Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children's Book: Life Lessons from Notable People from All Walks of Life

by Anita Silvey (Editor)

"What children's book changed the way you see the world?"

Anita Silvey asked this question to more than one hundred of our most respected and admired leaders in society, and she learned about the books that shaped financiers, actors, singers, athletes, activists, artists, comic book creators, novelists, illustrators, teachers...

The lessons they recall are inspiring, instructive, and illuminating. And the books they remember resonate as influential reading choices for families. EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED FROM A CHILDREN'S BOOK--with its full color excerpts of beloved children's books, is a treasury and a guide: a collection of fascinating essays and THE gift book of the year for families.

Genres: Nonfiction, Books About Books, Adult, Essays, Childrens, Education, Memoir

233 pages, Hardcover

First published October 13, 2009

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I splurged on this one at Flying Pig Bookstore this weekend, and I'm so glad that I did. Anita Silvey has pulled together a collection of essays from all sorts of notable people in our world -- from ocean explorer Robert Ballard to YA goddess Judy Blume. They talk about the children's books that changed, and in many cases, shaped their remarkable lives. The book is laid out beautifully, with each essay is accompanied by an excerpt from the beloved book.

It's the teacher in me who really wanted this book the most. My 7th graders will love reading about some of their favorite authors' and heroes' favorite books, and the essays are fantastic models for students to do some writing of their own about the books that have changed the way they see the world. A must-read for everyone who loves children's books, but especially for teachers.

[Vannessa Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything I Need to Know I Learned From a Children’s Book is a book of inspiration, understanding principles and precepts, vocation, motivation and storytelling as told by 110 society leaders from the areas of science politics, sports and the arts and the impact children books had on their lives.

One of the most critical time periods in child development and learning is from birth to five years old. The first five years of child development is crucial to their health, wellbeing, and the overall trajectory of their lives in a variety of ways. Children who spend a lot of time reading come to view books as their friends and role models and mentors.

Educators can tell from children’s learning ability the parents who put in the work from the parents who didn’t put in the work and the parents who continue to put in the work from the parents who do not put in any work.

Readers at an early age gain courage, perseverance, principles, a sense of adventure, and how to live their dreams.

[Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023) · Rating 2 out of 5]

My favorite part was the bit by Andrew Wyeth talking about his father (the great author and illustrator N.C. Wyeth) reading Treasure Island to him. Two of my favorite artists right there. Amazing.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I despise the title and cover. So ugly, cheesy, and gimmicky. I never would have picked this book up if I'd seen it in the book store or library. If it weren't for the laudatory reviews two friends gave this book, I might never have had the chance to read it. And that reminds me of Emerson's words: "Would that some charitable soul, after losing a great deal of time among the false books and alighting upon a few true ones, which made him happy and wise, would name those which have been bridges or ships to carry him safely over dark morasses and barren oceans, into the heart of sacred cities, into palaces and temples." Thank you, friends!

I haven't finished reading it yet. I savor a few pages per day. I'm adding all kinds of titles to my read-aloud list. The book is heavy on baby boomer entries, which I suppose is to be expected given that generation's penchant for nostalgia and the editor's age. Though I would have liked to see more input from people my age or younger, I recognize that book love is timeless and ageless.

This is a big, heavy book. I was initially dismayed to see that my husband had lugged it all the way across the Atlantic for me. What if it disappoints, I worried. I needn't have. It's worth it's weight in gold. (Or, maybe brass. :-))

[Lady Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a great idea. I loved reading about which books had a profound affect on different famous personalities. Some were clearly books that have affected many people over many genereations for similar reasons. Others seemed like odd influences and were clearly made special to that person due to other circumstances in their lives at the time. I personally loved Robert Ballard's discussion of how "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" affected him. Good read, but I honestly wish it had chronicled some more youthful personalities.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

a sweet book filled with favorite childhood books from authors, illustrators and a few celebrities. thanks em :)

