Top 100 Inspirational Books: 80 - 61

79 - Love You Forever

As a mother cradles her newborn boy, she softly sings, “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.” So begins Robert Munsch’s simple yet beautifully moving portrait of what it means to be both a parent and a child. At the end of the story, the grown son now cradles his dying mother and sings to her, “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my Mommy you’ll be.” But the story doesn’t end on a sad note, as the son goes home to his new baby girl. He cradles her in his arms the same way his mother held him, completing the circle. Even though the journey of life and death can be bittersweet, the book effortlessly captures the beauty and joy of it.

~ Evan Derrick

Purchase "Love You Forever" here.

78 - To Heal a Fractured World

In To Heal a Fractured World, Rabbi Sacks (the chief rabbi of Great Britain) has written a book on the ethics of responsibility that will appeal to both Jews and non-Jews alike. Based on the idea that God has invited all of us to be partners in creation, Sacks forms an ethic in which we are called to responsibility for the world in which we live. Drawing on the Bible, Jewish Law, and theology -- as well as philosophy, psychology and ethicists from other cultures -- to show that we "are here to make a difference, to mend the fractures in the world, a day at a time, an act at a time, for as long as it takes to make it a place of justice and compassion".

~ Malachi Kosanovich, author of the blog "On the Doorposts of My House"

Purchase "To Heal a Fractured World" here.

75 - The Prophet

Kahlil Gibran is considered the third bestselling poet of all time, behind Shakespeare and Lao Tzu, primarily for his 1923 collection of philosophical poems called The Prophet. In it a wandering prophet imparts his simple wisdom to fellow travelers on subjects as diverse as clothing, marriage, crime, and religion. The wise simplicity of Gibran’s words is what has made the book a worldwide beloved classic. Here are his thoughts on marriage, so you can see why so many have been inspired by him:

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore. You shall be together when white wings of death scatter your days.

Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God. But let there be spaces in your togetherness,

And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love:

Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.

Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,

Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.

For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together:

For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

~ Evan Derrick

Purchase "The Prophet" here.

74 - Gandhi An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments With Truth

Mohandas Gandhi was the leader of the Indian Independence movement, and over time he has become a quintessential figure for civil rights. His intense passion for non-violent revolution and his leadership inspired his people and other movements across the globe. His autobiography, written during the heart of his career, recounts those struggles while also giving many of his personal reasons for his approach the situation. It is a layered account of an incredible life, and one that will continue to be an influence for lifetimes to come.

~ Stephen Russ

Purchase "Gandhi An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments With Truth" here.

73 - Stranger in a Strange Land

Master science-fiction author Robert Heinlein tells the story of a boy, Valentine Michael Smith, raised on Mars by Martians and his attempts to adapt to bewildering, deceitful humans and their baffling culture. The son of the first astronauts to the planet Mars and orphaned when they died, Smith is raised by deeply spiritual Martians, who possess full control over their minds and bodies. Twenty years later, Smith is “rescued” by a second expedition and returns to earth immensely wealthy, the heir to his mother’s patent for an interplanetary engine – but becomes a political pawn in government and cultural struggles. He frightens authorities with his mystical abilities, superhuman intelligence and childlike trust. He sees little point in such niceties as clothing and attempts to teach humans how to understand the universe – by being a part of it. A cult classic and bestseller, this parable has dark overtones as the young hero achieves near-godhood and immortality, and mocks humanity’s materialistic, media-driven world. A troubling book, A Stranger in a Strange Land inspires the reader to reconsider such human concepts as war and jealousy and humanly twisted organized religion.

~ Rob Kerby

Purchase "Stranger in a Strange Land" here.

72 - A Return to Love

Author Marianne Williamson took A Course in Miracles and brought it into the modern world with her book A Return to Love. In the book, Williamson shares how the wisdom she drew from Miracles changed her life by rejecting fear and the behaviors based in fear. It is from A Return to Love that Williamson gave her most inspiring message that became an often quoted piece of advice: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

~ Jennifer Jones

Purchase "A Return to Love" here.

71 - The Imitation of Christ

The Imitation of Christ originated in its original Latin in 1418, going on to be one of the most widely read spiritual devotionals. It is made up of four books of lessons, each intended to guide the reader with spiritual instruction. The text was popular from the start, with hundreds of copies surfacing before the age of the printing press and spreading well beyond the small pious movement that Thomas a Kempis was a part of. The text though, is as uplifting as it is interesting. It truly captures a time of great spirituality in certain parts of the church, and has stood the test of time.

~ Stephen Russ

Purchase "The Imitation of Christ" here.

69 - The Scarlet Letter

In The Scarlet Letter the main character Hester Prynne has an illegitimate baby girl named Pearl in the ugliness of the Puritan community. She was tried by the elders after committing adultery and sentenced to wear a scarlet letter. Prynne never revealed the man she had an affair with for his own sake of his position in the church. The character preserves against all odds of discrimination, hate and threats to become a respected member of community. After years of derision, members of that same community asked Prynne to remove the “A” for good while she served the community by sowing and aiding the poor. Prynne continued to wear the letter until she died.

~ Corine Gatti

Purchase "The Scarlet Letter" here.

