all my summers in Narnia I escape the
maze and I was the 82nd victor of the
Hunger Games okay maybe that one’s a
little exaggerated I’m not that heroic
you don’t believe me it’s true
where did I get the tickets how did I
get there well I found a book all the
stories are true all the books all the
fantasies they’re all true maybe not in
this universe but somewhere or perhaps
in the back of my mind every book is a
doorway a door that leads me to
someplace new when I saw into this ocean
of words I forget Who I am
I forget that this place even exists I’m
somewhere else and someone new when
Harry Potter went through his journey of
loss and friendship I found a new site
to myself even though I’m yet to lose
someone of my own the loss of Fred
Weasley hurt as much as the loss of a
loved one would a part of me faded away
books taught me that loss breaks you
down but friendship builds you back up
us they’re standing in the flames of the
war when Julian had to watch his own
father die to protect his younger
siblings and Clary watch the only good
left and her brother disappear I was
standing in the shadows of the flames I
was right next to them books made me
strong but I would like to rephrase that
statement books taught me how to be
strong and they can teach you to
watching friendships like the one of
will and James bloom and live beyond
depth a bond that could be seen alive
later friendship never dies reading
takes you on an unimaginable journey a
roller coaster that never ends
every twist every turn and every drop
leaves you with heartache joy adrenaline
and the story for life When Harry Met
severus snape for the first time the
connection was dead all we could see is
utter hate it’s like when you meet
someone for the first time and you just
know that you are not going to get along
he sees new shades and layers of Snape’s
life and in the end when everything is
supposed to be uncovered he ends up
discovering even more we see people all
the time but all we see is the first few
sheets we never truly know each other we
try and uncover each other’s layers find
out who we truly are and when we think
we know someone there’s a mass hidden
underneath when I see people I see
different shades and layers and
discovering them is so much easier after
unraveling the lives
of the thousands of characters in the
stories that I read people are like the
ocean they go deeper and deeper and no
one truly knows what lies underneath but
that doesn’t stop us from searching in
the beginning Severus Snape was a grumpy
old teacher but in the end he was
probably the bravest man that Harry had
ever met at least we get to meet and see
other people imagine living a life where
you are not allowed to escape you can
see the world but never go there being
trapped in a bubble Maddy was lied to
her entire life about having a disease
and never left her house she never went
to school in a community went and played
outside with friends or traveled to all
those bizarre locations on her bucket
list but the thing was she had an
enormous collection of books which
always made me jealous
and when she would want to leave she
would read and that kept her going the
book opens of the line I’ve read many
more books than you it doesn’t matter
how many you’ve read I’ve read more
believe me I’ve had the time and every
time I read this I laugh the first thing
that comes in my head is of course I
read many more books than you reading
ensures us that even if we are alone
we’re not lonely how many of you
remember seeing the ocean for the first
time for some of us it’s an incredible
memory but some of us can’t even
remember but when Maddie left her house
saw the beach and swam in the waves the
ocean between the words took me there I
could feel the joy that she felt some
books are long some books are boring
some books give you wings and others
make you want to jump in a well I agree
I’ve been there but books are so much
more discovering something new and
falling into a place you would never
dream to be going on an unexpected
journey I fell down a rabbit hole down
and deeper just like Alice and now I
can’t get out of it I saw this whole new
side of books it’s like being teleported
to someplace new a book is like a
television set that plugs into your mind
but it’s much more entertaining and the
best part is there are no commercials
ever since I wandered down this lane of
books my worldview changed almost
instantly I don’t remember myself or how
I saw the world before I fell down this
rabbit hole I can confidently say that
reading elevated my understanding of
people friends circumstances situations
and our community in general I became a
different person standing back and
seeing how friendships form and seeing
how people change I find it so much
easier to feel what others feel every
story every character every life and
every death
everything from this world became a part
of mine what I see what I think and what
I do always changed when I found this
world
I found myself so when I was eight years
old I didn’t really find a closet to
Narnia when I turned 11 my Hogwarts
letter arrived late when I turned 12 a
satyr didn’t come take me to camp
half-blood when I turned 17 people that
are come tell me that I’m a Shadowhunter
at least when I’m 50 Gandalf is on time
for a surprise adventure I’m not saying
you should drop everything and fall in
love with reading what do you like to do
do you like to play video games then
read a book about it do you like to
travel then read about a new journey you
never know what might surprise you like
JK Rowling says if you don’t like to
read you haven’t really found the right book thank you