Only four?

How does an English teacher's daughter/lifelong reader/librarian choose only four books? 

1.  I don't know if there are words to explain what this book means to me.  Aslan was the first clear picture I had of Jesus.  The whole series is special to me, but The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe was the first image I had of being made for another world.  It gave me hope that there was a reason I didn't feel that I belonged here. 

I still cry every time I see Aslan onscreen in the movies.  Every time.

2.  Yes.  One of the clearest pictures of how one person who stands for truth can make a difference.  Although Atticus Finch's actions and beliefs didn't change the outcome for Tom Robinson, they taught his daughter the difference between right and wrong and good and evil.  Perhaps because I grew up in the South, Mockingbird was totally believable to me, even when I read it at the ripe old age of 12.  Scout's precocious ability to read, her dad's willingness to talk to her about most of anything and treat her like a person and not just a child -- it all felt familiar.  And true.

3.  If you have not read this book, log off your computer and go read it now. Don't even consider doing mission work until you read this.  If you've ever confused Christianity with Americanism, read this book.  If you want a beautifully told story from a female perspective -- FIVE female perspecives -- read this book.  It is a masterpiece. 

4.   Another must-read from my childhood.  Beautifully written -- an introduction to worlds beyond ours -- the knowledge that we are made for community and family and relationship, and yet we are individuals with worth and value simply because we are and are not like others.