Each generation seems to invent its own reasons for war.

And I see the - you know, when I go to the juvenile detention centers and prisons, I see people who can't read now. And I know that when they leave those prisons and those detention centers, they're not going to be able to make it in our society.

What did I do? I walked into a drugstore to look for some mints, and then I walked out. What was wrong with that? I didn't kill Mr. Nesbitt.

On the streets of the city They have taken my Who-I-Am As well as my What-I-Was And now I am desperate for them both Again

As a young man, I saw families prosper without reading because there were always sufficient opportunities for willing workers who could follow simple instructions. This is no longer the case. Children who don't read are, in the main, destined for lesser lives. I feel a deep sense of responsibility to change this.

We need to tell kids flat out: reading is not optional.

Cutting people out of your life is easy, keeping them in is hard.