The real magic of a book isn't whether it's "literary" or teaches something specific—it's whether it creates a reader. A child who loves reading will eventually read everything: the classics, poetry, technical manuals, whatever they need. But a child who sees reading as a chore or something imposed on them? They'll drop it the moment no one's forcing them.
This matters now more than ever, when screens compete viciously for attention and reading feels like a skill we have to protect. We get caught up worrying about which books are "the right ones"—the acclaimed novels, the character-building stories. But Angelou's insight flips that: the best book for your kid might be the graphic novel they're obsessed with, or the fantasy series everyone else has moved past. If it's keeping them reading, it's doing the job.
There's something else worth noticing here too. She talks about creating a "deep and continuing need" for reading—not just a habit, but a need. That's the difference between something you do and something you can't live without. When reading becomes a need, a person gains access to worlds, ideas, and consolation for their whole life. That's why the particular book matters so much less than the spark it creates.