68 - You Are Special

I was lucky enough to travel to Ghana in 2007 as part of an American Christian ministry team. We were invited by the Lutheran Church of Ghana and traveled throughout the country to schools, churches, and villages. One of the special memories that remains with me is when we read You Are Special to the local children while we were in a small town. This book, written by Max Lucado, tells the heartwarming story of Eli the Woodcarver who loves Punchinello – an ugly and unique character who doesn’t always feel special or loved.

The message of this book - that no matter what others think of you, you are still loved by God – is such a powerful message to share, especially with children. It was a privilege to use this book to help Ghanaian children know that they are beautiful the way they are, and that God loves them very much.

~ Jana Melpolder

Purchase "You Are Special" here.

67 - Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

Written and illustrated by Virginia Lee Burton and originally published in 1939, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel is a book about the power of friendship, hard work, and the how life can continue to be purposeful even when your reason for living has apparently disappeared.

Mike and his steam shovel, Mary Anne, are being outclassed by the newer diesel powered diggers, so they travel to a small town where their services may be useful again. There they discover work and a unique challenge, but not the life they originally envisioned.

Having read this to my own children, it’s amazing that a 70 year old book about steam shovels can still both entertain and resonate with in a meaningful way. Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel is a timeless classic that will inspire children and parents for generations to come.

~ Evan Derrick

Purchase "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel" here.

66 - Twilight

There’s a reason why this debut novel by an unknown author became a worldwide bestseller and turned into an equally popular movie franchise (see Beliefnet's Spiritual Lessons of Twilight here!). Twilight is more than a teenage vampire story. It speaks to the inner longings of everyone to be loved fiercely. In the book, the ordinary Bella has her normal life is turned inside out when she meets and falls in love with Edward, a vampire. He devotes himself to her fully, protecting her at all costs from the ravenous pursuit of other vampires. Everyone wants to be loved the way Edward loves Bella, and fantasy though it may be, Twilight makes you believe it can actually come true.

~ Jennifer Jones

Purchase "Twilight" here.

64 - Pride and Prejudice

I heard it said that women want to be Elizabeth and men fall in love with her: virtuous, strong, independent, fiery, dignified. She stands out beyond her circumstance. Sure, she speaks her mind when decorum would indicate she should not, but she rises in her dignity. She holds her own in the highest social circles, despite the fact that her mother is obnoxious and class-less or that her younger sisters run wild. She knows who she is and won't be demeaned by anyone. She challenges Mr. Darcy, but she inspires him too.

So, why do all fall in love with Mr. Darcy? When he realizes he is in love with Elizabeth, he owns her pain. Her family heartache and scandal becomes his. He storms off into the night to do everything in his power to rescue her sister and save her family from the shame that will come from her sisters' indiscretions. His character awakens my very own desire to be so loved by a man of that kind of character.

You're rooting for truth to come to light and true love to win out over all of their flaws, the social constraints, their pride and their prejudices.

~ Ivette Diaz

Purchase "Pride and Prejudice" here.

63 - A Separate Peace

A Separate Peace is a guy book by John Knowles. It relates the love-hate rivalry of boarding school 16-year-olds Gene and Finny. Quiet and intellectual, Gene broods in the shadow of his polar opposite, the extroverted, carefree and athletic Finny -- against a backdrop of World War II. Among Finny's crazy ideas is to create a "Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session" with Gene and himself as charter members – and an initiation rite of jumping into the Devon River from a large, high tree. As Finny and Gene are about to jump, Gene purposely jounces the branch they are standing on, causing Finny to fall and shatter his leg – ending the sports career that is so vital to him. Did Gene really shake the branch? Did he hate Finny or love him? Can a 16-year-old know for sure? Not an easy read, this novel inspires the reader to consider those dark sides of who we are -- which we all would rather never admit.

~ Rob Kerby

Purchase "A Separate Peace" here.

62 - The Education of Little Tree

This memoir style tale of a young boy being raised by his Cherokee grandparents was first given to me by my grandfather at age 10. Having been raised by my grandparents, I was immediately engaged with the story. This beautifully crafted tale is a great read for all ages. It's a guidebook for how to be a good person, son and parent. The book is rich with Native American culture but speaks loudly on how we should value tradition, simple living and work toward the common good. The pace of the book echos the pace of life itself. We start with wonderment, detail, excitement but, in the end, we all end the same place.

When my own grandfather died, I read The Education of Little Tree again. Just like the pacing of the book, his life came to an abrupt but peaceful end but I'm left with all he taught me. When he became ill, I became his Little Tree and absorbed every ounce of wisdom from him I could. It's a book I read often, and like Little Tree, I always learn something new about life. It's a rare kind of book that can educate, entertain and inspire.

~ Ash Greyson

Purchase "The Education of Little Tree" here.

61 - The Sneetches and Other Stories

This collection of short tales by Dr. Seuss show just how brilliant the author truly was. He managed to take a nonsensical story about imaginary creatures named Sneetches who are obsessed with belly stars and a unscrupulous salesman named Sylvester McMonkey McBean, and turn it into a thought-provoking morality tale about prejudice, conformity, materialism, and ethics. It’s that effortless combination of lightheartedness and seriousness that ensures I, and millions of other parents like me, will be reading The Sneetches and Other Stories to our children for years to come.

~ Evan Derrick

Purchase "The Sneetches and Other Stories" here.