How One Book Can Spark a Dream

Madison Cox

Charities Readers For Tomorrow Volunteer

Every story can make a difference, and it only takes one to inspire a kid to take the next step, change the way they see things, or even create a story of their own.

All it takes is a good story to open up a world of possibilities and dreams in the heart of a child. I should know that's what inspired me to start writing after all.

I had always been a kid who loved to read; the worlds within were always so different and so special. My favorite kinds of books for quite some time were those that focused on animals. Getting to see through their eyes or experience them in ways you couldn't in the real world always seemed so magical, especially when it was through the eyes of an animal I didn't see very often.

That genre of animal books was my favorite for some time until I learned about a fantasy animal and discovered a fantasy book that changed my favorite genre irreparably:

How to Train Your Dragon. The first thing people say when I mention this book is usually, “There's a book? I thought it was just a movie,” and my answer to that is, yes. There is.

There are twelve of them, actually. Moving on, reading this series was my first step into wanting to tell my own stories. Sure, before this I had imaginary friends and was putting them up to crazy adventures, but before How to Train Your Dragon, alongside a few other non-book factors, I had never considered creating my own story. I fell in love with the world Cressida Cowell created and the dragons she wrote about. Dragons quickly became one of my favorite things to draw and read about.

Eventually, I started making little stories around them, then I branched out to human characters. Of course, at first, it was just all my favorite stuff (Pokémon, How to Train Your Dragon, Zelda) mashed together, but slowly I started to learn how to create more original concepts by doing so. I still love fantasy books, especially ones made for younger kids, though I don't have as much time for the dragons and magical tales of my childhood. But I know that one day the things I write may inspire another child to dream of things they could have never hoped to imagine before.

Maybe just maybe I'll be able to inspire someone else to write as the books of my childhood once did for me.

I already mentioned 'How to Train Your Dragon' as one of the books that has made an impact on my life and inspired me to take that first step into writing, but it wasn't the only one.

Another book that was my absolute favorite as a young child was The Horse Diaries, which is a series about horses' lives from their point of view. Another more recently read favorite of mine is Masterminds by Gordan Korman, a mysterious action-adventure trilogy about kids discovering the secrets of their perfect community.

Some other great books that I love are The Chronicles of Narnia, Sarah Durst’s Spark, Story Thieves, Eragon, and Harry Potter.

There are numerous inspiring books and authors who aren't as well-known or acknowledged as they deserve to be. These stories are often referred to as hidden gems, and as such, I would like to share some of my favorites that I’ve discovered:

Dragon Slippers is a story about a girl who is trying to make a place in the world for herself as a fashion designer after getting some slippers from a dragon who collects them.

Violet Mackerel is a story about a creative girl who loves making brilliant plans. This series by Anna Branford was one of my favorites as a kid.

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville, was probably the first chapter book my dad and I ever read together. It was likely my first introduction to the concept of dragons and the first book that ever stirred my emotions to the point of tears. This book's amazing prompt and heartwarming story are something that still impacts me to this day.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo has always been one of my favorite fantasy stories. The way that everything in this cute adventure, where a mouse tries to save a princess, connects is amazing. Every time I open it for something, I find myself reading the story all over again.

The Curious Vanishing of Beatrice Willoughby is a relatively new book released September 5, 2023, by G.Z. Schmidt, and it's the perfect book to read during the Halloween season. A mystery that must be solved this Halloween night by midnight, or the truth may never be found. A spooky yet cute and charming mystery.

Some other books I think people need to know about are "Seekers of the Wild Realm" and "A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans."

In conclusion, books are a magical thing that can inspire children in all sorts of mysterious ways. All it takes is a book, a dream, and an imagination; the possibilities are endless.

Books can, as they did with me, make a child realize that stories can be made and are made by people with dreams and passions, which means that they too can bring their dreams and worlds and characters to life in a way that others can enjoy. Stories can inspire them to create new things that have never been seen before. A passion for reading is more than just a hobby; it's the beginning of a brand new adventure that every child deserves the chance to experience.

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Charity's Readers for Tomorrow is on a mission to introduce beautiful and inspiring stories and characters to the next generation. Please help us by donating so we can continue to help inspire more students like Madison.