Inspiration

I've been neglecting my writing. But never fear, I've been doing my research. The more I read of Nancy Lamb's book, the more I start to explore the works that have inspired me. And in light of the upcoming Spike Jonze adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are and the equally anticipated (at least by me!) Wes Anderson cinematic rendition of The Fantastic Mr. Fox -- I've been looking a lot at the books that I really looooved as a child. (And children's books I really looove now.)

Here they are, as a list, in no particular order.

• All the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling. She's a genuine genius in my eyes.
• The Witches, The B.F.G., and Matilda by Roald Dahl. His dark humor and the power he gives to children is something I aspire to.
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. I recently re-read these books and found them a liiiiiiittle too laden in heavy religious symbolism. But that doesn't mean I didn't love them as a child.
• The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Words can't describe it.
• Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie. It is a tribute to pop culture, a political statement, and a children's fantasy all mixed up into one. Fantastic.
• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. I thought Max was such a bad boy as a kid.
• Mama Do You Love Me? by Barbara Joosse. That mama loved that girl.
• The Giving Tree, A Light in the Attic, and Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. Another veritable genius.
• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson. I haven't seen the movie adaptation, but the commercials tell me it didn't do the book any justice.
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. I also loved Green Eggs and Ham, of course, but that Grinch allllways got me.
• Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick. This book killed me. It kind of still does.

I'll add more later. But now I might want to write some my own. Funny how thinking about what you love makes you wish to do that thing better....