From one of the most respected voices in young-adult literature comes this impassioned, inspiring book of observations and ideas. Part memoir, part writing manual, part social commentary, Invitations to the World spans Richard Peck's entire career-from his first days as a high school English teacher to his current life as a Newbery-winning author-and touches on the issues that have followed him throughout it: the dangers of conformity and censorship, the limits of our education system, and the desire to provide young people with books that will nourish their fragile individuality.

Including strong, witty poems and excerpts from Peck's award-winning novels, as well as reproducible pages of tips for encouraging children to read, this is an invaluable book for all parents, librarians, teachers, writers, and readers.