"For Milo, who knows the way."

The Onion AV Club does a feature called Q&A where the various writers answer a question posed by either a staff member or a reader. The most recent installment of Q&A, "Families and Art," had the writers listing the works of art and culture that their parents passed onto them, and what they're going to make sure to pass onto their children. I liked the discussion and want to try it here; so here is the list of stuff my family made sure I appreciated, and some of the stuff I'm going to make sure my kids are introduced to.

Thanks, Family, for these Things:

1. The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster. I just... it's so... the English language does not contain the words to accurately describe how much I love this book. I can't remember how old I was when I first read it, or even if my mom read it to me first, but I can remember my mom handing it to me and saying that it had been one of my dad's favorite books. It's just so amazing - Tock, Digitopolis, Dictionopolis, the princesses, and Milo, surly unhappy disaffected Milo who ends up saving the day in spite of himself.


2. Full Moon Fever, by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Part of my Sunday morning ritual growing up, I'd wake up to the sound of Tom Petty wailing about not backing down and the murmur of my mom's voice as she puttered around the kitchen. Later in the afternoon my best friend would come over and we'd put on the CD again, jumping off the sofa whenever Tom cried out "and I'm free, free fallin'!" No one broke any bones, surprisingly.

3. Mozart's Requiem. My grandmother used to play this for me. Not necessarily the happiest of music choices for a young girl, but amazing nonetheless.

4. Sound of Music. Another grandmother speciality - we'd watch it whenever I'd stay over at her house. My bedtime usually came and passed during the intermission (when you put in the second VHS, 'natch) and she'd forget to make me go to bed because she was caught up in the drama of Maria and Captain Von Trapp. And what about the teenage Nazi?!


5. The Never-Ending Story. I actually hated the book, but my brother bribed me into reading it, which taught me the importance of bargaining. And I later put those skills to good use with my grandmother and a copy of Gone with the Wind, so hey, good lesson.

6. Star Trek: The Next Generation. Thanks, Isaac, for preparing me for a life-time of geekery by getting me hooked on the deep space adventures of a bald man and his devoted crew. I had the biggest crush on Wesley Crusher EVER. I'm blushing just thinking about it.


Get Ready, Hypothetical Future Children, Here's What's Coming:

1. Illinois, by Sufjan Stevens. It's about America! And Illinois! And Lincoln! And he plays a million instruments! My future hypothetical children are going to be forced to listen to the entire Sufjan Stevens discography but Illinois will get an extra few rotations.


2. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon. I used to re-read this book once a year, until I lost my copy. I need to get a new one, but I'm putting it off because it won't be dog-eared in all the right places like my old copy. I'm very resistant to change.

3. Singin' in the Rain. I actually didn't see this classic musical until the end of high school, but now whenever I'm feeling blue I know that I can just pop the DVD in to my computer and instantly feel better. Debbie Reynolds is adorable, Gene Kelly is gorgeous (of course) but my favorite actor in the whole movie will always be Donald O'Connor. The faces he makes? Priceless.


4. The Ordinary Princess, by M.M. Kaye. A book about the seventh daughter of the King and Queen of a fantastical kingdom who, upon birth, is given the "gift" or ordinariness by her ornery fairy godmother. Probably the best book out there for an awkward, nerdy young girl (with the obvious exception of Catherine Called Birdy, another fabulous children's book starring a forthright heroine in an unlikely setting.)

5. All seven of the Harry Potter books. This is obvious, so I think no further explanation is needed.

6. Veronica Mars, Seasons 1 -3. This will obviously be introduced to my hypothetical future children once they are old enough to appreciate a) the perils of high school, and b) the beauty of detective noir. Veronica is just like Nancy Drew, if Nancy had to deal with dead best friends, roofies, and a Ned Nickerson who might have date-raped her or started a gang-war. Not to mention, of course, class warfare and a dizzying high school hierarchy.



What say you? Anything passed onto you that you're thankful for, or something that you're going to make sure your kids get? Share it with the class!