Diana Wynne Jones
Nice shout out to Diana Wynne Jones. To me she'll always be the queen of the genre.

I don't know how to feel.
Back in 2000, for a high school talent show, I ate an entire chocolate cake, while my friends gave a rousing rendition "I want to be like you". Watching the looks of horror and fascination on the faces of the audience is a memory I will take to the grave.