Reading it Again (and again, and Again)

Is there a book on your shelf that you can't help going back to time and time again? That one book that even though your to-be-read pile is a mile high, you get it out and cozy up with it for a few days?

For me, it's usually Little Women or Harry Potter. It's generally this time of year that makes me want to go back to something familiar. Too often we read a book, put it back on the shelf and it either stays there for a long time, or gets put in the box for the next donation.  Obviously, I don't re-read every book I've read, but honestly I'd like to do it more often.  I watch my favorite movies time and time again, why not read my favorite books?

Students in my class often drift back to their favorite books. I know that feeling of wanting to encourage them to read other things and move past the books they've nearly memorized.  I think it's okay to keep suggesting things they might also like, but I think it's important to fall into a familiar book as many times as necessary.

I've not done the research, but it seems to me that when students re-read their favorite books, they can build a sense of story structure, character development, and find meaning in the book they didn't catch the first time around.  Most importantly, if a student is reading their favorite book, then they're reading!  I would never want to force a book on a kid only to have them lose interest.  Eventually they WILL read other things.  They WILL move on.  But how nice that they will always have that old favorite to find again when they need it.