Magic in the making

My mom taught me to read when I was fairly young. I read my first real book, Little House in the Big Woods, before first grade, and after that books blew my world wide open.

Being an only child who spent a lot of time off the grid at the family homestead, books let me travel and explore in ways I could not in my daily life. They created new worlds, introduced me to new ideas. They gave me friends and crushes and animal companions I loved as much as my real ones.

These aren’t original thoughts. There are a million great quotes out there about the joy of reading and how books enrich our lives. But to all the people working hard to ensure future generations of books—writers, agents, publishers, editors, booksellers—I know it can be hard, demoralizing even, but it’s so worth it.