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

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

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.

I am a reader, a flashlight-under-the-covers, carries-a-book-everywhere-I-go​, don't-look-at-my-Amazon-bill. I choose purses based on whether I can cram a paperback into them, and my books are the first items I pack into a suitcase. I am the person who family and friends call when they need a book recommendation or cannot remember who wrote Heidi. My identity as a person is so entwined with my love of reading and books that I cannot separate the two.

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.

I try to teach my students that books are a mirror, reflecting their own lives, and a window, giving them a peek into someone else's.

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