Faculty Favorites

Dean Kathy McCartney and some of the master’s degree program directors shared their favorite children’s books.

Kathy McCartney, dean
Beyond the Milky Way by Cecile Schoberle
I loved reading my daughters this book because the illustrations and the language led them to imagine life beyond Earth, a thought that led them to make their own books.

Joe Blatt, Ed.M.’77, lecturer
Alphabet Dreams, written and illustrated by Judith Gwyn Brown
It combines rhythm, fantasy, and elaborate pen-and-ink drawings (many in color) into an elusive but captivating story world that helped my children learn letter and sound recognition. Loosely based on the jump rope rhyme:
D My name is Doris
And my husband’s name is Don.
We live under a dome
And we sell dreams.

Kurt Fischer, professor
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
One of my all-time favorites. Through whimsy it brings together the wonder and dread that pervade children’s lives everywhere.

Pamela Mason, M.A.T.’70, Ed.D.’75, lecturer
Honey, I Love by Eloise Greenfield
Eloise Greenfield presents poetry capturing the child’s world full of the wonder, joy, and love of family and friends. To quote my favorite lines, “I love a whole lot of things. And honey, I love you too.”

Judith McLaughlin, M.A.T.’71, Ed.D.’83, senior lecturer
Everything by Dr. Seuss
I never tired of reading his books to my kids. Special favorites are Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat, and The Lorax. Your question made me want to return to the children’s room of the library to check them out again.

Kay Merseth, M.A.T.’69, Ed.D.’82, senior lecturer
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Because it’s so well written.

Paul Reville, lecturer
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
It’s a wonderful, engaging tale with a magical plot, sadness, and frustration, a moral lesson on perils of “having it all,” and a happy, loving ending. As a parent, I loved the joyous family reunion that is the story’s climax.

Mandy Savitz-Romer, lecturer
The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco
I love the way the story of the quilt carries on the traditions of the past while also allowing for new traditions to be added. It is just a great story about the importance of family and where you came from.

Sally Schwager, Ed.M.’76, C.A.S.’78, Ed.D.’82, lecturer
The Tall Book of Make-Believe by Jane Werner with illustrations by Garth Williams
It was my favorite book as a child. First published in 1950 by Harper and Brothers, it now is rare and hard to find, but it still fascinates children, including my own when they were young.

About the Article

A version of this article originally appeared in the Fall 2007 issue of Ed., the magazine of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Respond to this story with an e-mail to the editor.