Daily writing prompt

What book are you reading right now?

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I’m actually reading three books at the moment—two for school and one for myself—and each of them hits a different part of my heart.

1. To Kill a Mockingbird

My 8th graders are deep into To Kill a Mockingbird, which means I’m right there with them—for the eighth time. And the beautiful thing is that it never grows old. Every pass through Maycomb reveals something new: a detail I’d overlooked, a line that suddenly feels sharper, or a moment that hits harder because of the season of life I’m in. It remains one of the deepest, richest, most meaningful novels I’ve ever taught. Watching students encounter it for the first time, seeing them wrestle with its questions of justice and compassion—that’s a privilege I don’t take lightly.

2. The Odyssey

Over in 9th grade, we’re journeying through The Odyssey. This is only my second year teaching it, and already I’m discovering far more than I did last year. I’ve also been listening to a musical anthology called The Epic, which reimagines major moments in Odysseus’s long, winding journey home. Pairing the music with the text has given me a fresh appreciation for how wildly inventive this ancient story really is. It’s astonishing that something composed nearly three thousand years ago can still feel so alive, so imaginative, and so relevant.

3. The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come

And then there’s the book I’m reading just for me: The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come by John Fox. It’s more than a century old, written in the kind of lush, descriptive language you rarely see anymore. Fox paints people and places with such warmth that you almost feel the scenes unfolding around you.

The book carries a special weight for me because of how it first entered my life. After Mom and Dad divorced in late 1973, she moved us to Texas for about six months to live with my grandparents. One evening she opened the door of her old book cabinet—the same one I have in my bedroom today—and pulled out this very novel. Each night, she’d come into the room Jeff and I shared and read a chapter aloud. I was seven years old, but those moments stayed with me. I don’t think we ever finished the book before moving to Pennsylvania, and over the years I’ve started and stopped it more times than I can count. Not because the story wasn’t good, but because life has a way of interrupting even the things we love.

This time, though, I want to see it through. I want to know whether Chad reconciles with his friends from the South. Whether he ends up with Melissa or Margaret—or if someone new captures his heart. And what becomes of loyal Jack, the dog who deserves as much attention as any human in the story.

Books mean different things at different times in our lives. These three—one modern classic, one ancient epic, and one personal relic from childhood—are all speaking to me in their own ways right now. And honestly, that’s one of the best parts of reading: you never outgrow the stories that helped shape you.

Copyright © 2025 Doug DeBolt.