I am admittedly, an avid reader of children's literature.  I have read many children's books that have stuck with me. You know those books that really make you think, question things, relate to situations you have experienced, and sometimes bring tears to your eyes. Even though I am no longer a general classroom teacher, I encourage students to develop a love of reading. Here's a list of books that me and my former students have fallen in love with over the years:

Sahara Special by Esme Raji Codell

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor (and other books in series)

Sir Cumference series by Cindy Neuschwander

Ida B... and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt

Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff

Joey Pigza Loses Control by Jack Gantos (and others in the series)

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

I Have Lived a Thousand Years by Livia Bitton-Jackson

Rules by Cynthia Lord

Flying Solo by Ralph Fletcher

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia (and others in the series)

So B. It by Sarah Weeks

As Simple as it Seems by Sarah Weeks

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper

The Hidden Girl: A True Story of the Holocaust by Lola Rein Kaufman

Because of Anya by Margaret Peterson Haddix

All of the Above by Shelley Pearsall

When in doubt, look for Newbery Honor books at the appropriate reading level. Don't overlook picture books. Some of them are wonderful for teaching morals and life lessons. One of my favorite authors, Patricia Polacco, is a brilliant author and illustrator of picture books.