The Book that Made Me: A Collection of 32 Personal Stories.

Judith Ridge (Editor)

Just as authors create books, books create authors — and these essays by thirty-one writers for young people offer a fascinating glimpse at the books that inspired them the most.

What if you could look inside your favorite authors’ heads and see the book that led them to become who they are today? What was the book that made them fall in love, or made them understand something for the first time? What was the book that made them feel challenged in ways they never knew they could be, emotionally, intellectually, or politically? What book made them readers, or made them writers, or made them laugh, think, or cry? Join thirty-one top children’s and young adult authors as they explore the books, stories, and experiences that changed them as readers — for good.

Some of the contributors include:
Ambelin Kwaymullina
Mal Peet
Shaun Tan
Markus Zusak
Randa Abdel-Fattah
Alison Croggon
Ursula Dubosarsky
Simon French
Jaclyn Moriarty

• ISBN10: 0763695491
• ISBN13: 9780763695491
• Publish Date: 14 March 2017 (first published 1 September 2016)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Candlewick Press,U.S.
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 256
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780763695491

Reviews

[Kelly]

The Book That Made Me is a wonderful anthology of authors and the books that shaped their lives. It was incredibly charming with an abundance of humour and charm and the underlying message from the majority of authors is about representation and finding themselves within the pages of books.

Author Will Kostakis, who rewrote stories of how they should have been more inclusive, Randa Abdel-Fattah who read books where the diverse character was painted as exotic and found herself within the pages of Melina Marchetta's Looking For Alibrandi.

Ambelin Kwaymullina who writes about the Dreaming and the Western Australian Pilbara where the Palyku community inhabit.

I want everyone who will come after me to inherit an Earth bursting with diversity - of species; of voices; of cultures; of ideas.

Fiona Wood who had learnt her early life lessons through Anne of Green Gables. One of my favourite authors in Rachael Craw, who dreamt of raven haired, fair skinned, freckled girls unlike snow white who did a lot of housework, fell unconscious and then married the first man that kissed her.

It was the story of Benjamin Law that had me sniggering and laughing out loud. Benjamin's sister seemingly influenced what he avoiding reading, such as VC Andrew's Flowers in the Attic series, imagining being locked in an attic, poisoned and making out with his sister. Reading Dolly Doctor and questioning the amount of feminine discharge female's produced. It was absolutely hilarious. I hadn't actually heard of Benjamin Law before, but I certainly have now.

The story that I found represented myself as a reader was Sue McPherson's experience, who like myself, wasn't interested in books as a child or teen.

It was lovely to be able to connect with some of Australia and New Zealand's finest authors on a level beyond the worlds they create for us. Wonderfully written and a brilliant introduction to both new authors and much loved favourites. Really enjoyed it.