Department of Education, Special Education, and Social Work
Peggy Agee
"The Little Ballerina had such beautiful pictures that it just captured my attention. Also, the subject was ballet: a topic that inspired me as a clumsy little girl."
"I have so many favorites; I enjoy children's literature."
"I enjoy reading the Harry Potter books for myself and I enjoy reading Are You My Mother to children."
Lee Banton
"I liked the Brer Rabbit Series because I enjoyed the challenges he faced."
"I love all children's books, especially the Caldecott and Newberry Award Winners."
Audrey Church
"One of my favorites was The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton. I loved the story of the little house as a city grew up around her and the beautiful illustrations of the changing seasons."
"As I grew older, I began to like chapter books. The Laura Ingalls Wilder books were among my favorites. Another favorite that I discovered when my children were very small was Goodnight Moon."
Gayle Daly
"I loved the Nancy Drew mysteries, because of the sense of adventure that she portrayed."
"I love all the Stephen Kellogg books now. He's a great illustrator and he tells engaging stories that show lots of imagination."
Stephen Keith
"I can't remember the title but it had to do with a book about Rin Tin Tin, who was a dog that belonged to an orphan boy who lived with a bunch of soldiers in a fort in the 1800s in the far West. It was all about a boy and his dog doing incredible adventures in the West. Indians, floods, robbers, all of those kind of adventures that farm boys from southern Ohio just dream about! It has become a family joke and at Christmas last year, my parents found a reprint and gave it to me as a gift. I sat right down on Christmas morning and read it cover to cover again. Now, the small town seasoned male found it just as enjoyable, but for different reasons then he did 45 years ago."
Ruth Meese
"I loved the outdoors and outdoor adventure books like My Side of the Mountain, Island of the Blue Dolphins, and the Dr. Doolittle series."
"These are still among my favorites, but having a 6th grader as a daughter I've come to enjoy many contemporary authors she loves: Sharon Creech and Judy Blume."
Marilyn Osborn
"I enjoyed fairy tales like Cinderella and Snow White, because of the positive outcomes."
"I like books like The Little Engine that Could and various versions of The Gingerbread Man. Also, recently I have started to get an interest in books on phonetic awareness."
Lissa Power-deFur
"I enjoyed The Ox series and Make Way for Ducklings when I was a child. The Ox series has a wonderful story-line, the good always wins, and there are female heroes, so that is mainly why I liked it. Make Way for Ducklings has great illustrations. I got to visit the Boston Garden and see the swan boats in the story, so that was neat."
"Since I became a parent, I've become more partial to pre-school books;I especially love Good Night Moon and Momma, Do You Love Me?"
Jeannine Rajewski Perry
"I liked a non-fiction title, long since out of print, Beavers. The size, shape, and pictures made me like it; I loved everything about the book and I loved learning about animals and nature."
"Adventures of Robin Hood was also another favorite of mine, for many reasons but one reason was because my parents and I shot archery."
"There are far too many now for me to have a favorite though."
Barbara Riley
"I liked to figure out the mysteries of the Nancy Drew series."
"Currently, I enjoy the Harry Potter books because they are new and they appeal because of the mystery again. Additionally, Owl and Pussy Cat is a favorite because it stands the test of time."
James RIley
"McElligot's Pool by Dr. Seuss was one of my favorites because it touched on my love of the outdoors. When I was a teacher I would go into Kindergarten classes and read it to them dressed up in fishing gear."
Betty Jo Simmons
"The Boxcar series is my favorite and the favorite of my 7 year old grandson. It stresses taking responsibility for yourself which to me is vital."
"When I first began teaching, in 1960, the favorite book of my 5th graders was Rasmus and the Vagabond, which I also love."
Peggy Tarpley
"Because the main character was a young girl in a tragic situation, but also the mystery and compassion and the happy ending of The Secret Garden made it one of my many favorites."
"I just rediscovered Tuck Everlasting and I like the idea that sometimes what we wish for might not be what we really want."
"As a grandmother, I am also enthralled with many young children's books. Some favorites include The Spot series of pop-up books and Blue Ribbon Day by Katie Couric."
"When I was in school I started to make up books. I really wasn't good at reading but I was very good at covering it. I would write book reports on the books that I had made up and it wasn't until high school that one of my teachers called me on it."
--An Education Professor