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was MARVELOUS. I was initially a little nervous, as I've read some pretty bad "famous people commenting on their favorite books" compilations lately. Perhaps the key here is getting intelligent people to comment on their favorite CHILDREN's book, one that affected their lives in some way. Perhaps this helps people lose some of the self-consciousness I've seen in this type of book and gain back some of the joy of a child finding himself in a book. Whatever it is, this book is wonderful. I love the great variety of books cited--from predictable favorites like The Hobbit, or Little House on the Prairie, all the way to some offbeat choices ("Pink Ice Cream" or "The King, The Mice and the Cheese"?) I loved the heartfelt memories shared by the contributors. I spent a lot of time echoing their sentiments (Yes! I remember EXACTLY how I felt when I encountered Jo March) wondering at the books I did not know (hmm, wonder how many my library has), thinking of books left out (What??? No "The Endless Steppe" or "The Hundred Dresses" or "Betsy-Tacy" or "Anne of Green Gables"??? What were they thinking???) and even more time reminiscing about the books that I loved as a child and that still affect me today. Loved this quote from a contributor---"Reason 1,000,001 to have children--you get to read children's books all over again, no apologies or explanations required. And you get to understand them in a whole new way."
Or this one, from author Graham Greene "Perhaps it is only in childhood tha tbooks have any deep influence on our lives . . . In childhood, all books are books of divination, telling us the future."
Lovely, lovely book!

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't even give this book a proper review because the ebook edition is so utterly unreadable. It is immensely frustrating to buy a book and discover that no thought went into the ebook version of it. When I first started reading, I thought an excerpt was an introduction by the author. I was bewildered by the gravitas she was using, especially since it didn't seem to really make sense. Yeah, because it was an excerpt from a book by John F. Kennedy. But there is no reason at all that I would know that. Hey, maybe this is how the actual book is laid out as well -- suddenly, there's text from a book with no suggestion that what you're about to read is an excerpt. I figured out that each section starts with an excerpt after that, but it goes: excerpt (with no title, and no information at all, except sometimes?), title, author and long blurb, and then the contributor's essay. It is the worst way to arrange a book like this.

Also, many of the contributors clearly didn't think much about what they were saying. I believe some of these were taken from elsewhere, so it's not like the person wrote it with the exact book in mind, but why include those short, emotionless little blurbs? Uninspiring.

[Dawn Livingston · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked it because seeing a book I know brought back fond memories but the books wasn't as fun as I'd hoped it would. The book lists a book and shows the image of it and a famous person explains why the book had an impact on them. Intereting, but not riveting and certainly not a book I'd want to fork over money for.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a fine gift for a children's literature nerd. And by nerd, I mean the person who NEVER reads anything else ever. This person is not me.

I just felt it was a lot more dry than I'd hoped.

[Laurie]

All together now: "I should have written this book!"

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered this particular book when I was reading that monstrosity of Bruce Handy's "Where the Wild Things Are: The Joy of Reading Children's Literature". In all hopes I was hoping for a book that could defy the first one and prove my misgivings that this would be yet another flop to shove in a darkened nook all while shaking my head and wondering how there are people in the world who could enjoy the destructive opinions of one man who gets no pleasure from his reading of children's literature.

In a strange twist I seesawed with this book. To me the formatting was all wrong since there is an excerpt of the book provided first then a book blurb followed by an essay from a mostly well-known individual either in the literary world, an actor or someone else between the two. I wish that the blurb had been given first instead but can understand how the excerpt also takes a whole page while mostly the essay is condensed to fit the page.

At the same time I started off where I didn't enjoy the fact that this book was once more leaning towards opinions as that is what took away from Bruce Handy's book. But instead of being bias, pompous and so critical the editor found people who actually enjoyed the books that they were writing about thus you got the history of not only the person but how the book influenced them and their later reading choices or how it helped to contribute to their personality as they reached the adult world. So refreshing!

Time over and over again Anita Silvey reminds the reader through her own writing and that of the essays that not everyone is going to like the same books. Some books although they may be good just don't touch a reader the same way as it does others and that it is alright - just as long as a book touches a reader than it is doing its job and has a right to pass onto the next generation where it may find someone else to influence.

Here Classics are mixed with books that I have never heard of before and with other books whose authors are well-known for other children's literature works of art although just not the one mentioned. As a result I have found my interest stirred and hope that although some of these books may be harder to find now due to age and falls from favor; maybe, just maybe I can find some of them to curl up with.

