What Keeps Books Alive: Re-reading Them

My oldest son is on the third read-through of Rick Riordan’s entire list of books. He is, currently, obsessed with Greek mythology and mythology in general, and he reads physical books and audiobooks and reads them all again. And again. And again.

I’ve heard it said, many times, by people who don’t write for children: I think I’ll write a children’s book someday. It can’t be that hard. But, oh, they are wrong.

Some mistakenly believe that because children’s books have smaller word counts they...