Cultivating a reading life

Originally published in the Ketchikan Daily News, June 2020; written by Ann Marie Meiresonne.

Getting books into the hands of kids and parents is the highlight of my job. Suggesting titles, helping with reading level appropriate books, subjects of interest, fiction of high interest are all things we at the library can help to direct for your own, your child and/or teen reading life.

Reading is a fundamental skill and does not come easy to everyone. Reading is necessary for a job and academic success, a skill to bring calm and to entertain, something readers have to show kids, teens and some adults.

Cultivating a reading life begins at birth with board books being read aloud. A reading life can also start any time a person wants to make the effort. Visits to the library and bookstore will help to surround yourself and your family with reading choices. Keeping a book in the car for those times, you have to wait, loading your device with books and audiobooks, having a stack at your bedside is a beginning. Collecting titles from professional booklists, from co-workers, from social media help to inspire your commitment. Keeping a reading log is a tool to encourage the habit with jotting the title, author, like or no like and date completed as a reference.

Summertime is reading time. With the longer day light, I am encouraged to stay up reading. With the pandemic and the marches and more issues there are numerous book lists out there to provide insight, which I try my best to include in a reading life. However, I am a bit exhausted with all the news and trying to sort all the micro and macro elements of 2020, how it affects us personally, locally, nationally and internationally. Perhaps you may feel similar and your child as well.

To reinvigorate or start your reading life take time to sort, tidy and discard from your own bookshelves. Visit the library, which is open to the public with a grab and go phase, to collect new titles, cookbooks, graphic novels, explore all the collections. Read a short novel, some poetry or a picture book to refresh. Choose an old favorite to reread aloud to your children, a spouse or your pet. Reading aloud is a gift for families to share. Investing time in developing a reading life is so very worthwhile especially for the children in your life, a priceless gift that you can give them.

Begin that reading life. Inspire others to pick up a book for fun or for information. As Father’s Day is Sunday June 21, I encourage every dad, grandfather, brother, uncle to read aloud to the kids in your life. Dad you are making a significant impact on their academic and job success especially the boys.

Summer Reading Program for kids and Summer Teen Challenge logs are available at the library or online at our website www.ketchikanpubliclibrary.org. Keep reading Ketchikan!