool programs in school districts.I also enjoy adding children's books to my personal library.