Hello my lovely SSFs!
It's been a long time since we've spoken. Too long in fact, but I never stop thinking about you and all of your wonderful words of praise and encouragement. Thank you!
Today, I'm not here to talk about The Siren Series, but the need to motivate ourselves and our children especially to read. I was a reading teacher for many years, and I take great pride in every single child that I was able to help decipher all of the joys and wonders that are captured within the bindings of books. It may not seem like a monumentous thing to accomplish, but it is.
Reading transported me to so many incredible places like London with Mary Poppins, Jane and Michael, the fourth grade with Peter Hatcher, the wild jungle with Mowgli, fairytales with the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen's original Little Mermaid, the trickster Aanansi, adventures with Pongo and his wife as they searched for their stolen puppies, and many, many other imaginative stories. I read those tales so often that the pages would become undone and I'd have to hold them in place with Scotch tape.
In today's world, books are not viewed with the same reverance, and that breaks my heart. Books can be your best resource to learn about other cultures, differenct ideals, history, art, music, and a slew of important views of life and love. However, the only way to access this wealth of information is to open a book.
My challenge for you is:
Read 1 book...
Ask 2 friends to read that book...
Encourage them to do the same with 3 of their friends!
Soon we will all be reading, sharing, communicating, and understanding one another and that is the power of sharing a book. My publisher, Belen Books, shares my views of the importance of reading and supporting unboased access to books. They have created this public awareness video which I believe captures every element of this belief. Please view below:
So until the next time,
I wish you peace, joy, and great books to read!
Alisa K. Michaels
YA Author