Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Loved So Much I Had to Get a Copy for My Personal Library
There’s all sorts of criteria for adding a book to my personal library. Sometimes, I’ve met the creators and want to support their work. Other times, I’ve fallen in love with their work after discovering it on my own. But, all of these are books I loved so much I had to get a copy for my personal library. Working in a library, I more often than not tend to borrow books to read rather than buying them myself. My bookshelves are already overflowing at home which leaves very little room for even more titles. But, these ten books left a mark on my heart and mind. And for that reason are given the importance of being added to my own personal library.
What makes you decide to buy a book rather than borrow?
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Books I Loved So Much I Had to Get a Copy for My Personal Library
The Benefits of Being and Octopus
by Ann Braden
Some people can do their homework. Some people get to have crushes on boys. Some people have other things they’ve got to do.
Seventh-grader Zoey has her hands full as she takes care of her much younger siblings after school every day while her mom works her shift at the pizza parlor. Not that her mom seems to appreciate it. At least there’s Lenny, her mom’s boyfriendâthey all get to live in his nice, clean trailer.
At school, Zoey tries to stay under the radar. Her only friend Fuchsia has her own issues, and since they’re in an entirely different world than the rich kids, it’s best if no one notices them.
Zoey thinks how much easier everything would be if she were an octopus: eight arms to do eight things at once. Incredible camouflage ability and steady, unblinking vision. Powerful protective defenses.
Unfortunately, she’s not totally invisible, and one of her teachers forces her to join the debate club. Even though Zoey resists participating, debate ultimately leads her to see things in a new way: her momâs relationship with Lenny, Fuchsia’s situation, and her own place in this town of people who think they’re better than her. Can Zoey find the courage to speak up, even if it means risking the most stable home she’s ever had?
Booked
by Kwame Alexander
Twelve-year-old Nick learns the power of words as he wrestles with problems at home, stands up to a bully, and tries to impress the girl of his dreams. Helping him along are his best friend and sometimes teammate Coby, and The Mac, a rapping librarian who gives Nick inspiring books to read.
This electric and heartfelt novel-in-verse bends and breaks as it captures all the thrills and setbacks, action and emotion of a World Cup match.
Chasing Vermeer
by Blue Balliett
When a book of unexplainable occurrences brings Petra and Calder together, strange things start to happen: Seemingly unrelated events connect; an eccentric old woman seeks their company; an invaluable Vermeer painting disappears. Before they know it, the two find themselves at the center of an international art scandal, where no one is spared from suspicion. As Petra and Calder are drawn clue by clue into a mysterious labyrinth, they must draw on their powers of intuition, their problem solving skills, and their knowledge of Vermeer. Can they decipher a crime that has stumped even the FBI?
Dear Girl
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Paris Rosenthal, illustrated by Holly Gatam
Dear Girl, is a love letter written for the special girl in your life; a gentle reminder that sheâs powerful, strong, and holds a valuable place in the world.
Through Amy and Parisâs charming text and Holly Hatamâs stunning illustrations, any girl reading this book will feel that she’s great just the way she isâwhether she enjoys jumping in a muddy puddle, has a face full of freckles, or dances on table tops.
Dear Girl, encourages girls to always be themselves and to love who they areâinside and out.
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library
by Chris Grabenstein
When Kyle Keeley learns that the world’s worldâs most famous game maker, Luigi Lemoncello, has designed the townâs new library and is having an invitation-only lock-in on opening night, Kyle is determined to be there! But the tricky part isnât getting into the libraryâitâs getting out. Because when morning comes, the doors stay locked. Kyle and the other kids must catch every clue and solve every puzzle to find the hidden escape route!
Explorers of the Wild
by Cale Atkinson
Boy and Bear both love to explore the outdoors. There are so many neat things to see, and so many strange things to find. These explorers are prepared for anything . . . except each other!