And the lessons from these essays are so refreshing for they capture the whole spirit of not only just children's literature but books in general. As a result there are so many that I have taken to heart while in my mind it captures exactly what it means to read children's literature for pleasure. As a result for those who want to once more become intimate with children's literature this is one book that I would most definitely recommend. Steer clear of Bruce Handy!

[Cheryl]

Alison Gopnik says I was Alice I shared her name, long hair, dreamy absent mindedness, and preference for logic and imagination over common sense. For children, theorizing and imagining are intense activities; they spend every minute learning and pretending. Charles Dodgson, shy Oxford Dunn and mathematical logician, and Lewis Carroll, wild, uninhibited master of nonsense and imagination, were united in the little girl in the garden."

I hope to read Do not open by Brindan Turkle. And Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp, Impunity Jane by Rumer Godden, The Red Balloon by Albert Lamarisse (?), The Yearling, and The Animal Book by Alice and Martin Provensen.

Leslie Stahl says about pink ice cream by Launa Latham that: "turning on a light can transform things. Put another way - you can remake your world by using your imagination to see it differently. A psychologist acquaintance who works with abused children uses this book in her practice. One of her small patients told her, 'I wish there was a pink light in my whole life. '"

Karen MacPherson says about one of my favorite childhood books, Roller Skates, that the book can help us realize that "we should live life to the hilt because death can claim us at any moment."

Book is heavy. Much of the text is very small. Many of the book blurbs and the excerpts will be unnecessary to many of us, my friends. The value of the contributors' comments varies. I did not get new to-read titles from any the contributors' lists of works (but bear in mind not all are authors, of course).

Includes mini-bios, index, organization by theme, etc.

Overall I do not particularly recommend.

Skimmed July 2025

[The Reading Countess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Publisher's Summary: "What children's book changed the way you see the world?" Anita Silvey asked this question to more than one hundred of our most respected and admired leaders in society, and she learned about the books that shaped financiers, actors, singers, athletes, activists, artists, comic book creators, novelists, illustrators, teachers... The lessons they recall are inspiring, instructive, and illuminating. And the books they remember resonate as influential reading choices for families. EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED FROM A CHILDREN'S BOOK--with its full color excerpts of beloved children's books, is a treasury and a guide: a collection of fascinating essays and THE gift book of the year for families.

************************************************************************
In my class, we speak often about books that help mold us, make us a better reader, and resonate with us. The term for these books that touch our souls is "cornerstone book". At the beginning of the year, I kick off reader's workshop with a lot of discussion about cornerstone books. I relay my all-time favorite cornerstone Where the Red Fern Grows and share how my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Wolford, read the book aloud to m class. The years come rushing back to me as I walk down memory lane with them. I gush about how hard I tried in her class to be in the "top reading group" but to no avail. I was, until that fateful year, a "middle group" reader. However, listening to her read and discuss the book aloud that year somehow jumpstarted my reading life. I found myself walking to the library on the army base my father was stationed to check out armloads of books to pour over. By the end of the year, you guessed it, I WAS in the "top reading group". Where the Red Fern Grows for me holds true to the memories I have about falling in love with a great story, working hard to improve my skills and the gratifying sense of accomplishment I felt after all of my toil.

The kids are then asked to think about a book or books that hold that same sense of significance in their own lives. We make a timeline (birth/preschool, early elementary years, and late elementary years). To this timeline, the kids are asked to hitch a few cornerstone books to it, and if possible, bring them in by the week's end. I love to see Pat the Bunny, Goodnight Moon, and Dr. Seuss arrive in droves. There is always a mix of books that hold significance, but the common thread among them is the audible "ooohs" and "aaahs" heard when kids get up and booktalk their book(s). This is the beginning of our reading community, and I absolutely love its' bonding qualities.

Everything I Need To Know I Learned From a Children's Book reminded me of my beloved cornerstone books. A collection of essays from notable people throughout the world writing about books that touched them, this book is a must-read for both parents and teachers alike despite the high sticker price of the book. Literature we read in our impressionable childhood years help shape and mold us into the people we are today. This simple fact is why it is imperative that we as parents and educators must seek out high quality literature to help in this endeavor.

