I was surrounded by words as a child growing up on our family farm, sitting around the kitchen table and listening to the stories and legends my father told. My mother quoted poetry and took us to the library regularly. I loved books from an early age, craving their weight and feel. 

 

When I was 11, I read Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson for the first time. I remember so clearly lying on my bed, the late afternoon light streaming down on me. Reading Paterson’s Newbury winner was the first time I can remember feeling known by someone or something other than the people in my family. When I read the end of the book, I closed it and held it close to my heart. I didn’t move, but stayed where I was in that faded sunlight reveling in the idea that I was not alone. I knew that because I had read it in a book. The words changed my life.

 

My  love of books and reading led to my job as a high school English teacher and school librarian. My favorite part was matching readers with books, stories, and poems, helping them find the words they needed right then. I was especially happy when I watched them cry or laugh at what they read. I knew how that felt. 

 

Currently, I work at a statewide digital library where I ensure all students have access to eBooks that engage and enchant them. I live with my family in my Ohio hometown in an old, possibly haunted, house. I believe books are the best way to learn more about humanity, the world, and yourself.