Burning Through Pages

📚 Books We Love. We’re continuing our series highlighting the favorite books of the people behind Burning Through Pages.

Next up is Matt Knezel, who volunteers his time as a Website Support Volunteer for BTP.

Matt’s favorite book is Lamb by Christopher Moore.

“This book came to me during a time when I needed some laughs. Christopher Moore has this great ability to teach you something and make you laugh in the same medium, and this is by far one of his best examples.

It helped me through some darker times in my life and reminded me of the power of a smile in the face of adversity.

What I enjoy most about reading is that in this one medium I can learn, laugh, and grow—sometimes all at the same time.”

When asked why he supports Burning Through Pages, Matt shared:

“Because I appreciate the power of reading to shape people for the better.”

📖 Matt’s recommendation for young readers: The Harry Potter series.

We’re grateful for volunteers like Matt who help support our mission behind the scenes.

What book has made you laugh, helped you through a difficult time, or changed the way you see the world? We’d love to hear your story in the comments.

📚 Books We Love. We’re kicking off a new series highlighting the favorite books of the people behind Burning Through Pages.

First up is Christa, our Community Impact Director, and the book that helped shape her love of reading: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.

I read The Hobbit with my dad when I was a kid, and it was my first fantasy novel. At the time, I had no idea that one book would spark a lifelong love of fantasy and help me become the avid reader that I am today.

What I enjoy most about fantasy is the world-building. I spend a lot of time reading in parking lots and on sports sidelines while my kids are at practices and games. A great fantasy novel has a way of transporting me somewhere else entirely—into mythical lands, epic adventures, and imaginative magic systems that make me forget where I am for a little while.

Reading has always been a big part of my life, which is one of the reasons I love working at Burning Through Pages. Every day, I get to help create opportunities for young readers to discover books that spark their imaginations, build confidence, and maybe even become lifelong favorites.

📖 What book helped shape your love of reading? We’d love to hear your story in the comments.

This winter and spring, our book club programs served 24 students across our 10Four Youth Center and Montview Boys and Girls Club programs 📚

Together, our students, Peer Leads, and volunteers spent the last few months reading, building confidence, sharing ideas, and creating meaningful connections through stories.

We’re especially grateful for our Peer Leads—Andre, Amber, and Leland—and the volunteers (Ryan and Meagan!) who showed up week after week to help make these sessions engaging, supportive, and fun.

Because of this community:
• Every student received books to keep
• Young readers built confidence
• High school mentors gained leadership experience

Thank you for being part of this work with us 💛

Want to get involved? Visit our website link in the comments.

Planning your Boozy Book Fair visit starts here 👀

The Boozy Book Fair™ is back in Denver—with a full bookstore pop-up from Second Star to the Right Books and cocktails from Laws Whiskey House.

Take a look, find your next read (and drink), then come see us on May 17.

📅 May 17
⏰ 12–4 PM
📍 Laws Whiskey House

The Brutal Poodle Grub Gremlin is bringing the food truck eats.

This is a small glimpse into one of our weekly book clubs📚

What you don’t see here:

– the kids who weren’t sure about reading at the start
– the distractions we’re navigating
– the small wins that add up each week

What you do see: kids showing up, settling in, and giving it a shot 💛

We’re really grateful for the mentors and community who make this space possible.

Want to get involved? You can learn more about our work here: https://burningthroughpages.org.

The Castle Rock Boozy Book Fair is SOLD OUT (!!) and we’re honestly blown away—thank you for the incredible support 🫶

Planning to come without a ticket? We’d love to have you—just plan to arrive after 2pm and space out arrivals so we can keep things comfortable for everyone and maintain building capacity limits.

We went all in—and this community delivered. ♠️📚

A huge thank you to everyone who came out for our Charity Poker Tournament with Castle Pines Poker Club. It was such a fun afternoon of community, cards, and supporting youth literacy—and together, we raised $7,000 to support our programs.

Because of you, we’re able to support peer-led book clubs, fund teacher grants, and build community libraries—helping kids grow their confidence and love of reading.

We’re so grateful to Castle Pines Poker Club for hosting and to everyone who played, donated, and showed up to support this work.

Want to be part of what we’re building? Check out the link in the comments to learn more and get involved.