I would say mine is the Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. My teacher read it to the class in third/fourth grade and I fell in love with it. It might be because I loved dolls and stuff like that and related to Abilene. I loved seeing Edward going on all of this adventures and I believed for the longest time that he was like a character in Toy Story. I think my favorite part was when he was with this brother and sister. Although many people don’t like it due to its non-kid friendly topics (abuse, manipulation, death),the book just reminds me a simpler time in my life and when I just started to realize reading was fun.
The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley: 10 year old me, parents recently divorced, living in a new state, going to a new school, lost and alone. I LOVED reading and was an avid reader. Each week, when the class went to the library, the librarian would have a few books that were her recommendations. She would draw a number out of a hat, whichever number came up, the corresponding student had the option to come choose one of her recommendations.
One week, about halfway through the school year, she specifically mentioned to me that there was a book that she thought I would like: The Hero and the Crown. She reached into the hat, she pulled out a slip of paper, she looked at the list of names and she called mine. I picked up The Hero and the Crown and after I read it and read the struggles of the protagonist I felt so SEEN and understood.
It made such a HUGE impact on me and I hate that I can’t even remember the librarian’s name. But she saw me, she understood me, and she gave me my perfect comfort read of all time. Also, I suspect it was not actually my number that she pulled from the hat. She saw a need and she filled it.