Books – What Are You Waiting for
I have a “Special Days” calendar that I check for interesting days to celebrate. You may have read my post on Ball Point Pen Day, but I wanted to bring your attention to some very special days coming up. Now, today is Lazy Mom’s Day, and I would normally attempt to sit back and relax, but I know that won’t happen. Instead, I sat down and wrote you this post. Starting Sunday, you can celebrate something that I hold dear to my heart, for three whole days, books.
Read a Book Day
Start your week off with Read a Book Day, on September 6, a day probably started by a librarian and celebrated since the end of the first decade of the 2000’s. On Read a Book Day, you don’t have to read a whole book in one day, but maybe read your favorite chapter of your favorite book, donate to the library, or read to a child. The main goal is to encourage reading, so take some time to relax with a good book.
Buy a Book Day
On September 7, continue your love for books by celebrating Buy a Book Day. Created in 2012, the occasion aims to educate people to the importance of books to our culture and civilization as a whole. In this digital world, we need to keep a hold on the history of the printed word.
In an April 11, 2013 post of Scientific American, Ferris Jabre wrote, “Evidence from laboratory experiments, polls and consumer reports indicates that modern screens and e-readers fail to adequately recreate certain tactile experiences of reading on paper that many people miss and, more importantly, prevent people from navigating long texts in an intuitive and satisfying way. In turn, such navigational difficulties may subtly inhibit reading comprehension.”
The tactile sensation of a physical book can be very rewarding, especially when you learn what all goes into making one. So consider supporting your local bookstore and picking up a new or used book.
Literacy Day
Finally, September 8, gives us a chance to improve our literacy. Literacy Day aims to highlight the importance and value of literary education for individuals and groups, and for the wider global culture.
If you are reading this right now, you might be surprised to know that an estimated 800 million adults worldwide lack basic literacy skills. According to Fight Illiteracy.org, in the United States, an estimated 30 million people over the age of 16 read no better than an average elementary school-child. They struggle with reading things that many take for granted, like a doctor’s recommendations or prescription, safety regulations at work or school, or articles on candidates up for election.
You can celebrate this day in many ways. If you know someone who struggles with reading, help him or her out. Find tutoring for them or purchase a book on September 7, just above their reading level, and read it with them. You can read with a child; learning to read begins long before they enter school. Most of all support them; illiteracy is a handicap, but we can correct it with help and kind support.
Take advantage of these days to celebrate reading and books. Our history, information, and dreams are printed on pages for all of us to share.
