My love of books began long before I could read. When my mom was pregnant with me, she would sit in our favorite rocking chair and read children's books to her stomach. She gave me the gift of a good story before I could even see the pictures. Many of my earliest memories are enveloped in the scent of a newly cracked spine. Sitting on my Pop pop’s lap while he read the same Little Golden book for the fourth time that week, or pouring over my school’s monthly Scholastic book catalog with a pen to circle everything I wanted. When my parents picked me up from my first day of kindergarten, I ran into their arms proudly displaying my very first library card. At the age of seven, I defiantly declared one afternoon that when I had a car, I would drive myself to the library everyday.

  My love of classics began when I first found my mom’s old copy of A Little Princess at the back of my bookshelf. Secret Garden soon followed and before I knew it, I had shelves stocked full of Fitzgerald, Plath, Dickens, and Joyce.

  I found myself becoming friends with the characters I read about. Books became my escape. When I’m feeling anxious or have no one to sit by at lunch, I can turn to my beloved stories and find comfort in my favorite characters. They come to life off the pages, inviting me into their worlds and showing me all the possible ways life can be lived and experienced. I’ve had an imaginary feast with Sara Crewe and Becky, solved countless mysteries with Nancy Drew, and attended a ball at Netherfield with the Bennets. Books opened my eyes to the world around me, guiding me through life while offering their advice and wisdom, as they have done for many readers before. Reading gifted me a voice, as well as the confidence to share it.

  Sometimes, looking at the pages of a book is like looking in the mirror. I often see myself in the characters and can relate to their struggles, hopes, and desires. My first time reading Little Women, I connected with all four of the March sisters. Jo’s ambition, Beth’s shyness, Meg’s femininity, and Amy’s perfectionism. Finding a character that you are so similar to and watching them grow throughout the story can teach you a lot about yourself.

  Without the novels, poems, and stories I love so much, my life would be completely different. I read everyday at school, at home, in the car, and even while grocery shopping. There is no feeling quite like losing yourself in a good book and wishing you’d never have to turn the last page. Life is constantly changing, but one thing I can always rely on is a book to see me through any situation. As Hemingway once wrote, “There is no friend as loyal as a book.”