Bella-Tavera-Gonzalez is a freshman here at Mt. SAC Early College Academy (MECA). The start of her high school journey is one with a boundless love for reading.
Her love for reading began with her mom encouraging her and her family to read for at least 20 minutes daily. She says  “My mom would tell us to read for at least 20 minutes when we were younger but I think I just grew to love it even more.”
Her love for reading only grew exponentially when she delved into the wizarding world “I read all of the Harry Potter series, and from then I think I just loved to read from then on.”
Over the years of being a dedicated book fanatic, she’s encountered a trio of books that have been kept in a special place in Bella’s heart. V.E. Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Kathryn Stockett’s The Help,  and Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Emily Hugo.
“They all just made me so immersed and connected with the books. They are in the top three because I don’t think I could choose a favorite from all the ones I have read.”
In the end, Bella’s love for reading is a great example of how much the world of literature can impact a young mind.