Thirty-odd years later, though, author Jonathan Lethem wrote gushingly about it, it was republished by NYRB Classics, and a younger generation that rode into urban areas on waves of gentrification could identify with its subject matter.

FORBES: The Meaningful L.J. Davis

"It is our responsibility to introduce classics to the next generation, because there's such a flood of new titles on the book market right now, especially in young adult literature, and we have to make sure that the books that we love go into the hands of our own children, " Blume tells Linda Wertheimer.

NPR: A Classic List Of Must-Read Children's Books