In these pages, some of today's most wonderful culture-makers-writers, artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and philosophers-reflect on the joys of reading, how books broaden and deepen human experience, and the ways in which the written word has formed their own character. On the page facing each letter, an illustration by a celebrated illustrator or graphic artist presents that artist's visual response. Among the diverse contributions are letters...

"Hay un montón de razones por las que merece la pena leer: porque es útil, divertido, nos acerca a los demás, nos hace estar mejor con nosotros mismos...Y así, hasta 101"--P. [4] of cover. There are many, many reasons for taking the time to read, and reading this book will give you 101 of them.

"THIS BOOK IS BANNED! PLEASE DON'T EVEN TRY TO READ IT. IF YOU DO, YOU'LL FIND OUT WHY WE DON'T WANT ANYONE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END... With each page, characters are erased from the story, cut out, and taped over. This book playfully discourages readers from turning the page, even to throw the book away, but when readers finally get to the end they find an absurd surprise ending--one that shows the importance of free speech"--

Illustrations and text describe how the Mixtecs create painted manuscripts, or codices, that reflect their way of life and document their history, science, land tenure, tribute, and sacred rituals. A young Aztec girl tells her little brother how their parents create beautiful painted manuscripts, or codices. She explains to him how paper is made from local plants and how the long paper is folded into a book. Her parents and others paint the codices...

"Snappsy's ordinary day is interrupted by a meddling narrator"--

"Carter G. Woodson was born ten years after the end of the Civil War, to parents who had both been enslaved. Their stories were not the ones written about in history books, but Carter learned them and kept them in his heart. Carter's father could not read or write, but he believed in being an informed citizen. So Carter read the newspaper to him every day, and from this practice, he learned about the world and how to find out what he didn't know....

Biography of a young boy who loved to read books and learn and grew up to be the president of the United States.