Jaws by Peter Benchley -- I was in the 6th grade when the movie came out 35 years ago.  People were afraid to go in the water, and I was wondering what all the fuss was about, but my parents (understandably)  would not take me to see it.  I did, however, get a copy of the book on which the movie was based.  While it was certainly not great literature, it captivated and terrified me.  It was the first "real novel" I read and the first time I learned that words on the page come to life in the reader's imagination.

The Shining by Stephen King -- Yeah, I know. Two horror novels in a row!  I must be weird! (Guilty as charged!)  I read this on a 12-hour train ride when I was in the 9th grade.  It was the first time I had read an entire (huge) novel in one sitting, and I remember how I lost myself in the story and how time seemed to pass so fast in the "outside world" while I was interacting with the characters in the story.  Again, not especially literary, but an important lesson in my own reading development.  Many people are scornful of my "formative" reading, but Stephen King led me to Harlan Ellison, who led me to Ray Bradbury, who led me to Edgar Allan Poe and Charles Dickens and many other "classic" writers.  I probably owe my career teaching English to Stephen King.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls -- I've read this one at least five or six times: the first few as a child, once or twice as a teacher, and once with my son.  Never have I been able to get through the last chapter without sobbing openly, even when I was reading it aloud to classes of 7th graders (many of whom were also sobbing).  I have nothing in common with the narrator of the book, and I am not especially fond of dogs, but this book made me care for them.  This book taught me the power of literature.

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson -- Until I read this book, I didn't know that non-fiction could be entertaining.  With creative (and sometimes literary) analogies, Bryson made difficult scientific and mathematical concepts clear to me for the first time.  He also provided (sometimes hysterical) character sketches of most of the people who have influenced modern sciences.  It's all done with a wry humor and an eye for captivating detail that is sadly lacking in most science texts.  I'm not a scientist, but I loved this book.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens -- When I was required to read this book in the ninth grade, I hated it so much that I almost dropped Honors English just to avoid having to finish it.  Now I require it for my own 9th grade Honors English students.  This is the book that truly represents my "conversion" as a reader.  By giving this book a second chance and taking the time to read it carefully and completely, I discovered an entirely new aspect to the story that I had completely missed the first time.  It is by turns funny, touching, and profound, but it requires an investment of time and focus on the part of the reader that most people today are unwilling to make.  Those who do, however, can also discover why this is one of my favorites.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee -- I like this for many of the same reasons I like Great Expectations: fabulous characterization, subtle humor, powerful narrative voice.  It is an American classic for a good reason.  Take your time with this one, too. 

_________________ by Ray Bradbury -- He's often called a writer of science fiction, but he is not really writing about Martians and futuristic worlds.  He is writing about us, with a sensitivity to language and metaphor unlike anyone else.  All of his short stories and novels are great, and it was while reading Fahrenheit 451 for the first time that I first felt I was reading something "literary."