MY WORLD BOOK NIGHT TOP TEN .........

The first ever World Book Night is being held tonight. With events all over the UK (click HERE for listings) and on BBC2 TV this should be a fun night.

In order to celebrate I thought I'd post ..........

The top 10 books that have me reaching for the tissue box.

(In no particular order.)

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. A sentence from which is to be found on the header of my blog, this is a story all about a stuffed toy rabbit and his quest to become real. Beautifully written and illustrated - a must have book that never fails to have me in tears.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. All about the life and death of Eddie who, having died in an accident, finds himself in five 'other' heavens where he encounters 5 people who have affected his life whether he knows it or not.

In many ways such a simple little book, this is an extraordinarily beautiful story and so very profound in its own way.

Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck. Whilst many people came to know this book when studying it at school, I discovered it later in life and quickly realised that a box of tissues (man sized ones) were definitely needed.

The story of two migrant workers (George and Lennie) during the great depression in America, I defy anyone to read this without shedding a tear or two.

Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett. Not a huge fan of Terry Pratchett (I leave that to Husband dearest) I loved this, the third outing in the Tiffany Aching series of books,  and found it very moving. A traditional fairy-tale in many ways, Tiffany finds herself drawn into the dance that welcomes winter and finds herself face-to-face with the Wintersmith.

The Boy In The Blue Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne. A 'holocaust' story, this tells the tale of a young boy (Bruno, aged 9) who finds himself moving with his family to a place called 'Out-With' which just so happens to be the concentration camp Auschwitz. Written with children in mind, this is a wonderfully moving story that I'm sure will touch even the hardest of hearts.

The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore. That much beloved poem all about the night before Christmas when "Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse". Guaranteed to bring a lump to my throat, how sentimental am I?

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. The film of this was a childhood favourite of mine - I didn't read the book until  a much later date - and even today both never fail to move me to tears. A story of life and death - Wilbur is a pig who is saved from slaughter by an intelligent spider, the Charlotte of the title, and this is the resulting tale.

For One More Day by Mitch Albom. What is it about this author? So many of his books move me to such emotions.

A mortality tale of sorts, this tells of a suicidal baseball player (Chick) who gets to spend one more day with his mother .... who died eight years previously.

Balthazar Jones And The Tower Of London Zoo by Julia Stuart. This novel had me crying both tears of joy as well as tears of sadness. Meet Balthazar Jones who, struggling to cope after the death of his son, gets to look after the various animals now resident in the Tower Of London.

Rutka's Notebook - A Voice From The Holocaust. Not a huge fan of autobiographies/biographies or memoirs,  I had to have this book which as the cover explains is "The Long-Lost Diary of 14-Year-Old Rutka Laskier - The Polish Anne Frank." Moving in the extreme, I cannot understand why this is not as widely known as Anne Frank's Diary.

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. I'm pleased to say there were only tears of joy with this novella which chronicles what happens when Queen Elizabeth II (the uncommon reader of the title) becomes obsessed with a mobile library.

So, what are your top 10 books?