*Other personal cornerstone books (either read to me or by myself):
The Jungle Book (my father only read this book to me-several times), The Little House series and The Nancy Drew series (both series I read right after my eventful fourth grade year in the summertime, much to the chagrin of my mother who was continually looking for ways to kick me out of the house to get some fresh air), and Are You There, God? It's Me Margaret (sixth grade wouldn't be complete without that one).

Favorite passages:

"Childhood reading can truly have a formative effect on later life." (p. 29)

"Miss Fiske was the librarian at the Urbana Free Library, my own library when I was growing up. She ran the book club, the Saturday morning puppet show, book fairs, and she read stories, She never had to talk to me about her love of books; she simply exuded it and instilled that passion in me." (p. 51)

"Until I met that book, everything I'd read was, in a word, childish. The books were unthreatening and kept me sheltered. And then along comes this novel that smacks me awake, that grabs my insides with one hand and my soul with the other hand, that demands that I pay attention, a book that snarls. 'So you want to see the secret stuff the world is made of? Okay, kid, here it is.'" (p. 57)

"The novelist Graham Greenem who marveled at the now-alien world of his boyhood reading, once wrote, 'Perhaps it is only in childhood that books have any deep influence on our lives...In childhood, all books are books of divination, telling us the future.' The books we happen to latch on to as children help to furnish our imagination and, to a certain degree, our identity." (p. 65)

"Reason 1,000,001 to have children: You get to read children's books all over again, no apologies or explanations required. And you get to understand them in a whole new way." (p. 87)

"I believe that children's books are the last pond in the Serengeti. They are the one place we go to drink for inspiration." (p. 133)

"Exposure to children's books provides verbal and visual material to help us along the way. So subtle and varied can the lessons be that it may take years before we use everything we absorbed." (p. 181)

"The impact of this book on me shows the importance of reading aloud to students. The memory of my teacher and that book has stuck with me for more than forty years." (p. 183)

[Melissa Killian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the concept of this book, and enjoyed seeing how some of the classic children's books inspired writers and other professionals to pursue their paths in life. However, I would love to see this book redone today with Gen X and Millenials choosing their most influential books. Some of the books chosen for this collection, I had never heard of, so it would be nice to see an updated version that I could relate to a little more.

[Olivia Ambrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cool. Made me so nostalgic for the books of my childhood. My only complaint is that I don't know who half of these people are. I know they give a brief blurb at the end of the book, but I'm don't want to have to page through the index to figure out who they are. But other than that, if you ever read a book as a child, definitely worth reading!!

[Jim Welke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is a fun read. The author has short stories from almost 100 individuals about a children's book that lead them to their career or hobby. She also has a short quote from the book. I found the comments interesting and I can only imagine the work it took to pull all of this information together in a readable format.

[Debbie Roby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful guide to choosing books for children and grandchildren to read! This book gives the one most meaningful and memorable book experienced in childhood or the teen years by many famous and successful people. A great idea for a book and a real salute to many great books and authors!

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite what I had anticipated but a lovely book where different notable people (authors, actors, etc) discuss what they learned from a particular children’s book. The short descriptions of the books were as interesting as the essays from the contributors!

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed learning the favorite children's books of my role model-authors. It was exciting to see how "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel" or "Harold and the Purple Crayon" affected folks like Ursula K. Le Guin and other celebrities.

[Graemme Boone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this wonderful book! It made me think of books that I had read as a child. Books that I shared with my children and grandchildren. I would definitely recommend this book to all adults. I know I will revisit some children's books because of reading this book.

[Jenni V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book as I was searching the library's catalog for a similar title and this popped up on the page and peaked my curiosity. This book is made for readers because it's page after page of people's excitement for reading. The format was 110 people wrote a few paragraphs about a children's book they loved and what it meant to them, there would be a little backstory about the book and/or author, and there would be an excerpt from the book itself.

My book would be "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin. It was the first book I read that had a "plot twist"; the person behind the game was someone that had disappeared and appeared to be a victim earlier in the book, immediately dismissing them as a suspect in my mind. Learning that authors could be tricky and not follow a straight path like Easy or younger Juvenile Fiction books tend to do completely changed my approach to reading and developed my love for mysteries and picking up clues.

Fun Fact: "Where the Wild Things Are" started off as "Where the Wild Horses Are" but Maurice Sendak couldn't draw horses so he kept the story and changed the characters to things he could draw.

It's not a 'binge read' sort of book or the stories will start to run together but it was an enjoyable way to end the night a few pages at a time over the course of a week.

A Few Quotes from the Book
"The act of reading to a child is the most important contribution to the future of our society that adults can make." ~ Anita Silvey

"Some books you never forget. Some characters become your friends for life." ~ Judy Blume

"Children should be encouraged to read anything and everything because you never know what they will get out of a book." ~ Lucy Mangan

Find all my reviews at: https://readingatrandom.blogspot.com

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the excerpts and all the blurbs about why people chose the titles they loved.

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a TERRIFIC book! My list of want to read ( & reread) books has grown by leaps and bounds!!! Anita Silvey’s love for children’s books delights and inspires me.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good resource to find book titles to share with children. Anita Silvey provides not only a brief description of each book and some information about the author/illustrator, she has wisely included excerpts from each book and a personal story from a notable figure about why it was included in the collection of story titles. The usual suspects---Dave Eggers, Maurice Sendak, etc.---provide recommendations, but you will find experts in a variety of fields (marine biology, politics, education, artists...) and even The Woz reveals a childhood favorite he believes influenced him deeply.

What I truly appreciate are the memories and personal ties to the books being shared with the reader. Because I was a precocious reader and wanted to read "big" books when younger, I turned my nose up at picture books handed to me as a child. The thicker the tome, the least pictures was how I chose books. As a student in school, I was even more arrogant and gave the cutting side-eye to slim volumes when selecting for book reports. The only skinny book that slid under my overbearing radar was "The Scarlet Letter." Hawthorne's dense language made up for the lack of pages. So, it's nice to read such a reference treasure such as this to give me a kick in the pants and bring me back to classics that always deserve a considerate look. I inherited my grandfather's disdain of JFK, so I never read "Profiles In Courage," but I'm eager to do so now because of how it was described to me in this book. This presentation style is a good example of how older readers should share literature with younger readers. They're more likely to come back to you with an opinion or another insight.

My only complaint was how the book's information was visually presented. The left-hand page was given over to excerpts, no matter how much space was used. And, most of the right-hand page was dedicated to the recollections. Squeezed into a color column near the crease in a too tiny font was the book information. I didn't like squinting and tiring my eyes. I would have preferred a different design solution, which would have made that information more equal to the rest.

Otherwise, it's an excellent reference. I hope it makes it out there to people other than educators and librarians. Anyone who loves books and enjoys stories will come away with a significant and challenging list of books to read after consuming Silvey's well-edited volume.

[Juliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet collection of over 100 mini-essays by prominent folks on the children’s book that influenced them the most. Each book is profiled with a one-page excerpt, a commentary by the editor Anita Silvey on the history of the book profiled, and then words from authors, scientists, educators, actors and others and what that particular book or author inspired in them.

As an omnivore I would have a hard time picking just one title out of so many that I love but it was great to see many of those titles appear here. I have so many memories of reading and books. I remember distinctly the first time in first grade when I decided to stroll over to the big kid’s section and chose a big book to read—I believe it was a Hardy’s boy mystery. The book was scary to read and it took me a long time, but I felt very grown-up. I remember in third grade the first time I read Charlotte’s Web and crying at the end. I also remember the serendipity of coming home from school carrying Little House in the Big Woods and my Mom had picked up Little House on the Prairie for me at the library on the same day. I remember sitting in the mall at Waldenbooks engrossed in a Little Princess and then buying it and taking it home where I read it non-stop.

I remember my seventh grade science teacher reading Amnityville Horror out loud to our class on short days. I never did read the book myself, but he scared the bejeezus out of me and I still have him to thank that I can't sleep with my closet door open.

So many books...so many memories.

Right now I'm reading the Secret Garden to my daughter. We are just starting and she says she doesn't like it--she would prefer a book she picked out. So we read one of hers and then this one which is mine. But I've been noticing that as the story goes along she is protesting less and less so I hold out hope yet. I have so many great memories of reading to her. She is eight now and I've read to her since she was an infant.

[Carmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the quick pick gift for the teacher/librarian in your life. Former children's lit editrix Anita Silvey asked a diverse group of just over 100 personalities, "What children's book changed the way you see the world?" and the result is a collection of one page essays, with accompanying illustrations, quote or summary of the referenced book.

I devoured the whole thing in one sitting (not hard- only 240 pages, generous white space due to lovely layout) and then sat down, meditated on my favorite books from childhood and promptly wrote out a list of book I want/need to read aloud to my daughter and, roughly, what age I plan to do so. It was a fun exercise. I am a little impatient to share some of my loves with her, but recognize hers will undoubtedly be different. (oh please, oh please let her love the "Freddy books" by Brooks, Betsy-Tacy, Grimm's fairy tales, Rabbit Hill, the Hobbit, etc., etc.)


I also made a list of...gasp...the books mentioned here that I missed when I was younger that I need to go back for: The Oxcart Man (can't tell you how many times I've passed this on the shelf and never read it...the shame), Diamond in the Window by Jane Langton, Impunity Jane by Rumer Godden and, the Newbery Honor winning The Yearling by Marjorie Rawlings.

My special book? the clue: my daughter's name is Ozma.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children"s Book: Life Lessons from Notable People from All Walks of Life, Edited by Anita Silvey, is a special book because it is large, opens to 11 by 17. With the exerpts from the chosen books are many beautiful illustrations. An exerpt from a book centers on a pastel ground at the left hand page, the pastel continues as a 1/3 column of the right hand page, and in that 1/3 column is a book synopsis and a thumbnail of the book's cover. The rest of the right hand page has the comment by the Notable Person who read the book. First is Leonard Marcus, who read Profiles In Courage, and last is Jerry J. Mallett, who read The 21 Balloons. Notes on Contributors follow, arranged alphabetically with other indexes and booklists. Bert Vogelstein, a professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, wrote he learned from Miss Pickerel Goes to Mars "to keep my brain free for the important stuff." Under Laura Ingalls Wilder I see "It is clear that Wilder collaborated with her daughter Rose Wilder Lane, a ghostwriter by trade, to achieve a finished manuscript." Over many years I have read about this collaboration, I did not know of this when I first read the books. Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children's Book is a beautiful volume.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am completely charmed by this beautiful testimonial of the value and impact of children's literature. Divided into sections labeled "Inspiration", "Understanding", "Principles & Precepts", "Vocation", "Motivation", and "Storytelling" the reader is introduced to or reminded of children's books that have made a difference in the lives of the many contributors. Some of the books mentioned are out of print but many of them are still available. I found myself wanting to read them all!

We get a one page excerpt glimpse of each book (left hand double-page spread) followed by a sidebar introducing the publication of the book and the contributor. The contributor's short essay fills 2/3rds of the right hand side of the double-page spread. Brilliant formatting.

The making of this work was an ambitious undertaking, including quite an impressive collection and array of contributors -- some familiar and many less familiar but all very prominent in their fields of work.

Will you find YOUR book among the selections? Did a book you read at age ten or even younger have anything to do with your chosen avocation? Can you trace any of your philosophy back to a book you read as a child or teen? You may feel compelled to jot down or in some other way share your own experience with discovering or creating yourself through a book.

[Nielson · Rating 5 out of 5]

After asking over one hundred renowned illustrators, actors, authors, activists, athletes, and entertainers, "What children's book changed the way you see the world?", Silvey compiled one of the best reading resources out there. Broken up into six different sections--Inspiration, Understanding, Principles & Precepts, Vocation, Motivation, and Storytelling--these contributors share how children's books helped change or shape their lives. From Jon Scieszka to Jay Leno to Steve Wozniak, each passage contains a true life account about what they have learned from their favorite children's book along with insightful background information about the selected book. Each entry is also accompanied by a full-colored illustrated excerpt from the highlighted children's book. I can't rave enough about this book and the power it has to convey to readers everywhere the power and magic of reading.
This would be an excellent gift for a teacher or librarian or for a family. It can be referred to over and over for teaching life lessons or to just find a good children's book. A must have for all! I would give this book 6 stars if I could!