Literary Essay by William Weger “If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk. When you give him the milk, he'll probably ask you for a straw.” And so goes the circular chain of events in Laura Numeroff’s wildly popular picture book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. And when you give a child a book, a whole new adventure begins. And one book leads to another. And another. And a young reader and lifelong learner is born. Kids learn that books are like magic

Book Review by William Weger On the beach, sitting in a chair with the sound of waves gently splashing ashore, I began reading Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. Suddenly, just a few pages in—before the book even had a chance to take flight—a beautiful white seagull landed a few feet away and waddled closer. In a whimsical thought, I wondered: This must be Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The bird looked at me for several minutes; perhaps seeking food or simply curious

Book Review by William Weger The first chapters of Les Misérables read more like a biography than one of the greatest achievements in classic literature. Little in the early prose foreshadows the powerful life lessons the book teaches us. That begins when Jean Valjean’s moral compass and actions compel us to look inward. We soon learn that forgiveness, simple acts of kindness, and compassion can soften hearts of stone. In reading the Signet Classic edition of Victor Hugo’s ma