E Train Talks: Literacy Advocate

Do you remember the pandemic? Were you lonely when everything closed and no one went to school? Ten-year-old Ethan missed his friends during quarantine. He joined book clubs on Zoom as a way to connect with other readers his age. Soon, he began reviewing the books he read, and he even started a YouTube channel and podcast where he interviewed authors.

One day, Ethan — who goes by the name E Train Talks — interviewed Dr. Molly Ness. Dr. Ness is an author who also works to end book deserts. E Train Talks had never heard of book deserts before, and he couldn’t believe what he learned.

“Book deserts are a lot like food deserts,” E Train Talks explained. “They’re places where books are scarce… Lots of cities and communities have a ton of areas where books are scarce. Kids never have a chance to enjoy reading and learn to love it.”

E Train Talks was shocked when he learned that there are kids who grow up without access to books.

“Books bring you a lot of joy and companionship, if you’re going through a tough time and feel alone. Not only is there always going to be a book that [shows] your struggles on the page that you can relate to, but there’s always going to be a friend that you can look to in a book,” said E Train Talks.

E Train Talks missed his friends, but at least he had books to keep him company. It made him sad to learn that there were kids without books. He knew he had to do something about it.

Literacy Advocate

E Train Talks decided to raise money and collect books to give to kids who lived in book deserts. His enthusiasm for books quickly caught on. Lots of people began to help him by raising money and donating books.

“I tried to incorporate book drives and opportunities for others to join in and help me give back,” he explained.

E Train Talks is now a 13-year-old 7th grader. In the past three years, he’s donated more than 1,500 books himself! He’s arranged for even more books to be donated by setting up book drives.

One of his favorite memories is meeting author Stuart Gibbs. Gibbs writes books like the Moon Base Alpha series and Spy School series. E Train Talks loves these books, and he was excited when he and Gibbs were able to do a book event together. They went to an elementary school where they spoke to more than 700 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Together, they talked about their love of books, as well as what writing and reading means to them. At the end of the event, they gave each student a signed copy of a book that Gibbs had written!

Book Joy

“It’s so important for kids to have access to stories,” E Train Talks said. “Books make you compassionate as you grow to love characters and understand their struggles. You grow to be empathetic, as well.”

Books have always been a big part of E Train Talks’s life. When he was a little kid, his mom would read picture books to him. Then, as he grew up, he found that he loved to read nonfiction books. Talking with others in book clubs helped him find fiction books that he enjoyed as well.

“Stories are so important and can change your life in so many ways,” E Train Talks said. “It’s been an incredible experience. I hope it can keep giving kids joy for many years to come.”