A Hero’s Journey: Reluctant Reader Turned Prolific Author

Her eyelids grew heavy. She was irritable. The number of words on the page was overwhelming. This is what it felt like for Erika Lewis to read. 

“Learning to read did not come easy,” said Erika, who is now an author collaborator

with J3’s Cozy Reading Club, a free reading intervention program for kids in California’s underserved schools.

“I know what it’s like to feel like everyone in the class can read better than you,” admits Ms. Lewis, who has captured the attention of a room full of J3’s fourth graders in Compton. 

It’s surprising that the writer of the beloved Kelcie Murphy books went from a struggling student to a prolific author. Although Erika was diagnosed with dyslexia as a sophomore in high school, she eventually discovered her love of reading and storytelling. 

But the journey was not easy. 

“For children who feel like they’ve fallen behind, opening the cover of a book to the first chapter and seeing all those words can be intimidating. Their first instinct is to close it and say, ‘I don’t like to read,” said Erika. “But one thing that everyone has in common is that they love stories.”

Back in the classroom, J3’s students hang on every word of the book Erika is reading aloud. Then, they learn the elements of a story. A few kids draw their characters, while others write about conflicts and imagine their resolutions. The goal has been achieved. The room is buzzing with creativity and interest in reading. 

These are the same students who arrived at J3’s Cozy Reading Club with their arms crossed tightly across their chests and hoodies covering their eyes. 

In Los Angeles, 52 percent of fourth graders cannot read proficiently. 

Because reading has been a challenge, the kids come into the program with a fixed idea of who they are: “I can’t read,” “I’m dumb,” “I’ll never succeed.” But that changes when they are introduced to J3’s growth mindset principle, which means the brain can grow to enhance intelligence and social-emotional skills. 

The kids learn they can change. And they do. 

Erika explains to the group that the brain is a muscle that needs exercise. Although the hard work can be uncomfortable, one must push through to get stronger. 

J3 aims to encourage as many young readers as possible. The stakes are high. Two-thirds of students who cannot read by the end of fourth grade will end up in jail or on welfare. Building these literacy muscles can change the trajectory of their lives. 

By bringing in authors like Erika Lewis, the students can meet accomplished people who faced similar struggles. They gain access to new ideas, thought patterns, and professions, allowing them to imagine a future they never dreamed possible.

With the help of donors like you, J3 Foundation gives these kids the life-altering tools to express themselves and become the heroes of their own stories.