Ayun Halliday
Chief primatologist of the award-winning East Village Inky zine and author of seven books, including No Touch Monkey! And Other Travel Lessons Learned Too Late and Peanut, a graphic novel for young adults

“I had so many favorite books, many of which are shared by others of my generation. But one that seems specific to me is The Difference of Ari Stein, by Charlotte Herman. It was about a blond Jewish boy who lives in New York City, moves to a new neighborhood, and is immediately befriended by a daring, unsupervised kid named Maxie or Moxey or something like that, who hangs out on the boardwalk at Coney Island. Ari was an only child, like me, so he was relatable, and I have a hunch that the book provided me with a taste of New York City street life, a world in which kids could spend part of the day operating as free agents, interacting with shopkeepers, strangers…going where the spirit moved them.”