Dear Mom and Granny,

I just wanted to say thanks. Thanks for inspiring my love of reading, for showing me how important it is and how beneficial it is to my life.

Mom, thanks for reading to me as a child. I’m grateful that you always asked me what I was reading, and that my whole life I have seen you interact with youth, not just your students but all the kids you interact with, by asking them what they are currently reading.

I remember you trying to convince me to read Harry Potter, while I sat there trying to avoid the trendy book about wizards. Because of your persistence I fell in love with one of the most influential series ever, and thanks for the midnight releases with me (the books of course).

Granny, I’ll never forgot sitting in your home talking about books. You, my grandmother, showing me your journals filled with information on all of the books that you have ever read. Thanks for showing me the importance of continuing to expand my horizons into adulthood. I’m grateful for every time you told me of a particular book I should read and every time you would give me a book to read. I remember sitting at my home opening a package to find a book about an orphan train, I cracked open that book and knew I wanted to read it based on the scent alone.

I’m grateful to have such influential educators in my life. That there was someone to lead me to my love of reading, which has vastly improved all facets of my life. Thanks for tolerating my reading into the night, allowing me to read almost every babysitters club book that my library had. Thanks for your willingness to check books out of the library for me.

Please don’t ever stop asking people what they’re reading and don’t ever stop making book suggestions for me.