Today is "National Young Readers Day." Thank you to my west coast brother for this information. I have just this week begun to tutor a second grader who is struggling to learn to read, but I have great hope that by the end of the school year he will have improved substantially. I would like to think that my one hour a week will help, but I was much more encouraged when he told me that his mother takes turns reading with him at home. I think kids who get read to at home, by parents, grandparents, or older siblings, will always do better at reading in life. Interestingly, one of my favorite read aloud memories involves me and my west coast brother. When I was 16 and he was six, I read the novel "Lassie Come Home" to him. At the end of the book we both burst out crying, but don't worry, they were tears of happy relief. It's a great book.
While today is a day to celebrate young readers, I am still an avid reader and so is my spouse. Perhaps reading keeps us young, at least mentally. Some might say childish but I prefer young. I would like to give a shout out to the Allen County Public Library and all its branches. From 50 years ago when I took my toddlers to the ACPL Bookmobile that parked down the street, to today, when the many branches throughout the county meet the needs of my aging eyes, I thank them. These days they provide an amazing assortment of large print books and books that I can download on my tablet. Hooray and thank you to the ACPL. If you haven't been to the library lately, go and check them out. I'm sure there's a branch near you.
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