Straight from the heart: to understand kids' deepest emotions, take a look at what they love to read.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

I wasn't sure why the fifth grader approached me after I finished my talk to his class. Or, rather, I wasn't sure of the real reason.

On the surface, it was obvious: he wanted to tell me that he'd read one of my picture books when he was younger. Or maybe he was just one more kid who wanted attention from an author and managed to think of something to say. He seemed a little shy, but he was perfectly courteous.

"It was Mommy Go Away," he said. "The one you showed us."

The librarian hovered nearby, listening.

I smiled and said that was great to hear. He wasn't finished. "It was really good," he said. "I liked it a lot." He gazed at me seriously.

I told him I was glad that he had liked it, and thanked him for telling me. I glanced toward the back of the room where his teacher was organizing his class into a line.

The boy leaned in. "I don't know where it is now. I tried to find …