When Bear and Boy meet in the woods, they’re scared at first. Really scared. But soon these kings of the wild realize that no mountain is too big to conquer if you have a friend to climb it by your side.
The Jumbies
by Tracey Baptiste
Corinne La Mer claims she isnât afraid of anything. Not scorpions, not the boys who tease her, and certainly not jumbies. Theyâre just tricksters made up by parents to frighten their children. Then one night Corinne chases an agouti all the way into the forbidden forest, and shining yellow eyes follow her to the edge of the trees. They couldnât belong to a jumbie. Or could they?
When Corinne spots a beautiful stranger at the market the very next day, she knows something extraordinary is about to happen. When this same beauty, called Severine, turns up at Corinneâs house, danger is in the air. Severine plans to claim the entire island for the jumbies. Corinne must call on her courage and her friends and learn to use ancient magic she didnât know she possessed to stop Severine and to save her island home.
Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast
by Josh Funk, illustrated by Brendan Kearney
Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast have a beautiful friendshipâuntil they discover that thereâs only one drop of maple syrup left! The race is ON! Off they go, racing past the Orange Juice Fountain, skiing through Sauerkraut Peak, and reeling down the linguini.Â
Â
But who will enjoy the sweet taste of victory? And could working together be better than tearing each other apart? Â
The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James
by Ashely Herring Blake
When Sunny St. James receives a new heart, she decides to set off on a “New Life Plan”: 1) do awesome amazing things she could never do before, 2) find a new best friend, and 3) kiss a boy for the first time.
Her “New Life Plan” seems to be racing forward, but when she meets her new best friend Quinn, Sunny questions whether she really wants to kiss a boy at all. With the reemergence of her estranged mother, Sunny begins a journey to becoming the new Sunny St. James.
This sweet, tender novel dares readers to find the might in their own hearts.
Wonderstruck
by Brian Selznick
In this groundbreaking tour de force, Caldecott Medalist and bookmaking pioneer Brian Selznick sails into uncharted territory and takes readers on an awe-inspiring journey. Ben and Rose secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother’s room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing.Set fifty years apart, these two independent stories–Ben’s told in words, Rose’s in pictures–weave back and forth with mesmerizing symmetry. How they unfold and ultimately intertwine will surprise you, challenge you, and leave you breathless with wonder. Rich, complex, affecting, and beautiful–with over 460 pages of original artwork–Wonderstruck is a stunning achievement from a gifted artist and visionary.
If youâre interested in purchasing any of the titles above from my list of Books I Loved So Much Had to Get a Copy for My Personal Library, please use my affiliate links for Amazon or Bookshop. When you purchase from the links above, I will earn a commission as an affiliate.
The Artsy Reader Girl currently hosts Top Ten Tuesday, an original feature created by The Broke and the Bookish.
6 Comments
masterspj
One of the biggest deciding factors for me when it comes to buying books (other than price) is if it is a book I can’t find at my library. I understand libraries have limited budgets, and therefore can’t buy a copy of every book out there.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/popular-books-that-are-on-my-dnf-list/
lydiaschoch
I havenât read any of these books yet. Itâs always cool to find TTT posts that introduce you to new books. đ
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-books-i-loved-so-much-i-had-to-get-a-copy-for-my-personal-library/
Brenda
What a wonderful list of books. Surprisingly I’ve read quite a few of them too! The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James
is new to me, will need to check that one out.
iloveheartlandx
I’ve not read any of these, but I’m glad you enjoyed them all so much that you wanted copies for your personal library.
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2022/09/06/top-ten-tuesday-384/
Susan
I love to support my favorite authors, too, but sometimes books are just SO DANG EXPENSIVE that I hesitate to shell out all that cash, especially when I already have tons of books on my shelves. #booknerdproblems
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Marianne Maurer
They look like some nice books. Except for Chasing Vermeer which I read with my sons, I haven’t read any of them. Or even heard of them. But I think most of them were published after my kids were grown up.
Thanks for visiting my TTT this week.