Fantasy stories often begin – or let their most transformative moments unfold – beneath the canopy of a forest. There’s something timeless and magnetic about sun beams through whispering leaves and paths that spiral forever. The cool dampness and the distant call of birds. It feels familiar, reaching out to the part of us that…
Characters who live on in our inner worlds long after the last page has turned are among the most unforgettable aspects of childhood books, possibly childhood itself. They pull on our heartstrings, make us laugh and keep us company because they are fun, vulnerable and honest. Consider Olivia, the charming piglet created by Ian Falconer…
For sale: baby shoes, never worn. This six-word, one-sentence story is one of the most cited examples of quality micro fiction, commonly attributed to Ernest Hemingway. While there is no proven evidence that he wrote it, even without a confirmed origin or author, this tiny story commands so much respect in its evocative mastery of…