Nine Questions From Children’s Literature That Every Person Should Answer
“What road do I take?”
“You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.”
― Madeleine L’Engle
Books saved me when I was a kid.
When I was eight, my parents went through a messy divorce that culminated with me moving in with my dad — and then my dad went to prison. I spent a lot of time trying to make sense of a world that didn’t seem to make any sense at all.
Books showed me that I would survive, and taught me that surviving was worth the trouble. They gave me a moral compass when the adults around me couldn’t. They asked me questions — questions about who I am, what I value, and where I’m headed — and pushed me to think about the answers.
At some point in our lives, we decide we know everything we need to know. We stop asking questions. To remember what’s important, it sometimes helps to return to that place of childlike curiosity and wonder.
Whether or not you’ve read these works of children’s literature before, answer these nine questions and learn something about your own story.
