A book to read with the kids: today's recommendation is from Andrea Morales, from Quipu.

The publishing house Quipu has a motto: guardians of stories , and one of its guardians is Andrea Morales , an editor who defines herself in a few words: "a reader and book lover." Also trained as a teacher, if she were a child again, she is sure she wouldn't miss classics like those by Elsa Bornemann, "which I was able to appreciate more as an adult," or the Caídos del Mapa saga by María Inés Falconi. She tells Clarín that they are "the kind of books that make you a reader."

Quipu is a leading publishing house, and its catalog includes some of the most popular names in the country's children's and young adult literature: Guillermo Barrantes, Ricardo Lesser, Laura Ávila, Fabián and Ariel Sevilla, and María Inés Falconi . Andrea Morales is behind these books.

And at Clarín 's request, he reviews the role of books in his life and recommends two must-reads.

–If you were a kid now, what book would you never miss?

–I think if I could go back to reading children's books, I wouldn't miss classics like those by Elsa Bornemann, which I came to appreciate more as an adult. But, modesty aside, I would definitely get hooked on Caídos del Mapa by María Inés Falconi. It's a series that connects with what any pre-teen feels: friendships, love, entanglements, with a lot of humor. It allows you to grow with the characters in a very "that happens to me too" way. It's one of those books that makes you a reader. And among the more childish ones, it's hard for me to choose, but I love titles like Fabulando fábulas , which we published a few months ago and breaks with the traditional moral ending of fables and allows you to choose different endings in a kind of "choose your own moral"; Gallo Pinto by Istvansch, which, in addition to the beautiful illustrations, has all those rhymes and songs that one plays with in one's first encounters with literature and oral storytelling; and Puro Pelo. Neither Princes nor Princesses!, by Juan Chavetta and Fabián Sevilla, and Strange Creatures, by Marie Slosse, for their fresh, original proposals, conceived from the real perspective of children.

–What do you remember from your childhood readings?

I read a lot at home, especially with my mom, as part of a routine we shared after homework or before bed. There were always books at home: Anteojito's library, the "My Books" collection by Hyspamerica, classic works, comics by Patoruzito and Isidoro Cañones, and more, since my parents used to buy collections from different publishers. That habit left its mark on me. I especially remember Journey to the Center of the Earth and how, as a child, I was captivated by crime and horror authors: Conan Doyle, Christie's, Poe, Leroux, Gaboriau... At school, I loved going to the library more than anything, and among the titles I remember are Rare Hairstyles by Carlos Rodrigues Gesualdi, Stories to Play by Gianni Rodari, and, as a teenager, The Lady of the Camellias by Dumas.

–How does the publisher choose the books it will publish?

We accept projects through open calls or spontaneously, and we also work with authors on specific ideas. We evaluate the text first, then the illustrations, and we always look for books that speak to readers, that feel contemporary and represent our identity as a publisher and as "keepers of stories." There's a lot of creative back-and-forth with authors and illustrators, which enriches the process.

–Which title in the publisher's catalog has a special history?

–A special project is the Historical Green Series, a fiction collection based on real events, which seeks to bring history closer to children from a human and narrative perspective, without falling into the encyclopedic or the fantastical. It addresses different events and characters (the Falklands War, the return to democracy, Independence, the May Revolution, San Martín, Sarmiento, Anne Frank) with stories based on real events but told from other points of view, closer to readers, to make the approach to historical facts more attractive. With authors such as Guillermo Barrantes, Ricardo Lesser, Laura Ávila, Fabián and Ariel Sevilla, and María Inés Falconi, among others, we achieve a balance between truth, emotion, and curiosity, with QR codes and additional resources that invite further exploration.