"The two supreme works of childhood/horror. Lamentations of worlds lost and the innocents trapped in them. Sublime fairy tales of despair that depict the adult world as a toxic environment for kids to exist in. Secret treasures kept in the hearts of children must be safeguarded from the corruption of an adult world full of certainty and arrogance. Both films are so beautiful and so dark—they truly make me weep in awe."

"The two supreme works of childhood/horror. Lamentations of worlds lost and the innocents trapped in them. Sublime fairy tales of despair that depict the adult world as a toxic environment for kids to exist in. Secret treasures kept in the hearts of children must be safeguarded from the corruption of an adult world full of certainty and arrogance. Both films are so beautiful and so dark—they truly make me weep in awe."

"Francis Poletti writes books for children, but her stories are for everyone. They’re stories about women in history who were the first to achieve something, and what they had to battle against at that time, and how they preserved and pushed through and ended up achieving their dreams. “The Girl Who Ran,” is about a young heroine who is told that women can’t run, that running is against the rules, but she does it anyway."

"I tell these as goodnight stories to my children when we are on the train, or going somewhere at night. “The Necklace,” is particularly wonderful. I bought these at Shakespeare & Co., where they always had contemporary writers staying above the shop, and they’d solicit recommendations from them. This was one of them. It’s interesting what sticks with you. I read many classics as a child, but these are the ones that linger."