Tuesday commemorates the celebration of my absolute favorite activity: reading. Reading is so much more than just a way to fill free time. At the root of it all, reading is a privilege that should be cherished and National Read Across America Day does exactly that. 

National Read Across America Day was created in 1997 and established in 1998 by the National Education Association. This celebration is now 25 years strong, and was created in an effort to make kids get excited about reading and come together through the power of words. It is celebrated on the birthday of Dr. Seuss, many people’s favorite children’s book author. 

Because I agree so heavily with Dr. Seuss that, “the more that you read, the more things you will know..the more that you learn, the more places you’ll go,” I am a very enthusiastic advocate of celebrating today. The best way to celebrate is to read. Whether it’s the daily news, your favorite book, a nostalgic reread, or your cereal box, READ. There is a world full of everything you could ever want hidden within the pages of a book.

It is very essential that people are motivated to read. I believe that community leaders, parents, and teachers should be making a concerted effort to get some kind of book in everybody’s hands. In 2010, Michelle Obama advocated for the National Education Association at the Library of Congress to promote Read Across America Day. Her career has been dedicated to highlighting very important causes and movements that make the world a better place. Though sometimes encouraging reading can come off as cliché and cheap, nothing is more valuable than the knowledge that comes from spending time reading. 

One of the most notable celebrations of today is to read the works of Dr. Seuss. In elementary schools, there are reading parties where children have visits with beloved characters such as the Cat in the Hat, The Lorax, and Sam-I-Am. During these parties the kids appreciate what has been given to them and what brings them together. 

In 2018, it was found that 24% of Americans had never read a book. This statistic is especially disheartening, and I believe it is on the way to increasing. One day, feeling the pages between your fingers and having to be patient as the plot unfolds might not be as special as it is now. Celebrations like Read Across America Day work to prevent this. If you are a passionate reader, or you want to be, you are also protecting the power of books. As long as there are people in the world who know how amazing a good book can be, we will be going in the right direction.