Crafting Interpreters is probably the one that hits all the right notes for me. It's not dull, it's very hands on, it has excercises, it teaches you a very useful subject, it has illustrations, it's up to date, etc.

I really wish we could get more books like this one for other subjects.

The Little Schemer.

I haven’t read all if The Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, but what I read I really liked.

“A philosophy of Software Design”