The Booka That Done Hooked Ya

The group First Book, dedicated to getting books into the hands of small children everywhere, is mere moments away from distributing their 5 millionth book.  How best to celebrate?  They have launched a new campaign with a handy dandy poll.  Say they, "Share the memory of your beloved first book, then help the next generation develop memories of their own: vote for the state you’d like to receive 50,000 new books for children in need."  I did it and, as of yesterday around 4:57 p.m., here were the state rankings:

1. Florida
2. California
3. Texas
4. Ohio
5. New York
6. Louisiana
7. Massachusetts
8. North Dakota
9. Indiana
10. Kentucky
11. Pennsylvania
12. Michigan
13. Washington
14. Colorado
15. Illinois
16. Mississippi
17. West Virginia
18. Alabama
19. Alaska
20. Arizona
21. Missouri
22. New Jersey
23. Hawaii
24. Tennessee
25. District of Columbia
26. North Carolina
27. South Carolina
28. Virginia
29. Wisconsin
30. Minnesota
31. New Hampshire
32. Georgia
33. Idaho
34. Kansas
35. Maine
36. Oklahoma
37. Connecticut
38. Nevada
39. Oregon
40. Arkansas
41. Maryland
42. New Mexico
43. Montana
44. Vermont
45. Wyoming
46. Delaware
47. Iowa
48. Nebraska
49. Rhode Island
50. South Dakota
51. Utah

Utah better get cracking if it wants to win this one.

So Publisher’s Weekly, in the same vein, asked some authors what books really started them on the path to no return.  Some answers:

Michael Chabon: Ray Bradbury’s Rocket Man
Meghan O’Rourke: Ludwig Bemelman’s Madeline

And others.

Thanks to Galleycat for the link.

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