You mean when he says: “Don’t ever tell anybody anything, if you do you’ll start missing everybody.” Suddenly he’s realised that in telling the story he’s become less carefree, that he cares. Let’s go on to the third book. Chike and the River by Chinua Achebe. Many of us know Things Fall Apart, but I don’t think as many of us know this, his first children’s story. What made you choose this book?

Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist—books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.” The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. KingTrying to find your place in the world is hard. Add hormones, first loves, and family drama into the mix, and growing up can feel like an impossible task — it’s no wonder so many of us try to put it off! But like it or not, we all have to grow up at some point, and as the best coming-of-age books prove — despite the challenges of this transitional period — we all emerge in one piece.

Russel’s life is not always filled with blissful memories. He remembers when he ended up bursting in tears after hearing about his father’s death. There was also a time when Russel was struggling and was deeply depressed; not able to withstand the fact that his mother was going to get married with another man due to his unworldliness. There were times when he felt sympathy towards his mother, who sacrificed her allowances to buy Russel a beautifully striped green suit.On August 14, 1925, US journalist, humorist and biographer Russell Baker was born in Loudoun County, Virginia. His father died early on and his hard-working mother reared him and his sisters during the Great Depression. Baker managed to get himself into Johns Hopkins University, where he studied journalism.