Recs if you like The Little Engine That Could...

Here you’ll find a multitude of children’s books featured in the 1998 film You’ve Got Mail, which, if you’re unfamiliar, heavily features a children’s bookstore called The Shop Around the Corner. Nothing brings me joy quite like children’s literature and 90s nostalgia, so I have painstakingly studied the shelves featured in the film to bring this list to life. I hope that at least one book here unlocks a nostalgic memory for you, or at least conjures a smile of recognition.

A list of written works entering the Public Domain in the United States on January 1st, 2026! Go find a copy and get thee reading!

Marilyn Monroe was known as an avid reader with a deep love of literature. She took literature courses at UCLA, married a playwright, and was (in?)famously photographed reading Ulysses in a park. It's said that her divorce to Arthur Miller stemmed from an incident in which he insulted her intelligence. Supposedly, she amassed a 1000+ book collection at the height of her reading that she was very proud of. Here are the books known to be a part of her beloved personal library.

perfect for bedtime or otherwise, timeless stories, gorgeous illustrations

So many childhood books, so little time, feel free to comment suggestions