Photo by Darien Library
There’s no denying that reading is fundamental for ALL children! Some of us have read to our children from birth (even in the womb!) But there comes a time when our children enter school and learning to read turns into reading to learn – and sometimes that’s when we can see children lose that love for reading. One of the key reasons teens lose their love to read is simply because they don’t have access to books just for them! Baby books are plentiful at birth and textbooks are in every backpack…but what about reading for fun? “A single, brief exposure to good reading material can result in a clear increase in enthusiasm for reading.”1
A lot of us might assume that everyone has access to books! Unfortunately that’s not so…”In middle-income neighborhoods the ratio of books per child is 13 to 1, in low-income neighborhoods, the ratio is 1 age-appropriate book for every 300 children.”2 In some areas 60-80% of schools, neighborhoods, or homes don’t even own a single age-appropriate book.3,4,5
Sadly, the Gulf Coast is no exception – there are a lot of young adults in our community that just don’t have access to books! No wonder they don’t love reading as much! “Urging young people to read more when there is little available to read makes as much sense as urging starving people to eat, when no food is available.”6And “creating a steady stream of new, age-appropriate books has been shown to nearly triple interest in reading within months.”7
So let’s put an end to the book drought in our community. You can be a part of our Teen Book Drive by dropping off your new or gently used books for late-elementary to middle/high school aged children at any of the following locations this month:
