Michael Ende. The Neverending Story.
Many of my German-speaking friends will have read this one, and would quite likely list it as one of their favorite childhood books. In the English speaking world, the book seems to be less well-known. Some people I asked seemed to have a vague idea of “wasn’t there a movie in the 80’s? With a white dragon…? Yes?” No! I’m NOT recommending the movie (among others, the author himself hated it quite fiercely).
The book, however, is one of the most beautiful fantasy novels I’ve come across, starting with the print itself: the hardcover edition is printed entirely in colored ink, purple and green, for the different story threads.
Without giving away too much of the plot: a shy and bookish boy, Bastian, needs to find his journey through a fantastic world and back into his own by following the (too?) simple instructions: “Do What You Want“. A quest that is much harder than it may sound.
Like many books that are loved by children, this one was not written solely with children in mind, and it is worth picking it up as a grown-up again. Some of the big themes of the book are the exploration of free and true will, of the responsibility to decide, and of creativity as a force.