I want to give thanks to the quiet nerdy girl I once was (and still am), and to the benevolent
employees of my neighborhood Mecca growing up, Kepler’s Books, who pretended they
didn’t see me curled up in their stacks, devouring the books gleaming brightly from their
shelves. Below is a list of my favorite childhood books, which now that I think about it,
probably taught me everything I needed to eventually become a writer myself. Starting
from when I was youngest, and moving up….
IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE by Laura Numeroff
Sure, when I was little I think I loved the fact that there was a cute mouse (I loved
animals) and a big cookie (loved those more) right on the pretty green cover, but what I
didn’t realize was I was also learning the hugely valuable lesson of carefully plotted
cause-and-effect stories. As any reader of Shattered Blue will quickly discover, I am a
planning writer: my plots are intricate dances of dominoes, twisting and turning in ways
that may shock at first, but later, you realize, were carefully planned. And there are a lot
more surprises to come in the next two books, planned in advance with clues and
foreshadowing along the way—and I owe it all to my love of furry creatures and yummy
treats!
I’M NOBODY, WHO ARE YOU? COLLECTED EMILY DICKINSON POEMS FOR
CHILDREN
Now that I’m older, I see how very odd it is that someone thought to compile Emily
Dickinson’s poems “For Children,” and use one of her most haunting pieces, “I’m
Nobody” as the title— alongside a watercolor illustration, no less, making it seem like a
lovely make-believe game. But I am so glad they did. Not only did this book introduce
me to one of my all time heroines at a very young age, but it allowed me to see how
poems can change and grow with you. As a kid, I loved the rhythm, the images, and now
I appreciate Emily for her melancholy, almost frightening power to pin down troubling
things. She also taught me the value of economy in writing, especially in poems: choose
your words carefully. Sparse can be powerful.
FROM THE MIXED UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER by E.L.
Konigsburg
I will never, ever forget the brilliance of “Oh, baloney!” in one of my first, and still
all-time favorite, chapter books. This oft-repeated catchphrase of Claudia’s little brother
Jamie showed so much of his voice and character—and then suddenly, like an exploding
firework you didn’t even know you had, unlocked the novel’s biggest mystery! E.L really
showed me the power of echoes and voices, and how dialogue itself can become a
metaphor, a catalyst, the key to it all! Not to mention, hiding out and living secretly in a
museum? AMAZING.
THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB by Ann M. Martin
Yes they were variable, and I felt utterly betrayed when, somewhere around #120, I
realized that different authors were writing them and not Ann M. Martin (though that did
explain why some were great and some terrible). I admit the quality wasn’t the highest,
kind of my kid version equivalent of guilty pleasure gossip blogs or Fifty Shades—BUT
they did teach me two important things: 1) Lovable characters are essential and 2) if your
characters rock, tell as many stories as you can! I definitely planned, ahead of time, to tell
three novels about Noa, because when I was thinking of her, I knew I wanted to give her
a lot of time and space to develop and grow, and I wanted to watch her adventure and
explore. I hope everyone finds her (and Callum and Judah and Sasha) interesting enough
to ride with them through the series—there’s a lot more in store!
FALL ON YOUR KNEES by Anne Marie Macdonald
Ok I admit I didn’t read this one as a kid. But since I still consider myself a kid in many
ways, and it is my now and forever favorite book in the world, I have to include it on this
list. Macdonald is a writer who’s talent I absolutely covet. Her writing is muscular—with
a single word, she can change your entire perception and perspective. She shifts
effortlessly through perspectives, creates worlds with her imagery, makes her characters
breathe, and always has me wanting more. The very first time I read this saga of Francis
and Lily, I re-read it immediately when I’d finished, and loved it even more the second
time. Now I re-read it at least once a year. It’s genius, and everything I aspire to achieve
as a novelist. A gal can dream!
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