In my childhood, I had the burning desire to become ‘an accomplished woman’, and am ever grateful to the tesseract for injecting magic into math and science; just the memories, and I’m instantly returned to that moment when a book became ‘mine own’. Which children’s books prompted you to try something new, or think differently?

“…It was the first time I’d been to the library without my mom or my whole class, and Mrs. Coffee quizzed me about what I liked and what I’d already read and helped me check out what I think was the first novel I ever read entirely on my own: BETSY-TACY, by Maud Hart Lovelace. Oh, I loved that book–and all the Betsy-Tacy books to follow. I think it was also my first real understanding of the pleasure of reading many books by the same author.”
-Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency

“Reading LOOKING FOR ALASKA by John Green made me work harder on SEA. It let me know that emotional stakes can be higher in YA, that young readers could handle more than I thought they could…Reading that book made me more aware of the global responsibility I have to my audience.”
- Heidi R. Kling

“Like many young (male) Americans, ON THE ROAD inspired me to take an ill-fated road trip that left me stranded in Michigan with no food, a broken down car, and bad diarrhea.”
-Josh Berk

Honing The Craft:
“I loved…Kristin Cashore’s GRACELING and Nancy Werlin’s IMPOSSIBLE. Both had amazing, complex stories and strong, but believable female characters. I love reading and then digesting the stories and really looking at how and why they worked so well. It’s incredibly fun “work” and is — I hope — improving my own mastery of the craft.”
-Amy Brecount White

“…I was on a flight home from Las Vegas, and the woman sitting beside me read (an) entire book. As we were landing, she offered it to me. THE SHOP ON BLOSSOM STREET by Debbie Macomber sparked my interest in yarns and knitting, and soon after, I learned how to knit. I love being able to create something with my hands, and often knit while I’m percolating an idea for a novel, or trying to work out a certain theme or scene.
-Angie Frazier

Check out Alexa Martin Pruit’s great post on this subject!

Taking The Plunge:
I read Maureen Johnson’s 13 LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPES and loved it so much I decided I wanted to write a book that good. I don’t know if I’ve succeeded yet, but my book is represented by Maureen’s agent and sold to Delacorte, so that’s a good start!
-Trish Doller

“Barbara J. Winter’s MAKING A LIVING WITHOUT A JOB was the book that did it for me. I was in a fast-track, corporate-type job that made me miserable, and a co-worker recommended that book. It shakes up the whole notion of earning your living from a single, 9-5 paycheck and was the impetus that eventually led me to leave the corporate life behind and pursue my writing dreams. (Thank you, Barbara!)”
-Kay Cassidy

“…I never considered myself a writer: a reader yes, a writer no. Okay, maybe a wishful writer too afraid to put any words on the page. But then I read Dr. Wayne Dyer’s THE POWER OF INTENTION and it changed everything. Through the experience of this book, I had many ‘aha’ moments. The biggest being: I want to write. I began writing and never looked back.
-Jennifer Cervantes

“…the one that stands out the most is THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER by Sarah Dessen.
The story follows a girl named Macy, who is ineffectively handling her grief after her father dies (i.e. keeping her feelings bottled inside).
This novel taught me so many wonderful lessons, including: it’s okay not to be in control, it’s okay to cry, and things don’t always have to be “fine.”…it’s a lesson I really needed to learn sooner. I go back and read this one at least once a year.
I’m also writing because of Sarah Dessen. The first book that I read by her was DREAMLAND. As soon as I finished I knew I wanted to write novels for teen girls. Now I do!”

-Leigh Brescia

“…I knew I wanted to write fantasy during university, when I picked up a copy of Neil Gaiman’s SANDMAN. Such a beautiful, vibrant, frightening, dreamlike world populated with rich, living characters. I was hooked. I knew I wanted my own writing to explore the same kinds of worlds and meet the same kinds of people, and I’ve been an intrepid explorer ever since.
-Caitlin Kittredge

Making The Connection:
“TRUMPET OF THE SWAN by E.B. White….When I was little, I read EVERY book imaginable that featured talking animals. Well, in this case, Louis, the swan, couldn’t talk. But you know what I mean. This novel took me through every heartwrenching emotion, some I’m sure I felt for the first time as a child. And do you know why? This book is not about an animal with kid issues. It’s about an animal with adult issues–Louis, finding the love of his life, supporting himself in a cruel, cruel world with a great physical handicap, and learning new skills to achieve a dream. And I love how the story ends, quoted from the boy who helps Louis through his struggle. “Tonight I heard Louis’s horn. My father heard it, too. The wind was right, and I could hear the notes of taps, just as darkness fell. There is nothing in all the world I like better than the trumpet of the swan.” This story reinforced the notion for me as a child, that if you really want something, you can get it, despite all odds, if you just go after it. You will find a way! (What you have to believe to get a children’s book published, too!). And Louis did it with supreme grace and honor. Now how can you beat that?
-Cynthea Liu

“Lois Lowry’s NUMBER THE STARS…opened my eyes to the potential of history through a child’s eyes. And then more recently, Markus Zusak’s THE BOOK THIEF, has totally wowed me with its power. I love everything about this book – the cover, the startling narrator…the drawings on Hitler’s words, the girl, Liesel …it’s a work of amazing genius and at the same time, it’s so beautiful and gentle. Zusak is an incredible writer. He makes me feel very humble.”
-Gabriele Goldstone

“The first novel I remember moving me in a significant way was BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA. It was 5th grade for me, and I didn’t have the words to express sorrow. Although I wasn’t experiencing death in my life, as the characters were, the destruction of my parents marriage was enough to confuse me. This book helped me, if even in a silent way, to mourn.”
-Bettina Restrepo

“I owe a long history of Victorian-style emotional repression to A LITTLE PRINCESS, by Frances Hodgson Burnett…I was profoundly impressed and inspired by Sara Crewe’s refusal to show her pain or anger when she was mistreated. “Soldiers don’t complain,” she tells herself, and I would likewise try to bear my middle-school difficulties (a back brace for scoliosis, the usual Mean Girls) without complaint…In retrospect, it wasn’t a wholly healthy lesson to take from the book, and I’ve spent many years learning to speak up for myself instead. But I still love A Little Princess for the romance of the idea that someone is watching you and caring for you even if you aren’t advertising your difficulties, and that that Magic will take care of you in the end.”
-Cheryl Klein, Senior Editor, Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic

The crushing disappointment of actual Turkish Delight notwithstanding, when I enter a story world I’m hoping for another one of those connections, and that as it was for Ramona Quimby, the bag of gummi bears occasionally by my side will contain some red cinnamon ones. Which children’s books changed everything for you?

About The Author

Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich is the daughter of a Jamaican mother and Nigerian father, and married to a man of Croatian descent. So, that’s what’s up with the name. She’s worked as a freelance writer and contributing editor at various magazines, and has developed educational materials geared to educators and students. Olugbemisola has worked extensively in youth development, at community organizations and New York City schools. She was twice awarded a public service fellowship by the Echoing Green foundation to work on a creative arts and literacy project with adolescent girls. She received her M.A. in Educational Communication and Technology, with a concentration in Adolescent Literacy and English Education, her B.Sc. from Cornell University, and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. “I spent a number of my younger years in different communities across the globe. I attended public, private,’international’, and religious schools. These experiences have had lasting benefits as I was exposed to many languages, traditions, customs – new and thrilling worlds. And each move brought with it both an opportunity and a struggle surrounding identity, which is a recurring theme in my work.” She lives in New York City where she is also an enthusiastic if not particularly skilled crafter.  Read more about Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich.