Celebrate National Reading Day!

Illustration by Jessie Willcox Smith (1863–1935)

READING

Today is National Reading Day, an annual event encouraging reading by younger children. Celebrated in thousands of schools all around the United States, this literacy event is designed to help Pre-K through 3rd grade students develop the literacy foundation they need to become lifelong readers.

If you have young children in your life, I encourage you to read out loud to them every day, even after they are capable of reading to themselves. Not only is it a priceless opportunity to bond, it lays the foundation for what will hopefully become a healthy lifelong habit. Make sure they have their own library card and plenty of books on hand at all times too!

WRITING

I have loved to read since I was very young, and to this day, I am an avid reader. Stories transport me to other places, times and worlds. A lifetime of reading perpetually expands my vocabulary, challenges me to think, and teaches me something new. Reading also fuels my imagination. Since my teens, I have penned short stories, magazine articles and most recently, children’s picture books. I love to write almost as much as I love to read. I particularly love writing for children.

Following is an article I came across in the Huffington Post by an author explaining why she writes for children. With a bit of humor, she makes some pretty good points. Do you—or a child in your life—have a story waiting to burst out? Why not let 2016 be the year to pen that story!

10 Reasons You Should Write a Children’s Book in 2016

Can’t draw you say? Children love to draw, make it a family project! Here are easy instructions on how to create and bind a children’s book and here are instructions for a beautiful Japanese-style book binding What a fabulous treasure! I still have a copy of a book my son wrote and illustrated when he was a young boy, I consider it a priceless family keepsake.