Dear Readers,

We read books about the big issues. Tiger Rising isn’t just about a boy and a tiger. It’s about a boy’s relationship with his father and their shared sadness about his passed mother. It’s about the power of art and words to make sense of life. And it’s about the importance of opening yourself up to others.

The themes in a book fly out of the pages of the book and settle right in the middle of our real lives. And that’s why it’s so important to read: it helps us make sense of our lives and it makes us better understand the world. As one of my favorite writers put it, reading makes us feel “more alive and less lonely.”

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck