From: Susanna Reich <reichgolio>
Date: Fri, 26 May 2006 12:07:52 -0400

Hello friends, I'm enjoying this thread, too, and happy to see so many of my best-loved books on other people's lists. Like many others, some of my favorites as a young child were THE CARROT SEED, FERDINAND, and THE LITTLE RED LIGHTHOUSE, all of which feature protagonists who show a determination to be themselves and believe in themselves even if they think differently from the people around them. I also adored anything by A.A. Milne, but especially WHEN WE WERE VERY YOUNG because of the musicality and rhythm of the language and the quiet sense of humor. .

As an older reader I, too, was transfixed by A WRINKLE IN TIME, although I was disappointed to find that it didn't have nearly the same power when I re-read it as an adult. In junior high I was obsessed with the Tolkien books, and even went so far as to keep a notebook in Elvish. The Tolkien fantasy world which I shared with a few friends was a welcome respite from the horrible confusion of being 12 years old. At about the same time I read John Hirsey's HIROSHIMA, which really was a life-changing experience, and opened my eyes to the cruelty that people can inflict on each other. After that I read mainly adult books.

One other childhood reading experience that changed my life and that I don't think anyone has mentioned is maps. As a child (and to this day) I loved reading maps, a love inspired by a cross-country trip my family took when I was 7. I remember as a teenager cherishing the one afternoon a week when I got home before everyone else and could spend an hour or two leafing through the TIMES ATLAS OF THE WORLD and imagining myself in exotic places. Susanna Reich Children's Book Author

Penelope Bailey Takes the Stage (Marshall Cavendish) Jose! Born to Dance (Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster) Clara Schumann: Piano Virtuoso (Clarion)
Received on Fri 26 May 2006 11:07:52 AM CDT