Since the beginning of civilization, people have been telling, writing and enjoying stories. Dramas, comedies, mysteries, epic poems and more have entranced us with dreams beyond our tangible world. We all have memories from our earliest days of parents or teachers reading the simplest books to us while our eyes grew in wonder at the characters and colorful pictures. Classic children’s books such as The Poky Little Puppy, Where the Wild Things Are, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and countless others got us interested (and many of us hooked) on the tales crafted by our storytellers.
As we grew, our stories grew – our imaginations expanding to include complex worlds, emotional characters and dramatic scenes. Books gave us new ways of thinking about the world, answered questions, and gave us a life filled with dreaming of what could be, of what we could accomplish. Each page stretched our horizons, our depth of understanding and zest for life. Every story written is timeless. A forgotten book found in a little library along the side of the road, at the bottom of a closet, in a box or on a dusty basement shelf can shine again when found by a curious new reader.
Book Lovers Day is August 9. This summer, take some time for yourself and your children and read. Choose a favorite book you have enjoyed over and over or pick up something new. Take the kids to the library and allow them to choose their next adventure. Above all, find a quiet place to relax and get lost in the pages. Open a book for inspiration and then, close your eyes and fashion a story all your own.
Imagination is endless.
