Seuss

Dr. Seuss' first book was rejected 27 times.

Imagine a world without The Cat in the Hat and plates of Green Eggs and Ham. Theodor Seuss Geisel—aka Dr. Seuss—toiled in relative obscurity until Vanguard Press finally took a chance on And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street in 1937. Though Geisel later switched to Random House, his subsequent books went on to sell 600 million copies. We like it, Sam-I-am!

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Think Dr. Seuss had it tough? A whopping 38 publishers rejected Margaret Mead's Pulitzer-winning Gone With the Wind. Read about other famous authors who heard "no thanks" here.

Learn more about the man behind the Grinch at this site .

Kids tapped out on Seuss? Oprah's Book Club chose the best reads for children of all ages, while the National Education Association ranked the top 100 kids' books. (We highly recommend No. 14.)   Alternatively, you can take the hassle out of shopping for junior's next tome by joining the Children's Book of the Month Club.