3,218 Days

Last week I presented a class on children’s books to the Utah State Family and Consumer Science teachers and was reminded, once again, how much I love teachers. A good teacher, who loves reading, changes lives for generations to come. The only way it gets better is to combine a good teacher with parents who love books. You can almost imagine an infinite line of-- and they read to their children and they read to their children and they read . . . well, you get the idea. 

That brings to mind a delightful book titled, Why Do I Have to Make My Bed? (or A History of Messy Rooms). Wade Bradford not only addresses the generations of children required to do chores while asking, “Why” , he looks at the types of chores that have been required from 40,000 b.c. to the present, establishes the tradition of mom’s telling stories, and in the end gives the best answer to the question, “Why?” --All that in a picture book and kids love it. Now that’s an impressive feat.

Almost as impressive as reading aloud to your child for 3,218 nights, every night, for no less than ten minutes without missing so much as one day. 

With that kind of history, could that child, Alice Ozma, avoid writing a book? Well she did write a book, The Reading Promise. I love the book almost as much as the idea and I admit I am asking myself, “So, why can’t I find the time to . . . “ Please don’t tell me the things you have not done consistently for 3,218 days or nights.  But what books would you choose if you were going to take up the challenge of reading aloud for 3,218 days?

Anita

Find Why Do I Have to Make My Bed? (or A History of Messy Rooms) and The Reading Promise at the BYU Bookstore.