This weekly book meme is brought by Top 5 Wednesday on Goodreads.
Teachers are some of the most important figures in our lives--especially when we're young and impressionable and even more so when our home lives are hard and school becomes our safe space.
I was very lucky to have some incredible teachers and, as a reader, love books that understand this relationship, and am so happy that this week's Top 5 Wednesday is about our favorite teachers and mentors in literature! I loved going down memory lane and revisiting some of my old faves. I'll be honest upfront, however: Most of the figures called out in this list are a little unconventional?
As usual, no Harry Potter characters are on this list because if they were, there wouldn't be much more! I'm also including only teachers and mentors in literature--otherwise you'd definitely find characters like Dr. Miranda Bailey and Rupert Giles included in this post.
Do any of these characters make your list?
Miss Honey - Matilda
Miss Honey is probably the sweetest teacher to ever grace the pages of a novel, and exactly what Matilda needs.
Miss Stacy - Anne of Green Gables
Another of the best, Miss Stacy reminds Anne that tomorrow is always another day. (And, for the record Anne herself could have/should have probably ended up on this list.)
Haymitch - The Hunger Games
I know he's a total turn from the previous two, and I probably liked him a more in the movies (TBH, I liked most everything more in the movies), but I'll always have a soft spot for Haymitch. While he's got a ton of his own issues to work through, and isn't necessarily a figure to want to emulate, he's a pretty compelling mentor.
Rowan - Heir of Fire
Another turn from the traditional "mentor" role, I loved Rowan in Heir of Fire, and loved watching the relationship between he and Aelin develop over this novel.
Baghra - Grisha trilogy
Baghra is one of my favorite characters in the Grisha trilogy. She's flawed and fragile, and a force to be reckoned with. She's also pretty hilarious. And tragic. Is she a good teacher, on top of all that? I think so!