Cool Kid Jessica Palacios shares love of reading with children

LA CRESCENTA-MONTROSE, Calif. (KABC) -- Jessica Palacios not only loves books, she wants to share the joy of reading with others.

"I want them to see that it's fun, that it's not something that is tedious, that you have to do," says Jessica. "There's joy and imagination."

At just 8 years old, Jessica fought to save her neighborhood bookstore from going out of business. Her family now owns the Once Upon a Time Bookstore, the oldest children's bookstore in the nation. It's a place for her to show kids how important reading can be.

"More of a way for you to learn more, to discover more, either about yourself or about the world around you."

When Jessica reads with kids, the passion she has for books shines brightly.

"She has a warmth, especially when she's around a book, you can tell she really likes reading, she likes sharing books with people," says co-worker Rachel Dunham. "And you can tell that she really likes sharing the story with someone and I think kids respond to that really well."

And Jessica knows if she can get them excited about reading, it can turn into a lifelong love of books.

"You know if you get to one kid, you know that they're going to be a reader forever," says Jessica. "And that's always what you want. You want to be a reader, because you can't not read. It's so important to everything that you do."

Cool Kid Jessica Palacios knows how much a good book can mean to a young mind. And she's doing everything she can to make sure they have them.

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volunteerism, cool kids, danny romero

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