Who Am I and Why Do I Love Books?

My name is Ryder, and I’m a Senior at Oakwood School in Los Angeles.

As the son of two writers, I was bombarded with books from the moment I was born. Like many parents, mine read to me every night before bed. And at some point, their love of reading made its way into me.

Today, I mainly read for school, but I can honestly say that books have played a big role in making me the person I am. Books like The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, The Crossover by Kwame Alexander, and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald have all taught me a lot about the world and how I want to be. In fact, I’m even considering being an English major in college, something I didn’t think I would be just a few years ago.

I know a lot of kids don’t have the access to books like I do, so the Big Sunday Books n’ Brunch Book Drive is a great way to share my love of reading with others.