Believe In the World

"What a joy it is to read this book! It’s a treasure trove of beautiful, thought-provoking quotations. These pages inspired me to re-read many of my favorite books, and I’ve added dozens of new titles to my to-be-read pile."
 

“Gash and Howard’s collaboration reframes the themes of children’s literature for older readers. Pulling from the works of contemporary writers such as Elizabeth Acevedo and Jason Reynolds, and classic authors such as Beverly Cleary, this collection showcases how the edifying power of children’s literature continues well into adulthood.”

“I can’t imagine any reader not being inspired by the wisdom from children’s books of the past and present that Gash and Howard have collected. Reading through it not only gave me much to think about (for example In Achingly Alice, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor tells us that “Happiness is wanting what you have.”), but these quotes also brought back so many lovely memories of books that I’d read as a kid or when I worked as a children’s librarian. And Eleanor Davis’s illustrations are a perfect complement to the text."

“Believe in the World lets the voices that have been calling out to us since childhood be heard—voices that have been largely drowned out in our noisy, distracted adult lives. Gash and Howard have given us a way to recall a time in our lives when being human meant aspiring to be kind, finding ways to be brave, showing gratitude, holding community and family close, and seeking friendship above all else. It's not that we've wholly forgotten the lessons from the books of our youth, it's just that too many of us have stopped listening.”

"As a librarian who reads and recommends books to children, so many of those books touch me as powerfully as they touch the kids. This diverse collection is filled with wisdom, whimsy, and joy and will make a lasting impact.”

Praise for What the Dormouse Said: 

"Charming. By turns touching, funny, scary, nostalgic.”
—The New York Times

“By turns humorous, perverse, nonsensical and insightful, the words will jog more than a few memories.”
—Publishers Weekly

“A nice little gift book.”
—Booklist