A quality that I have appreciated throughout reading this book is its diverse content. Literature teaches the power of words, and this book has shown how impactful words are across cultures, interests, values, and identities. For young readers, this is an easy and quick read that packs a powerful punch. I would love to use it to show students that meaningful messages can be conveyed in many ways, whether that is a short anecdote or a hefty novel.

As I began reading Matt de la Peña's piece, I thought, How can I connect with this piece? I am the antithesis of the narrator, yet as I finished the piece, I felt a connection to the narrator. This struck me from a teacher's and a reader's lens. While we may not directly connect to the story or characters, little bits resonate differently across my classroom. How cool is it that the same story can be read differently to each student I teach?