Before I even knew how to read, stories were my first passion, and I demanded and devoured them every night before bed. I’m lucky to have had parents who ignited this spark and who continued to fan the flame throughout my childhood. I consider myself fortunate to be able to share this part of myself with others, first as a journalist and now in the classroom. As an educator, I strive to promote the benefits and joys of reading to both students and the adults in their lives. Most importantly, I aim to help each pupil see himself or herself as a reader. Donalyn Miller, educator and author of texts about cultivating lifelong reading habits in children, has been my guru in this endeavor. Miller & Kelley (2014) suggest we need to engage in “planned, explicit conversations that model and teach students how to develop reading lives” (p. xxii). A key part of this direct instruction is the need to foster an eventual independence in young readers. After all, students will not be able to rely on a teacher’s or a librarian’s help forever. “If students remain dependent on teachers to remove all obstacles that prevent them from reading, they won’t become independent readers” (p. xviii).