Wonderful Books: Why Everyone Should Read

The average American only reads 12 books a year. Can you believe that?

What if you could transcend the habits of the average American reader and transform

your academic life? Today, I will speak to you on the solution to that statistic. In this day and

age, people read fewer and fewer books each year. I fear Shady Side might fall into this

concerning trend if we do not act now.

I know it is possible for everyone in this room to read at minimum two books a month

easily. Between finishing that Latin project and that late-night practice, finding time to do things

might be like finding a needle in a haystack. After all, I am juggling these same challenges just

as you are. But if I can uncover time to read for even 10 minutes, so can you.

My experience proves that development of a reading habit will elevate every Shady Side

student. Reading has improved every aspect of my life. My purpose is not to inspire a temporary

reading trend. My goal is to cause everyone to integrate reading into a part of everyday life as

much as brushing your teeth. Reading transforms your life, enhancing your knowledge, academic

success, and social intelligence.

Firstly, before you could start reading and using your time more productively, you need to

limit your more self-destructive habits like scrolling on your phone. Research indicates that over

50% of U.S. teenagers spend four or more hours on their phones daily (Zablotsky et al.). These

statistics tell my story; I once made excuses like “I’ll start tomorrow,” “My phone is not that

bad,” “I don’t have the time”. But I had never really given reading a fair chance. If you give

someone the choice between junk food and a salad, most people will eat the junk food because
people will look too much for short-term gratification rather than their potential future. Studies

reveal that people who spend five or more hours on their phones are 70% more likely to have

suicidal thoughts (Devi et al.). Despite this, people willing lead spend self-destructive hours on

their phones daily.

While hours on our phones can slip away meaninglessly, imagine what you could do if

you redirected that time toward reading. The bus ride home is a perfect time to read instead of

going on your phone. This simple switch in how you use your travel time can lead to

unimaginable advantages. The average person reads a page a minute, meaning your spare time

could help you complete about 240 pages or 70% of the average book. According to experts,

students who read 20 minutes daily often score in the 90th percentile on standardized tests such

as the SAT. Imagine how life-changing that score could be for you.

Think of your academic journey as crossing an ocean; on the opposite shore lies better

grades, knowledge, and academic success. Reading is your speedboat, with each book adding

fuel, while phone use is like swimming exhausting yourself while making little progress. How do

you want to cross that ocean? I would choose the speedboat.

This choice between the speedboat and swimming is not just theoretical because I have

faced it myself. Even I used to attempt to swim across the ocean, one day in sixth grade I sat on

my couch while I stared at my cellphone. Even though I had a book laying right beside me,

despite my best intentions. I could not read that book for the life of me. Then I finally made the

right choice, I am not going through with this and put my phone in a room on the opposite side

of my house. With nothing to do, I picked up the book and devoured it in one sitting. That book

became one of my favorite stories and a reminder that even though it is demanding to start, the
rewards are unimaginable. All in all, most things in moderation are good, but having a

self-destructive habit such as scrolling on your phone creates tolls on your overall health in too

many ways to count.

While other less vital things taking time away from reading are important, an even more

compelling reason to read is for yourself. I understand your goals, dreams, and aspirations. I am

not here to tell why “we” should read. I am telling you why “you” specifically should read.

Reading is about reaching your goals, wonderful stories, and powerful meanings.

Your mind often counteracts reading. Although your mind is your greatest tool, it is also

your greatest enemy. When you say phrases like “I’m too busy”, “Reading is boring”, and “I’m

not good at it”, it creates mental barriers that limit yourself. The Placebo Effect shows that your

beliefs shape your reality. The brain starts with nothing blocking it, then when you tell yourself

negative things about reading, your brain creates barriers to protect you from the negative

perception. Do you think any successful person in life has ever not overcome those barriers?

Successful people have always understood how to break through these mental barriers. As

President John F. Kennedy states “No barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect,”

meaning that the only thing stopping you is your mind.

After all, the only person stopping you from these miraculous rewards is your brain, so

ask yourself ,“Why don’t I read?”. Whatever answer you may discover asking yourself that

question, consider this: “Is that answer truly worth enough for you to sacrifice your dreams,

hopes, and future?” Your mind is a wall that is impossibly high. Your dreams of becoming a

great student, athlete, and friend await you at the top of the wall. Books that empower your

journey, creating handholds that make the climb easier, whereas lying on your couch watching
TV is adding grease to the wall making you lose progress and never reach your full potential. I

would rather start today climbing to the top than wait till I have lost the chance to.

Despite this, reading grants me a lot of success. I have had to overcome my own barriers.

My goal of getting nearly perfect grades once seemed like a fantasy, but outstanding grades are

now so much more easily attainable. I now celebrate every report card day instead of fearing it.

For example, during my English Analytical Essay in December though initially stressed, each

book I read provided new sentence structures, grammar patterns, and vocabulary, creating

countless handholds for me to climb to success. Now I can look back at that essay and smile

upon my hard work. Much like the wall, every day I look in the mirror and think to myself I am

working towards my goals not for the people around me, but the person staring right at me. I

want you to be that person. But also, I want you to declare, “I work hard towards my goals every

day”.

Of course, many believe that required reading for classes provides more than enough

practice with challenging texts to get the benefits of reading.

Yet, in my experience, I have found that this reason is illogical. While required reading

provides some basic benefits, it is not enough to accomplish full literacy growth. Relying solely

on required reading for classes is like practicing one section for a test, so you may excel in one

section of that test, but end up failing to develop the comprehensive skills required to excel in the

rest. Independent reading exposes you to more unique writing styles, special vocabulary, and

develop deeper comprehension helping in all areas of life.

I understand that reading extra for fun may be challenging to do, but getting to the other

side of your ocean and the top of your wall are not easy feats. Life-changing achievements
demand your full commitment. Legendary basketball coach John Wooden reminds us, “Good

things take time” stating that extraordinary achievements require maximum effort.

All in all, receiving half-baked benefits is not what made the leaders of the past, present,

or future great. The question is: “Do you want to join their ranks?”

Shady Side Students, today, I began by sharing my belief that everyone can learn the love

of reading, and I stand firmly behind that belief.

I know how challenging it feels to balance academics, activities, and reading, but we

have to overcome these struggles as my tennis coach wisely says, “Don’t survive, Thrive,”

meaning you should not merely exist, but exceed and expand beyond limits you never thought

possible. Through reading, I achieved grades I never thought possible and transformed my worst

subject into my strongest one.

You want to have more fuel in your boat and more handholds on your wall. Do you want

to reach your goals faster, and do you want to break through walls and cross oceans?

With tests, quizzes, and projects happening daily, every book you read is an investment in

your future, in your dreams, and in the person you want to become. Do not wait until tomorrow

to begin your journey; start today, and I will see you at the library!

Works Cited

Devi, Khumukcham A, and Sudhakar K Singh. "The hazards of excessive screen time: Impacts

on physical health, mental health, and overall well-being." Journal of education and health

promotion vol. 12 413. 27 Nov. 2023, doi:10.4103/jehp.jehp_447_23

2021–December 2023. National Center for Health Statistics, Oct. 2024,

www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db513.htm. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.