Three famous writers--Eudora Welty, Madeleine L'Engle, and Jack London--used their silent reading experiences to survive not only their childhoods, but also to become adult chroniclers of human lives. Pulitzer-prize winning author Eudora Welty credits an extended period of silent reading when she was 7 years old (and home from school for nearly a year) with the discovery of her author's voice. Madeleine L'Engle credits her observations of life and people for starting her on her journey to become a writer. Unlike Eudora, Madeleine had more than one period of solitude in her childhood, and Madeleine's solitude was coupled with the intense loneliness of an only child with physical problems and distant, frail parents. Solitude and loneliness intensified by the need to escape extreme poverty led Jack London to literacy. Jack loved books as much as he loved reading them. These three authors entered the world of literacy fueled by need: Eudora for entertainment during an extended illness; Madeleine to combat shyness and loneliness; and Jack to survive emotional rejection and poverty. Adults must give children uninterrupted time to discover silent reading and to discover themselves through books. It is up to adults to give children both the time and the safety to find the way to adulthood. (RS)