Celebrating reading!
National Reading Month
Ready to try some new cuisine with goats on boats and foxes in boxes? How about a trek through the Grickle-grass to visit the Once-ler? Or maybe it’d be more fun to jump into a raucous adventure with blue-haired Thing 1 and Thing 2?
Born on March 2, 1904, Theodor Geisel created a wondrous world for children in his Dr. Seuss books. In honor of his birthday, March also commemorates National Reading Month. (source)
Reading has come a long way over the past 200 years. “While only one in ten people in the world could read and write in 1820, today, the share has reversed, with only one in ten remaining illiterate.” (source)
Imagine a world where the majority of the population had to rely on a few to interpret the written word for them. The U.S. Constitution understands the fundamental role of a free press in a democracy and compulsory education laws guarantee children will be able to read the reported news for themselves.
Besides the democratic bedrock literacy ensures, reading provides many more benefits, such as:
Building knowledge — Books open up new worlds for life-long learners with how-to’s on anything from drafting a will to xeriscaping the yard.
Preventing dementia — Reading exercises the brain muscle and wards off diseases like Alzheimer's.
Reducing stress — Books can transport their readers into another world, granting at least temporary relief from everyday worries.
Enhancing focus — In a world of multi-tasking, reading contributes to better concentration.
Improving critical thinking — An engaging whodunnit can sharpen analytical skills to decipher clues and solve the mystery.
Boosting memory — Retaining the twists and turns in a novel’s story and all of its characters actually forges new brain synapses.
Having fun— Reading can supply hours of free entertainment with only a library card. (adapted from source)
Enjoy lots of fun reads throughout the entire month and don’t forget some sage advice shared by Dr. Seuss: “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go."