The New York Public Library has published its list of 100 Great Children's Books from the past 100 years. Children's books definitely played a big role in igniting the love of books in me, so I was happy to see some of my favorite childhood memories/friends on the list:

• The Book of Three (Lloyd Alexander)
• Charlottes Web (E.B. White)
• DAulaires Book of Greek Myths -- This was responsible for my love of mythologies
• The Graveyard Book (Neil Gaiman) -- okay, I read this one as an adult ;-)
• Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson (1955)
• The Lion, the Witch andthe Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (1950)
• Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. OBrien (1971)
• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, illustrated by Jules Feiffer (1961)
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine LEngle (1962)

Not a complete list (e.g., D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths wasn't on the list, nor was Heinlein's Red Planet or Ursula Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea).

What books influenced your love of reading and writing of novels while growing up? Which ones carry lessons you bring forward into your writing today? E.g., I love the sense of wonder that infuses all of the above books.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell about a young, native american woman who gets stuck on an island and her struggle for survival while waiting for a ship to rescue her. It's like a much cooler Hatchet.

Jennifer Murdley's Toad by Bruce Coville about a young girl who buys a magical, talking toad from a weird pet store. I remember thinking that this book was really cool when I was in fifth grade. I felt so trendy reading it.

All Summer In A Day by Ray Bradbury. Ok, cheating. This is a short story, but it is the sadest thing you will ever read. I think I was traumatized for days after reading it in school.

Roahld Dahl books: The Twits, The Witches, Harold and the Giant Peach. The Little House on the Prairie series.