Since writing 3,000 Miles To Eternity with Duane, I have learned so much about reading today, in the year 2015. Honestly, I thought gadgets, devices and virtual gathering places like Facebook and Twitter had replaced books and reading had been reduced to texts, tweets and status updates. I was wrong! Reading is alive and well and thriving.
I found out there are people who blog about books and review them. There are gathering places like goodreads.com for authors, readers and reviewers alike. And there’s even a Read-A-Thon happening this weekend that I’d like to invite fellow book devotees to participate in along with me. It’s a 24 hour marathon, but no pressure to lose sleep unless you want to be hardcore about it. And there are prizes! For reading!
Back in the olden days, a huge part of growing up where I did, on a ranch in east central Alberta revolved around reading. Out in the boonies, our tv had rabbit ears and programs came in classic b&w on our 20 inch TV. We had three channels to choose from, two were the same and one was French. Welcome to the world of my childhood.
So when I wasn’t outside riding with my sister or chasing down a rooster to makefriends with, and if all my chores or ‘privileges’, as Mom called them, were done, I had my nose in a book. When Mom finished training horses or baking twelve loaves of freshly milled whole wheat bread, she was reading. My Dad was from the old school, I think I can say literally here, because he was born in 1917. He raised horses, hunted and trapped and took care of our family from the proceeds. When he wasn’t toiling on our behalf, he was reading. I think you get the idea; I come from a family of readers.
I was raised on Reader’s Digest and we often shared books we enjoyed with each other. We played Scrabble to while away long winter evenings. Going to school and finding new books, displayed with the cover slightly open and pages fanned out was a temptation I could never resist and I do believe I read every single book my classroom had to offer. Spelling bees were fun and library time was an adventure.
Words were important. Literacy was an unspoken priority. I give my parents a lot of credit because neither of them finished high school but it was their example that instilled within me a love of reading and now, writing.
These past few years however, have turned my focus toward all things educational, for me and for our boy. I get to teach him school at home and the books I read are usually connected in some way with his education. I still love reading for pleasure, but rarely make the time for it.
When I discovered the Read-A-Thon and its history, I started getting excited. I will still have the boy to ‘read around’, but figure at 9 years old, he can do some reading, too. I may just get a few incentive prizes for here at home to keep him excited and engaged.
I wanted to let you all know about Dewey’s Read-A-Thon coming up THIS Saturday, April 25. Clicking on the cool button to your right will take you directly to the website where you can see what it’s all about and get involved. Let me know if you’re going to do it and we can cheer each other on. Oh, and I’d love to hear what you plan on reading!
via Flickr
~Selena Pannell
Pannell Bytes 