Jumanji

Author: Chris Van Allsburg

First line: "Now remember," Mother said, "your father and I are bringing some guests by after the opera, so please keep the house neat."

Why you should read this book: Chris Van Allsburg changed the fact of children's literature with sumptuous, detailed, realistic black-and-white illustration and an inventive perspective on a world both familiar and fantastic. Like so many awesome children's books, this one begins with siblings left home alone and bored out of their minds, until they find a mysterious board game, Jumanji, that brings all the excitement and terror of darkest Africa into the confines of their living room. Earning a Caldecott medal and inspiring a motion picture, this is an enduring classic.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Having recently been bitten by a tsetse fly, you are feeling very, very sleepy.