The Secret Garden. By Frances Hodgson Burnett. "I loved this book as a child because, like Mary, the book's protagonist, I was an ex-pat. (Mary was born in Bombay, and was a stranger to England.) Like Mary, too, I had a terrible temper. 'The Secret Garden' gave me a lot of hope, because despite Mary's temper and despite that she was a newcomer, she got wonderful friends -- and the key to a secret garden."

Winnie the Pooh. By A.A. Milne. "My mother read this to me, and I loved the poems in it -- and I still do. The rhymes are so wonderful. And you can identify with all the characters: bumbling Pooh, melancholy Eeyore, bouncing Tigger. Every child is each of those at times. The book is so funny, too."

The Yearling. By Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. "This was the first book my mother ever gave me for myself. We had five kids in our family, so we shared books -- I had none of my own. It's such a sad book, and it stretched my imagination. It had a big effect on me."

The Scarlet Pimpernel. By Baroness Emmuska Orczy. "This book touched my romantic side. I read it when I was 13 and just full of romance. Plus it's a wonderful adventure story."

Where the Wild Things Are. By Maurice Sendak. "This is a book I've read to my own kids. I loved it so. I was a child without a knack for virtue, so I can see how this book is so comforting to many children. The book's message is that children can go where the wild things are, and sometimes do bad things, yet still come back and everything is okay -- the supper is still warm on the table."

Charlotte's Web. By E.B. White. "If any children's book is nearly perfect, this is it -- it's full of laughter, tears, deep friendship, and suspense."

A Tale of Two Cities. By Charles Dickens. "This isn't a book for the very young. I read it when I was a teen, and it tore my heart apart. There is enormous suspense and adventure. But at the end, there is a great sacrifice made -- the kind of sacrifice we all think we would like to make for those we love, but are afraid we can't."

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William Joyce | Jerry Pinkney | Jon Scieszka | William Steig