We Love Books

They grow up but with any luck, the love of books remains.

But it’s not just luck. If you joyfully read to your kids from infancy, if they have readers as role models, then reading is a positive part of life. It’s not just associated with homework assignments, but also with enjoyment.

The New York Times touched on this last January in a story about getting kids to read on their own. Sadly, the prevalence of electronic devices and lack of independent reading opportunities for kids as they get older mean decreased pleasure-reading as the years go on. I do wonder if they will pick it up again as they become adults, after the stresses of schooling make it more feasible.

Books can be expensive but libraries are free. It’s fun to find them at yard sales. Sharing books is a social action. Passing children’s books to younger family members, like outgrown clothing, proves the value of books.

Electronic readers are so convenient; you can have books and magazines literally at your fingertips. But there is something to be said about the tangibility of an actual book. Besides, books don’t break if dropped.

“Tell me a story.” Kids love stories. But don’t we adults love a story too? We watch shows and movies, share our daily events with each other. Aren’t these also forms of storytelling? Aren’t bloggers and photographers storytellers?

There is nothing quite like reading a storybook to a child. For that brief time you both share a magical place where anything is possible.