L Frank BaumWhy?
Along with illustrator WW Denslow, Baum created what would prove to be one of the most popular, successful and enduring children's stories of the last hundred years - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. He went on to pen numerous sequels and other works, but it's the first book, and of course the 1939 movie, that has made such an impact on popular culture.
Required reading:
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

















