I've decided to start with one of my all-time favorite books, that also happens to be one I've been trying to convince a friend to read for years, The Little Prince by Antoine Saint-Exupery. I understand if you are a little confused by my choice, but The Little Prince is not just a children's book. The Little Prince can be read on many levels: it can be a children's story, a philosophical treatise, a reminder of the importance of experiencing life, or it can explain the importance of friendship.
I have read The Little Prince about twenty times in my life, sometimes more than once in the same week. I first read The Little Prince when I was around eight years old, and later picked it up again in high school. It was during my high school reading of the book that I realized how multi-faceted the book is; I did not feel like I was reading a children's book, nor did it even feel like the same book I had read less than ten years before. Every time I read the book I feel like I learn something new about it.
I think, perhaps, the part of the book that always strikes me most and has the best message is actually the dedication page. The last two sentences of this dedication sum up something I feel is both true and important: "All grown-ups were children first. (But few of them remember it (Saint-Exupery,VII).)" Sometimes I think the world would be a much more enjoyable place if all the grown-ups could remember being children.
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