Patton Oswalt & others recommend their fave children's books...

...at USA Today. 

This is Patton O. talking about the books that had the biggest influence on him:

Probably all of the Beverly Cleary books, for the weird crossover feeling, as well as The Great Brain books, which actually show the main character growing up and out of his "Great Brain" persona. Those were the earliest books that made an attempt to mimic life as I was living it.