I Read Because

Last month Ms. Farrell and I went to a Young Adult Book conference at Wells College. The presenter, Kathleen Odean, closed the day with this quote from Richard Peck. He won the Newbery Award for his book A Year Down Yonder. I wanted to share this because it sums it all up...

"I read because one life isn't enough, and in the page of a book I can be anybody;
I read because the words that build the story become mine, to build my life;
I read not for happy endings but for new beginnings;
I'm just beginning myself, and I wouldn't mind a map;
I read because I have friends who don't, and young though they are, they're beginning to run out of material;
I read because every journey begins at the library, and it's time for me to start packing;
I read because one of these days I'm going to get out of this town, and I'm going to go everywhere and meet everybody, and I want to be ready."

~Richard Peck, Newbery winning author