One of my favorite things to do in the whole world is read parts of Third Grade Mermaid aloud to the schools I visit. Sometimes it's to modest-sized groups of 30-40 students, but it's often as big as 400 or more. Either way, I love to show these children the kind of excitement and passion that can go into reading a book aloud. It's more of a high-energy performance than just "reading," and it's worth it. After my presentations, I've seen countless kids (of all ages) literally reading out loud with the same vigor and joy I just showed them. And in many ways, that's the point of it all.