EDITOR’S NOTE
Excellent Adventures with Books
Checking in for a flight to Alaska, my suitcase weighed in at a half pound over the limit. The culprit: the many titles I’d packed for my nephew and parents. “We’re book people,” I explained to the gate agent in lieu of an apology. The truth was: I’d wanted to bring more.
My nephew’s stack of books was composed primarily of space-related titles, set aside for him for months with the hope that I could parlay them into generating excitement over the fiftieth anniversary of the moon landing, which fell smack dab in the middle of my trip. I might not be able to host a super rad midcentury party at home, replete with Jello molds, commemorative Pyrex, and high hair, but at the very least I could tempt my nephew outside on that Alaska night for a little moon gazing and dreaming.
There are flaws to such plans—among them that, in summer in the Arctic Circle, the sun doesn’t set to the extent that moon gazing is possible. But also came a humbling reminder that you can’t dictate which great book will be someone else’s favorite.
Instead of solar system explorations, my nephew gravitated to a stream-tracing book that, admittedly, was the most lyrical, beautifully illustrated book of the bunch. He liked the lunar adventure stories I’d brought him, but was was not as enthralled with accomplishments past as I was. Instead, he wanted to see where the little paper boat that a boy set free in his nearby stream might end up.
No matter. Each book had its turn—some had multiple in the course of my stay—and I think all piqued his curiosity in some way. His favorite, in fact, moved me, too, with its linguistic playfulness. Each of our horizons expanded in some direction. And when we stopped in to a bookstore later in the week to replenish our travel libraries, I was able to see his selection process in action: fighter planes and Star Wars first, focus on the story after. (He, in turn, got to see why my luggage always goes over the limit: I left with six books to take home.)
It is always an honor to be able to select great books for others, even for those who read in different directions than you do. Every book in this magazine spent some time in a member of our editorial team’s hands; each left us yearning to read more. They’re books that we know will find happy homes in libraries and readers’ collections, that will expand awareness and hold imaginations rapt, and that will prompt expressions like “I never thought about it that way!” and “I want to know more.” Each and every title here has the potential, and the power, to end up somebody’s favorite.
We hope you find yours.