Some years back, a family invited the traveling bookstore to set up at their daughter's 8th birthday party. The mom said she would pay for each child attending the party to get one book. I explained kids' books cost a dollar each so it would be very affordable. There were about ten children at the party. Of course, it is always a treat to see young people enthused about books, pulling them off the shelves in excitement, showing them to each other, trying to decide which would be their favorite to take home. One boy spent a lot of time in the bookstore and when he came out, he didn't have a children's book in hand, but an adult travel guide to China. The mom and I were curious why he had selected that particular one, and he explained he hoped to visit China when he got older and this particular book would help him get ready for that trip.
I could give you so many stories about young readers who visit the traveling bookstore and the particular books they choose. A different city, a different day, another very young child pulled an adult novel off the shelf and told her dad that is the one she wanted. He pointed out she certainly wasn't able to read a book like that. Her answer? "Someday I will."
Don't we see value in children learning to read? In children enthused about books? Schools and libraries put so much energy into nurturing a love of reading in the young. Books take children to new places, give them ideas, encourage them to learn new words, experiment with language, see things from different perspectives. So it is heart-breaking when I read about individuals who try to limit what children can read. Scenes from Vonnegut's Fahrenheit 451 flash in my head, as well as images from the 1933 book burning in Germany. If you can, please encourage your local school board, your public library and bookstores to stand strong against censorship.
Books currently on my table:
The House on Butterfly Street by Mhani Alaoui
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
Alya and the Three Cats by Amina Alaoui Hachimi and Maya Fidawi
The Wednesday Surprise by Eve Bunting
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