Stanzy Snyder

Dear Margaret Peterson Haddix,

When I checked out the first book in your series The Shadow Children, I thought it was just a book. A book that you read and that was it. After I finished your book it meant so much more to me than a collection of pages you scan your eyes over from left to right.

Your book made me realize how fortunate Americans really are. No food shortages, no population rule, and government laws that are fair for everyone, are the things that people aren't as grateful for as they should be. Now that I realize that, I have been a lot more thankful for what I have, than to wish for things I don't have.

I used to whine to my parents complaining about how I don't have an Ipod or a different object I would hold in my hands. I try now to think of what I have and what others have. To me I feel very rich. Not through money though, but through other ways like a loving family and some of the rights I have like I said before.

Another way your book changed my point of view is to stand up for what you believe in and to help others. The way Jen stood up for what she believed in made me think. If Jen is willing to risk her life for her rights and those for others, what could I do for the world in the situations we are in? Since I read your book I have been looking into volunteering at ChildServe, a facility that helps children who are less able than most.

The way your book changed my view made the pages seem like more than just pages. It made it seem more like a fable. A fable that taught me to be a better person and to go out of my way for others.

Your Friend,
Stanzy Snyder