Not My English Class: My One Book

Photo by Marcia Rodrigues

From a very early age, it became clear to me that I could not be my daughter's teacher—not that I wouldn't want to, but that she would have nothing of it. When teaching her the alphabet at age two, she'd snatch the magnetic letters from my hands saying, "I do it."

Then she'd sigh dramatically like I was a moron before rearranging the letters in what looked to me like gibberish. She'd hold out her hands in a ta-da! sort of way and give me a look that dared me to correct her. 

As soon as she'd walk away, I'd put the letters back the way they are "supposed" to go, muttering to myself things like roll her eyes one more time and tell me what to do and G does NOT come before C.

Later, I'd find them back in the gibberish order. We'd go back and forth all day.

Then Son was born and he'd break up the arguments by eating an alphabet letter so everyone's alphabetical system was screwed.

So yeah, I can't be Daughter's teacher. But we enjoy learning together. 

Daughter is in seventh grade this year and has amazing teachers. I'm particularly taken with her English curriculum this year—probably because way back when we rode dinosaurs to work, I taught seventh grade English. But mostly because her teacher has the kind of infectious energy that makes you want to learn All The Things!

So, I've told Daughter that I'll be taking her English class vicariously this year. I'll turn in my assignments here on the blog. I'm hoping some of you may join in the class as well.

This is our first assignment. It's a tough one.

We have to pick our One Book. Daughter and her classmates have to give a short speech about it, but we'll just write ours (see how I've just assumed you're all going to do your homework and tell me about your One Book—either that or I have a literate frog in my pocket).

Here's the assignment sheet copied from the teacher's webpage:

Most everyone can remember a book that had an impact on his or her life. Often this book is connected to a pleasurable experience. It could have been the first book you learned to read. It could have been a book that troubled you. An important book doesn’t necessarily have to be well loved. Think about your history as a reader. Recall a book that sticks out in your mind and complete the following:

Title: 

Author:

Give two reasons why the book is important to you (complete sentences):
1.

2. 

Daughter and I have been talking about this assignment all week. We fretted about how it seemed cruel to make us choose just one, but decided that choosing one does not mean it has to be the one forever. The One could even change for us a day/hour/minute/second after the assignment was due! The assignment isn't to pick one forever, but one for the moment.

We spent an entire evening in my office staring at my bookshelves and talking about all our favorite books there. We came up with criteria that we thought we might use to sift through the dozens of titles that we each LOVE.

Here were mine.

1. The book has to have characters that were well developed. But more than that, it has to have characters that I can love.

2. The book has to make an impact (good or bad) on my life.

3. The book has to have beautiful language and/or imagery.

4. The book has to be one that I want to read over and over. And more importantly, each time I read it, I need to get something new from the experience.

5. The book needs to leave me with a sense of hope.

There are many, many books that fit most of these, but only one that fits them all (or that has fit them all for the longest time).

Bet you all can guess it.

Title: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Author: Harper Lee

1. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee was the first book that when I finished reading it, I immediately thought two things: 

A) I want to go back and re-read the story immediately (this has happened only one other time—in nearly 40 years—with Jandy Nelson's I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN). 

B) I want to tell a story like this one day. 

I don't mean that I want to tell a story exactly like Lee's, but I want to share stories that make people both laugh and cry, that make them wonder and question the world, and that end (despite possibly tragedy) on a note of hopefulness. And I'll spend the rest of my life working to tell stories like Ms. Lee.

2. I've read this book more than any other book, and every single time I read it, the story changes, the characters grow, and I learn something about myself or the world—EVERY TIME. 

This book is my touchstone. The lessons I've learned from TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD come back to me almost daily in my life. And those lessons have informed many of the decisions I've made for myself at major crossroads along my journey. I owe a lot to the Finches and Maycomb (both its good and its bad). 

The overachiever in me wants to keep listing my reasons, but I'll stop for now. I think these two cover my love and respect for this story well enough (and I don't want to seem like a suck-up on my first assignment).

How about you, readers? What is your One Book? Why?