This week one of my favorite pastimes was celebrated throughout
the community
– reading.
Ever since I was old enough to turn the pages of a book and
sound out words, I have adored becoming completely lost in a
book.
This week one of my favorite pastimes was celebrated throughout the community – reading.
Ever since I was old enough to turn the pages of a book and sound out words, I have adored becoming completely lost in a book.
In reading, you can be whoever you want to be: a witch soaring over a darkened neighborhood, a detective pursuing clues, a captain on the high seas.
I applaud the Gilroy Unified School District this week for celebrating “Love of Literacy” week and helping to spread a passion for reading.
I think the best way to instill in a child a love for reading is to give him or her every opportunity to pick up a book and become lost in the pages.
As a child, I did just that. I would spend hours curled up in a deep chair immersed in a book, the hours slipping by unnoticed.
And late into the night, my mom would often find me training a beam of light from a flashlight onto a page, deep in concentration.
I discovered whole universes, time traveled to other eras and slipped into other dimensions. I slayed dragons, lived on a prairie and traveled to the bottom of the sea.
Reading challenged me to think in different ways and explore people and places I had never met or visited before. Books exposed me to new ideas and attitudes and, in the process, asked me to examine myself and others more closely.
Inspired by the writers, I found myself penning my own short stories and fairy tales, willing my imagination to stretch as far as I would let it.
Pretending often overlapped to playtime. I fancied myself a teacher reading aloud to her pupils or – better yet – a librarian stamping overdue books with an old library stamp. Of course, these days I know that a teacher’s or librarian’s job is much more demanding. Finding time to read a storybook every day I’m sure must be a luxury.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could all do our part to help out? Why not give a book to someone young or share a story with a child?
One of my favorite books is “Charlotte’s Web,” the tale of Wilbur the pig and his best friend, Charlotte the spider.
Their unlikely friendship blossoms and the true meaning of giving, unconditional love and courage are beautifully illustrated through Charlotte’s unselfish actions.
Plus, I love the way my teacher used to give each farm animal its own distinct voice, from Wilbur and Charlotte to Templeton, the voracious rat.
Read this story or one of your favorites to a child and see what happens. They are motionless, completely enthralled in the story. Their necks strain forward, heads tilt up towards the book, mouths open slightly waiting to hear what will happen next. What word will Charlotte spell on her web? Will Wilbur be saved?
I can’t wait to share my favorite books with our daughter. I’m dreaming about the titles that will grace her bookshelf and introducing her to all of my favorite characters.
A love for reading is one of the best gifts I can share with her.
