Children's literature can be transforming

There’s a magic in children’s literature that can be transforming. It can help children see other worlds, other perspectives. It can help them travel -- in their imaginations, at least -- to places that they may never be able to actually visit.

My favorite children’s book fits this description. I remember reading Frances Hodgson Burnett’s “The Secret Garden” when I was about nine or 10 years old. It was (and still is!) an amazing book. Mary Lennox arrives at Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle after she was orphaned. The estate was cold and dark and not a place for a you...