Senior Sean Minnick grew up with a passion for books throughout his elementary and middle school years. 

“I read nonstop, it was one of those things I did all the time,” Minnick said. “Anytime I went anywhere, I had a book with me, probably going through hundreds of books.”

Experiencing and learning to understand different perspectives is important to Minnick, especially as a child who felt like they needed to learn about the world around them.

“Not that I didn’t get out, but I didn’t travel or see as much as I do and strive to do today,” Minnick said. “Therefore, it was really important to me as a kid to see other sides of life that took me out of my world.”

Minnick believes that books offered him a way to grow differently.

“For a kid who lived in Loudoun County, to me, I think it helped me mature as a person and was very developmental.”

Minnick’s view of literature was changed in the fourth grade after he read the opening lines of “The Book Thief.”

“One of the first things about the Book Thief is that on the first page it says, ‘here’s a small fact, you are going to die,’” Minnick said. “ The blunt style of writing kind of opened me up to what you can do with writing and how books can bring out emotion. It showed me another style of writing that I hadn’t seen before for books that were made for younger kids.”

Despite not reading as much now, Minnick still appreciates the lessons that he learned through books and the overall impact a good book can have on a person.

“I think one of the most important things in life is to experience what other people are experiencing,” Minnick said. “I think that books and stories are a great way to express to other people your perspective and what you are going through. 

Minnick believes that the accessibility of books today should encourage others to seek different points of views.

“I think the appeal of a physical or digital book is that it’s right there,” Minnick said. “I think the reason books are important is because of what they portray, and I think if we move away from books and away from stories it would leave us in a weird spot because to me, when I was younger, it helped me grow into someone a little less ignorant.”

Q&A

Q) What is your all time favorite book?

A) The Book Thief.

Q) What are some things you enjoy outside of reading?

A) I’ll go through phases of different stuff: I like skateboarding, I work a lot, I used to play guitar, and I like playing lacrosse. There has never been one distinct hobby that I keep forever, but I do enjoy different things.