Patch Picks Five Book Suggestions

Every week, Oakton Patch will run a weekly feature, highlighting editor and reader picks of great local businesses, destinations, services, organizations, ways to spend a day off, and more. 

Here are five book suggestions in celebration of Read Across America Day, which was celebrated this week.

Leave your own suggestions in the comments below.

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1. "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss

Why? After all, Read Across America Day is celebrated on Dr. Seuss' birthday. Pick up an old favorite and share it with your kids.

2. "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" by Tennessee Williams

Why? Because of this line from Maggie in the first act: "Silence about a thing just magnifies it. It grows and festers in silence, becomes malignant ..." It is, in my opinion, the most telling line from the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, which is about a family coming to terms with their own realities.

3. "John Adams" by David McCullough

Why? "John Adams" is easily one of my favorites. Though I'm a self-professed history nerd, I think the average student of American history can follow along, as well. It reads like a novel, and you come out of it thinking you know John Adams just as well as Abigail did.

4. "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister" by Gregory Maguire

Why? You've probably heard of "Wicked," whether the award-winning musical or the best-selling novel. Well, Maguire's best spin on an old fairy tale is the lesser-known "Confessions," where the story of Cinderella is retold with a focus on the stepsister, Iris.

5. "His Dark Materials" series by Philip Pullman

Why? You may have heard of the first book in this series, "The Golden Compass." The trilogy is a fantasy that follows 11-year-old Lyra. It's a great coming-of-age series for young adult readers who like books that take them on an adventure.