“If you can read, you can learn 
anything about everything and 
everything about anything.” 
Tomie dePaola

Emilie Buchwald is a retired writer and editor from the Midwest. She once declared, and I agree wholeheartedly, that “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” I’m sure Ms. Buchwald would agree that grandparents can serve this treasured purpose, as well.

Despite what I like to think about being gifted with an exceptional memory, I have no vivid recollections of my parents reading to me in my childhood. I’m sure they did, but I don’t remember it happening. What I do recall is being sent to my room “to read” when I got into trouble. Once inside my room, rarely, if ever, did I actually do any reading. Kate DiCamillo, a prolific writer of books for children, offered an insightful warning about this. She said, “Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift.” For whatever reason, I did not embrace a love for reading until my adult years.

When our boys were growing up, Kathy did more of the reading to them than I did. Our home was filled with children’s books, and our boys loved them. Some of them we read so many times that, even today, we can readily recite the text: “Pickle things you never see, like pickles on a Christmas tree…” As they got older, I recall sitting at their bedside reading Shel Silverstein poems and The Cremation of Sam McGee time and time again. They loved it when I read to them! I also remember reading aloud entire books over a period of time, including The Cay by Theodore Taylor. As I reflect back on those years, I wish I had devoted even more time to reading both to and with them.

While The Cay is recommended reading for children in grades 4 to 8, the book was banned in some places due to it’s portrayal of Timothy, a Black man who played a major role in the book. Banned? I firmly agree with Maya Angelou, who said, “Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.”

In my retirement years, I have had much more time to read — for myself and with my grandkids. All five our our little ones have thoroughly enjoyed reading books, especially when we sit and read to and with them. Today, Henry and I sat in a chair in the living room and read five of his favorite children’s books — some of them more than once. He seemed to enjoy it immensely, and it was time with him that I cherished. It began when he randomly pulled a book off the bookshelf of kids’ books, walked over to where I was sitting, handed it to me, and climbed up onto my lap. How could I resist? Why would I resist? It was the highlight of my day!

Reading to our grandkids is one of the most fulfilling experiences of my entire life. I’m not sure who enjoyed today more,… Henry or me?