March 5, 2014, is World Read Aloud Day – LitWorld’s annual advocacy campaign for the human right of literacy. The goal is to call attention to the importance of reading aloud and sharing stories. Imagine a world where everyone can read!
Let’s face it – words have power. They can unite us to a cause and move us to cry, laugh, or smile. Sharing words has always held an important place in my life.
Some of my fondest memories as a kid are of reading A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh books aloud with my mother, each of us taking turns reading the characters’ voices. I always preferred to be Piglet and Tigger, and my mother can still do an excellent Eeyore.
As a parent of young kids, reading before bedtime was an opportunity to connect after a long day, and my kids and I can still recite books like Loris Lesynski’s Dirty Dog Boogie and Robert Munch’s A Promise is a Promise from memory. On family holidays, we always picked a novel to read aloud together. Today, all the books we read aloud together still hold treasured memories.
One special memory came when we were reading The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. My partner and our daughters had travelled to a cabin in Algonquin Park with my parents. I’d carefully selected a book to read aloud that I hoped would interest everyone. After I read a few chapters, I was delighted when my father picked up the book and read the next chapter. He couldn’t wait to find out what happened next, and he greatly enjoyed reading aloud. During that holiday, we passed the book around, taking turns reading. My parents even planned to begin reading aloud together at home.
Another fond memory I have is of my two daughters reading aloud together from books like Camp X by Eric Walters. My eldest would most often read, while the youngest listened, perhaps painting her nails or tidying her room. When my youngest had to leave the room for a moment, she would say, “Pause,” and push her imaginary pause button in the air. My eldest would stop reading, and wait impatiently for her return.
Today, I still enjoy reading aloud with family and with my writing group as we critique each others’ works-in-progress. Reading aloud creates a shared knowledge, a community, and strong relationships. It empowers and it strengthens. On World Read Aloud Day, we can advocate for every child’s right to a safe education and access to books and technology. One book at at time, we can show our support for the right to read, write, and share words that can change the world.
To celebrate World Read Aloud Day, I’ve created this video below, reading a scene from my upcoming middle-grade fantasy novel titled Bog. Please listen, enjoy, and share it. What will you read aloud today?
Toronto teens can also submit their writing and visual art to the TPL’s annual Young Voices Magazine. Deadline is April 5. For more info and to submit, click here.
Amy Mathers honours her passion for reading and Canadian teen literature
Imagine reading ten pages every six minutes. Now imagine doing that every day for a year.
Terry Fox could run a kilometre in six minutes during his Marathon of Hope. Inspired by Terry Fox’s and Rick Hansen’s journeys, Amy Mathers will be reading teen fiction books from every province and territory, exploring Canada and promoting Canadian teen authors and books by finishing a book a day for each day of 2014. Not only that, she’ll also publish a review of each book she reads and encourage others to share their opinions, too.
What’s Amy’s goal?
Amy’s goal is to raise money for the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC), a non-profit organization that presents the yearly Canadian Children’s Literature Awards gala. This inspiring event includes esteemed awards such as the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People. Now, the CCBC hopes to add an award for Canadian books for teens. I’m thrilled that the funds raised by Amy’s Marathon of Books will go toward an endowment for a Canadian teen book award to be presented at the annual CCBC gala. As an author for teens, it’s important to me that their reading materials be honoured and appraised.
What can you do?
Click here to read Amy’s daily book reviews and leave your opinions about the books. Click here to donate to Amy’s Marathon.
Looking for great Canadian teen books to read? Check out Amy’s Reading List, which currently include my novel, Take the Stairs, as well as many other fine titles.
Who is Amy?
Amy Mathers is a passionate reader who hopes to inspires others to share her enthusiasm for funding a teen book award. Although she has faced physical and health challenges throughout her life, Amy has worked as a bibliotherapist, taken part in a high school reading selection committee and co-written and co-taught a college course called “Assisting Families Dealing with Chronic Illness & Disability.” I had the opportunity to meet Amy in January at the Ontario Library Association SuperConference, where she showed her appreciation for Canadian books and readers as well as her ability to inspire. I wish Amy luck on her journey, and hope people throughout Canada will support and encourage her. Best wishes, Amy!
Thanks to Julie Wilson and the 49th Shelf – a site devoted entirely to Canadian books – for this chance to promote three great Canadian titles for kids and teens! It’s my first video post, so please let me know what you think of it. To see the post, go here.
It’s easy to tell the world that Canadian kid lit is well written, intriguing and worth reading. The hard part was to select only three great Canadian kid-lit books to profile. There are too many to choose from!
If you’re buying books this holiday season for kids or teens, please check out the many fabulous titles available at your local bookstore. You won’t be disappointed!
Last week, I retired as President of CANSCAIP – the Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers. I’ve spent the last four years volunteering, first as Vice-President in charge of the annual Packaging Your Imagination Conference in Toronto, and then as President, overseeing all CANSCAIP programming.
I’m a born organizer, so I knew I could do some good for an organization that I value. But I also chose to volunteer for personal reasons: to get to know more people in my industry and to practise my public speaking, since I’m an introvert at heart.
I certainly achieved both my personal goals, and I hope that I left CANSCAIP better off. Here’s what I learned from my volunteering experiences:
The more often I speak in front of a crowd, the easier it gets.
Listen to people. Fresh ideas can be found through conversation.
Filter ideas and opinions to figure out what’s next.
Attend industry events – even ones that don’t seem immediately relevant. New connections and insights lurk there, waiting to be discovered.
Efficiency is the key to getting it all done.
Creativity can be stifled by too much efficiency.
Ponder knotty problems for a few days to allow solutions to emerge.
Trust that I’ll be able to find a solution, no matter how challenging the problem.
Nurture the growth of others. Celebrate success everywhere.
Acknowledge how high we’ve climbed, even if the journey is still in progress.
Community feeds creativity and personal growth.
I’ll still be Past-President for two more years, mostly mentoring new volunteers. And I’ll try to approach it the same way I started – with a willingness to stretch and grow in new, exciting ways.
Hosting my final monthly meeting. (Photo courtesy of Debbie Ohi.)
March 5, 2014, is World Read Aloud Day – LitWorld’s annual advocacy campaign for the human right of literacy. The goal is to call attention to the importance of reading aloud and sharing stories. Imagine a world where everyone can read!
