once you learn to read, you will be forever free

When I was a kid, I read voraciously. When my dad was tired of seeing me sitting in the house reading, he would tell me to go outside. So I would obediently move to our porch swing and would remain out there until it was time to come inside and get ready for bed.

Some of my favorite books as a child included The Lorax and The Little Prince, and as I got older I started reading books like Maniac Magee, Bridge to Terabithia, and Number the Stars. My hunger for new books was insatiable then, and still is today at (almost) 32 years old. I learned to love reading and take real pleasure in the stories of people and places outside of my own experience. But sadly, not all children learn to appreciate and love books as much as I and so many of my friends did.

We were all lucky- we had parents and teachers in our lives who instilled in us the joy of reading:

Children who grow up without books in their homes are less likely to become strong readers later in life.

This is a fact. A sad, devastating fact. So what can we do to make a difference? How do we change this? Volunteer!

Check out this great new promo for The Reading Connection, a program that works with children to instill in them a true appreciation of books, and all the joy that comes with them, right here in Northern Virginia!

(Full disclosure: I volunteer for TRC, and it’s a fabulous program!)

“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” – Frederick Douglass