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

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.

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.

I realized that every lesson, conference, response, and assignment I taught must lead students away from me and toward their autonomy as literate people.

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

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.