In the May 2 issue of READ, we asked students to tell us about their experiences "being swept away" into books. Thanks to Brennan Baringer, 14, for responding to the call. Great job Brennan! We hope your "hunger" always persists and you always find the most delicious books to quench it.  

Reading is the link to worlds where anything is possible--from gods and goddesses to magic and mythical creatures. It is a fiery passion that descends upon us and casts its luring trap--that makes us want to read more and more. Good books will seize you and never let go. They will lure you in and you will be lost in its pages, shouting for joy and weeping with sorrow at each twist and turn.

When I find a good book I read it heart and soul. I read it over and over hungering evermore for the words that are food for my mind and soul. Characters eventually become part of you. You see them and it almost feels as if they are alive:living, breathing, and feeling. When they get into trouble you want to be there. You want to save them and protect them because they have been there for you and you want to be in the story to save what you treasure.

The most loathesome part of the book is the ending. The book has become a treasured friend and the end is saying farewell. You don't want an end though, you want to be lost in a neverending story that only ends when your
dragon-sized thirst for the masterpiece is slain.