general

• quick summary - a short essay on the enduring value of children's literature for adults.
• key themes - children's literature, imagination, hope, empathy, escapism.

interests

• what i found interesting - I liked how the essay was organized; the division of chapters by argument made it a cohesive and clear read. I also enjoyed the personal testament in the beginning and the inclusion of quotes by different authors.
• what i learned - the origins of children's literature + the concept of "moral imagination" and "phantasia"
• fav quote - there are so many good ones, but "when I write, I write for two people: myself, age twelve, and myself, now, and the book has to satisfy two distinct but connected appetites" + "chilren's novels (...) speak of hope. they say: look, this is what bravery looks like. this is what generosity looks like (...) they say: hope counts for something."

further reading

• follow-up context research - I would like to try reading one of the author's children's books.

rating

• 4/5 - I wish this was longer, so I could have felt like I learned something new— I do not need to be convinced of the necessity of adults reading children's literature because I am already happy doing it, so I would have liked that rundell had gone beyond what I already knew and felt. the writing was sometimes to embellished for what was necessary. the message is one I am always preaching to anyone who cares to listen.