WOODLAND HILLS — The countdown is on to the first day of sharp pencils and back-to-school backpacks. But you still have time to reconnect with your children — and your own childhood — through a favorite read that has influenced your life.

Your kids will love seeing and sharing this goofy side of you. I told my daughter about how, in my youth, I had pleaded with my older sister to read her collection of Nancy Drew books. My sister had worked hard to collect all 50, in numerical order, with their trademark yellow spines.

Then, just a month ago, my daughter and I found a similar yellow-spined collection at Costco. Delighted, we’ve been gobbling them up like mints.

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Book Matters: Young adult novels moms and daughters will love

Feel like you and your teenage daughter have little in common? Bridge the gap by meeting over some good books. This week in the Book Matters column, discover six fabulous young adult books you will both love.

I’ve divulged my experience with another favorite, "Harriet the Spy" by Louise Fitzhugh, about a young girl who plays detective and learns of life along the way. After I had read this book, I only ate tomato sandwiches, took my family’s fingerprints with a paint set and began writing in a journal (a habit which has continued for more than 35 years). I would also sneak around the house, hide in closets and record things like, “She is brushing her hair.”

These "keeper" kind of books beg to be shared with your family. Mainly because they aren’t just fun to read but also subtly share moral life principles.

During one of my tough preteen summers, my parents bought "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster. The young, bored protagonist suddenly finds a purple tollbooth in his room. He uses a magical miniature motor car to enter a different world, visiting fabulous lands like Dictionopolis (where they literally eat their words) and the Doldrums (and how to get out of them). As the boy goes on an unexpected quest, he learns lessons through his choices. After landing on the Island of Conclusions, he asks how he got there. The others reply, "Why, of course, you jumped." He goes on to learn — without lectures — what happens when we jump to conclusions in life.

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When you share these literal favorites, your children will begin to find and share some with you. One of my sons loves "The Star Wars Cookbook: Wookie Cookies and Other Galactic Recipes" by Robin Davis. With tasty recipes for Hoth Chocolate and Boba Fett-ucine, you can’t miss. My non-foodie son made Galaxy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Yoda Soda for the entire family. Not only was he learning to cook something new, he chose the recipes, listed the ingredients and shopped for them at the store. That’s about five life skills right there, which translates into Stellar Galactic Parent.

What’s been a keeper read in your life? Do your children know that book or share your love of it? Maybe this week, pull out a big blanket, grab a snack and gather everyone to read aloud. Some of our favorites, and that work for families with varying ages of children, are books like "Superfudge," the Ramona series and "June B. Jones."

If you’re not sure about a great fit, try Jim Trelease's classic, "The Read Aloud Handbook," for hundreds of age-appropriate recommendations. Once we begin reading, even my too-manly teenagers get into. My oldest sons had us rolling with their goofy voices for the Herdmans in Barbara Robinson’s, "The Best School Year Ever" (and you didn’t hear that from me).

Connie Sokol is a mother of seven, a national and local presenter, Education Week speaker, and TV contributor on KSL’s “Studio 5”. She is the author of "Faithful, Fit & Fabulous," "Caribbean Crossroads," "Motherhood Matters," and "Life is Too Short for One Hair Color." Visitwww.conniesokol.comfor more.

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