The purpose of schools should not be to prepare students for more school. We should be seeking to have fully engaged students now

Exposing students to lots of books and positive reading experiences while building a network of other readers who support each other provides students with tools that last beyond the classroom setting.

If you don't read, I don't know how to communicate with you...I can never express who I am in my own words as powerfully as my books can.

Reading changes your life. Reading unlocks worlds unknown or forgotten, taking travelers around the world and through time. Reading helps you escape the confines of school and pursue your own education. Through characters - the saints and the sinners, real or imagined - reading shows you how to be a better human being.

Books are love letters (or apologies) passed between us, adding a layer of conversation beyond our spoken words.

Students need to make their own choices about reading material and writing topics.

Readers enjoy talking about books almost as much as they like reading.

I never tell students they cannot read a book they pick up, but I do guide them toward books that I think would be a good fit for them. I think of myself as a reading mentor-a reader who can help them find books they might like.

Although I enjoy digging through the library to help students find books, my aim is to help them develop self-confidence in choosing books for themselves.

When we meet and I discover that we have read and loved the same books, we are instant friends.