Children's and young adult literature can provide a strong basis for career development. Among the qualities of good children's and young adult literature are "timeless stories," told in oral or written form, that give children knowledge about where they are from, as well as the bigger world and "empathy for those with whom they share it."^{note 18} Good children's literature inspires children to help others, solve problems, and create the future. Since careers are in a state of flux and people change jobs at an increasingly faster rate, children can learn how to manage their own lifework path, as well as learn humanistic and ethical values, by reading about other people's lives. Books allow the reader to reflect, use one's imagination, and come to one's own conclusions.

If I were to recreate my children's upbringing, I would take time from my busy work schedule to start a monthly mother-daughter book club with other mothers and daughters or a book club for children with special needs and their parents. I heard about a welfare father's group that brought together fathers and sons. Mothers and sons or other combinations of parents and their children can form "Lifework Book Clubs," (http://www.gelardin.net/lifeworks/pages/narrative/ideas/idea_bookclub.html), endorsed by the California Career Development Association. It's not too late for me. I can start a grandmother-grandchild book club when I have grandchildren!

Odessa is so excited by our children's literature discussion that she decides to pursue a Doctoral degree in Children's Literature at the University of San Francisco,^{note 19} after the vacation at Tahoe, of course. She plans to take the children next winter for an excursion to USF's "Reading the World" Conference, which celebrates multicultural literature for children and young adults (http://www.soe.usfca.edu/childlit/index.htm). Since family and early influences are the basis for one's lifework, I predict that Odessa's children are off to a good start!