Dear Lucy Calkins,

It was 1994 and I was enrolled in a credential program to become an elementary school teacher. My professor, Dr. Joann Adams, began every class with a read aloud of a children's book. During this chaotic time of college life, listening to a beloved classic or a newfound favorite was a calming and centering activity that allowed us to focus on the arduous work of becoming teachers. Looking back, I now know that Dr. Adams was purposeful in this practice, cultivating a love for literature that we would carry forward into our own classrooms.