An Open Book: Coming of Age in the Heartland, by Michael Dirda. Delightfully written, and it will tweak lots of memories for those of us of a certain age. It was on my son's school reading list (high school senior)--he loved it, so he urged me to read it. Dirda is about as literate as they come, and this is a sort of "my life as a reader"; which could be deadly dull, but in fact is quite the opposite. Another nice feature: no matter how big your vocabulary, you will encounter here at least a few unfamiliar words, artfully deployed. Dictionary time! When you finish the book, be prepared to feel sorry; and when you return it to the library, don't be surprised if you miss the author's company. Mary Jane

The book that is going around in our town in Inkheart by {Corneila} Funke. I love it because of the premise - that you can read something aloud so well that it becomes real. If you haven't read the story, the girls father, 8 years ago, was reading a book aloud. And evil stuff came out of the book into the world we live in. And his wife was sucked back into the world of the book. It's a combination of the fabulous reader the father was and the wonderful way the book was written. He will never read aloud again. But now, 8 years later, the girl is able to do the same thing - and she sets out to find the man who wrote the first book and have him write changes into it, so she can read the world right again. Andrea

I have enjoyed reading aloud to my son since he was very young (he's 11 now)..and we both still enjoy it as a bedtrime ritual. Here are some of the books we have enjoyed : The Messenger, The Giver and Gathering Blue... somewhat of a trilogy by Lois Lowry. Not for the very young...a little heavy at times .I would say 11 and older. Also, Hoot by {Carl}Hiasson is good, especially for young people interested in protecting wildlife and who love a good mystery. My son's favorite book to be heard aloud is The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. We never tire of it, nor of its lessons for living. I could go on and on, as by now you can tell I am a book lover, but I will stop here (only briefly) and close with a book recommendation for adult readers. In a nutshell? Anything by Ann Lamott. She is the best. Linda B.

My favorite book is the bunny book. It's really big and has lots of stories about animals and I ask for it every night. Mommy says it's a collection of Beatirix Potter stories, but I just know I like it. I really like Goodnight Gorilla and 10 Minutes to Bedtime by Peggy Rathmann. Daddy likes reading One fish, two fish! {Dr. Seuss}. Kevin (age 2)

My 9-year-old son has just finished the fifth book of the Harry Potter series {Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}. He is currently reading The Horse and His Boy which is part of the "Chronicles of Narnia" series by C.S. Lewis. My 12- year-old daughter is currently reading Les Miserables. {by Victor Hugo} Both of them really enjoy your work. We listen to your tapes on the road trips we take to see Dad. It really helps to pass the time, and when we get home, they want to listen to them again every time we get in the car. Thanks, Susan

I'm a fan who's enjoyed your stories for years--live, on tape, and firmly imprinted in memory. Also wanted to tell you how much I enjoy knowing what you're reading. I also found Austerlitz {by W.G. Sebald} strangely haunting. Middlesex {by Jeffrey Euginides} carried me along, but I got tired of the tone, which seemed self-indulgent. I just finished Jose Saramago's new novel,The Double. Not as compelling a premise as The Cave or Blindness, but interesting, with a zinger of an ending. Another recent favorite: The Song of Names by Norman Lebrecht. A beautifully told tale. Leah

What we’re reading. Sidney and I just finished the latest Tamora Pierce book, Trickster’s Queen, we both loved it, Sid is 12, and I’m 41. Tamora Pierce is one of Sidney’s favorite authors. I also highly recommend The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey as an adult book. Isaac (7) is just getting into The Borrowers {by Mary Norton}, which we read before bed. Before that we were into Mrs. Piggle Wiggle {by Betty MacDonald}, and Raggedy Ann and Andy {by Johnny Gruelle}. Sidney is re-reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy for the umpteenth time, and some Harry Potter Prequel’s he found on the web written by fans, as well as all the sci-fi fantasy he can get his hands on. Shari Lynn

Adult Book picks - The Dogs of Babel {by Carolyn Parkhurst} and The Mysterious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (Dog themes are a coincidence) Laura

recently, my daughter (4th grader) read Avi’s The Good Dog a wonderful story told from the dog’s point of view… Helen