What's a better way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon than to curl up on the couch and read a good book? I'm in the middle of a few books right now, but I decided to pick up an old favorite. The Newbery Honor Award book, A Cricket in Times Square by George Selden is a lovely children's book about a cricket from Connecticut who accidentally ends up in the Times Square subway station. There, Chester Cricket befriends a fast-talking mouse and a street-smart cat as he helps bring success to a struggling family-owned news stand by playing his beautiful music.

The 150-page book is a quick read, but it has a lot of heart. It's a sweet story about friendship, sacrifice and delighting in life's simple pleasures. I confess, part of why I love this book so much is that it was one of the books my mothers used to read to me at bedtime. Every night after saying our prayers, she would tuck me in and would sit on the couch by my bed to read to me. It was always the best part of my day. So now, even in my 20s, I feel like I'm eight years old again. Funny how a good book can take you back. What are your favorite children's books?