Remember how fun reading was as a kid? You would beg your parents to read just one more book before you went to bed. You wished so bad that you could read the books yourself. Now that you can read all by yourself, those books seem childish. What is the point in reading them again? Well, you may not have realized this as a kid, but there are some really great life lessons to be learned from those books.

Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

This has got to be one of the most inspirational books written by Dr. Seuss. This book is written in second person, so the audience is the main character. The plot of the story is about all the places you will go and the things you can do in your life. This book is often given out as a graduation present to inspire high school graduates as they go off to college. It also talks about something called The Waiting Place which is a metaphor for being in a rut in life and not knowing what to do. Good quotes from the book include: “You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” “Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.” “And will you succeed? Yes! You will, Indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)”

The Little Engine That Could

This is a well known story written by Watty Piper. The story is about a long train that is being pulled over a steep mountainside. Many trains are asked to help pull it over the mountain and they all refuse. Finally, a smaller train is asked and because he is optimistic, he decides to try. It is hard for him but he chugs along saying, “I think I can, I think I can!” He ends up succeeding and helps get the train over the mountain. Students should never give up hope and should always be thinking “I think I can!”

Horton Hears a Who

Another Dr. Seuss classic, this story teaches how you should not judge people. Everyone matters. Horton, an elephant hears a speck of dust with people on it. He decides he must do all he can to save them. Although everyone is against him, he proves them all wrong and saves a whole city of creatures. Even though someone may seem small and insignificant, they matter. Everyone is important no matter what they look like, or how they come off to be.
Significant quotes include: “Don’t give up! I believe in you all. A person’s a person, no matter how small.” “So, open your mouth, lad! For every voice counts!”

The Giving Tree

This is a very inspirational story of a boy who finds a tree and becomes good friends with it. He uses the tree all throughout his life. For shade, apples, and branches to swing on. When the boy grows older, he uses the tree for many other things and then as an ultimate sacrifice, the tree lets the man cut him down. The tree says he is happy because the boy needs him. In the very end, the man just needs a stump to rest on and so the tree provides just like it always has. After all that was said and done, “The tree was happy.”

Meagan Hollman is a writer for MyCollegesandCareers.com. My Colleges and Careers helps people determine if an online education is right for them and helps them understand which colleges are the best online colleges for them and their specific situation.

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