My Top Five Must-Have Books for Parents and their Kids

I love books. I have an obsession (just ask my husband, who bought me a Kindle so I would stop cluttering our house with all my book purchases). As an English teacher (I think I can still call myself that even though I am on parental leave), I truly believe that a love of reading is fostered at birth. The following is a list of my top five books that I think every parent should have (to read over and over to their children). These books are so incredibly sweet, and yes, I cry every single time I read them to my kids. Just ask my daughter (she told me next time we read Someday that she is going to be reading it to me because she wanted to make it through the book without me crying). The books are in no particular order and a brief synopsis is provided.

1. Someday by Alison McGhee

A touching tale about a mom who watches her daughter transform from a sweet little girl to a wonderful mother. It is a must-have for moms of girls. As I mentioned above, every time I read this to my daughter, I cry because it is so beautiful.

2. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch

This is a necessity for moms and their sons and even dads and daughters. The story is centered around a mother who sings, "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, / As long as I'm living / my baby you'll be," to her son even as he enters adulthood. Sadly, the mother passes away and the book ends with the son singing the song to his newborn daughter. I bought this book for my son, Noah, who is turning two, and absolutely fell in love. This past September, my son, Jonah, was born prematurely at twenty-nine weeks. He spent nine weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and I read this book to him every day (multiple times a day). I will always cherish this book and the memories it produces.

3. I Will Hold You 'til You Sleep by Linda Zuckerman

This is an incredibly moving book about the milestones in life as we move from birth to adulthood. This is a great book for both mothers and fathers of sons, as the story follows a boy from infancy until he becomes a dad.

4. On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman

This is an amazing and moving book. A teacher I work with gave me this book when Jonah finally came home. I had to stop reading midway through because I couldn't see through my tears. I love the book because the reader actually addresses the child to whom she is reading, letting the child know of all the amazing things that happened on the night the child was born. This book is for all parents of any gender, and I highly recommend it for parents of preemies. It will speak to you.

5. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

This is my six-years-old daughter's favorite book. It is about a tree who gives everything she has to a little boy (who eventually becomes a grown man) until she has given all of herself. It is a story about love and the giving of oneself that occurs when you have children. The book can be interpreted in numerous ways, and it truly grows with you as the children grow. It is a book that will be the source of much discussion as the child ages, and I actually use it in my classroom, too.

If you have kids, these books belong on your bookshelves (or if you have a husband like me, on your Kindle, or Nook, or whatever eBook reader you have).