Don't Make Me Choose!

 by Jody Feldman

Each morning I find myself contemplating an ever-changing list of things I'm grateful for. While it always starts with family and friends, it may include such wide-ranging thoughts as puffy clouds, warm chocolate chip cookies, comfortable shoes, fresh metaphors, a stranger's smile, or the fact that the song currently playing in my mind is actually one I like.

No problem with that, right? The problem only creeps up when we get to the most fun part of school visits: Q&A. It rarely fails. One kiddo or another will ask, "What/who is your favorite—"  I want to stop them right there. Truth is, I don't have a single favorite anything. I love lots of things, and that list frequently changes. 

When they ask about my favorite color, for example, I'll explain my affinity for combinations, like fire colors of red/orange/white, perfect-day colors of spring green/deep sky blue, the slightly offbeat yellow/purple combination; or even that I love the word cerulean, the way it bounces off the tongue. For food, I might mention (at least, today) pizza, watermelon, enchiladas, fried chicken, panang curry, mashed potatoes, chicken piccata, a good burger, the happiness that lives inside cookies, and and and...

However, when they ask about favorite books and authors -- especially, which ones inspire me -- I've actually come up with an answer. It takes the form of ever-changing, ever-growing slides. (Yay, PowerPoint!)

So, this month, surprise! I will not highlight an author or a book or even a genre that I'm grateful for. Instead, I'll share just two of my presentation slides with you. Each book here holds a certain magic for me. And sometimes, magic is better left unexplained.*

*If you'd really like to know the whys behind a title or two, though, happy to explain. Just ask.