It’s “I Love to Read” Month and I have a special message for Delaware children.
Kids across Delaware know there’s probably no Hat on their actual Cat, or Socks on a Fox. They know Where the Wild Things Are, when to say “Goodnight, Moon!” and to say “no” when the Pigeon wants to Drive the Bus.
They know because they’re reading, or being read to by adults who know how exposure to books early in life can have an enormous impact on academic successes later.
To celebrate reading, to help cultivate a love – not just of Dr. Seuss – but of the power of words to move, to teach, to lead, to inspire – we declared February as “I love to read!” month in Delaware.
It’s a time for parents, public officials, and people like me who are a bit of both – to head into classrooms to read to kids and in the process try and get them hooked, on books. When the month is over, we hope those parents and, more importantly – those kids – keep reading.
One book I bring with me now to schools is “Blue Bear Finds a Rainbow.”
In part, because of the story’s uplifting message about the value of friendship.
In part, because (spoiler alert) of the book’s happy ending.
But mostly because this fun book was written here in Delaware by somebody I know we’ll be reading a lot more – both about and from – in the future.
Blue Bear was written by our state’s own McKenzie Leigh Betts when she was in third grade. As happy as we were to learn about Blue Bear’s success with that Rainbow, we were more excited to learn about McKenzie and the inspiration she can be for other kids across the state.
There are a lot more ways to read a book now than there was when I was a kid, when my parents handed me my older brothers’ copy of Peter Rabbit.
But the results from reading are the same now as they were then– to build a foundation for a lifetime of learning.
Thanks again for all you do, to keep Delaware, moving forward.
