READING L.A.

Joelle Dumas, educator:

“Summerhill: A Radical Approach to Child Rearing” by A.S. Neill (Hart).

“A.S. Neill was the child psychologist who started the famous Summerhill School in mid-century England. His was a simple philosophy of pure love and freedom for children.”

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Cathryn Shin, public defender:

“Siddhartha” by Hermann Hesse (Bantam).

“Hesse takes his reader on a beautiful and sometimes painful journey of self-realization. In Siddhartha’s quest for knowledge, he discovers wisdom. This is a classic that should be reread at different stages of your life.”

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Sue Ludwig, advertising executive:

“All the President’s Men” by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward (Touchstone).

“The current situation in Washington inspired me to pick up this book. It is extremely well-written, detailed and far more shocking than what’s happening in the White House today.”

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Gail Lerner, writer:

“Birds of America” by Lorrie Moore (Alfred A. Knopf).

“Moore is one of my favorite writers, and this collection of stories is her best yet. She effortlessly blends wit and sorrow and isn’t afraid to pun in the face of tragedy.”