Progressive Wednesday

Monday Morning Motherhood: Surrounded by Words

June 18th, 2007 by Melissa Brannen

The extra room in my apartment is filled with box upon box of books I haven’t unpacked yet, simply because I have no place to put them. My daughter’s toy box contains a mix of dolls, toys, and books. They’re piled on top of the book case, on the floor, and next to my bed. My dresser, bedside table, and their respective drawers are all filled with books. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry — all genres are welcome and included.

My love of reading, and the written word in general, began when I was young. First grade, to be exact. I spent much of the school year at home, sick. I missed 40 days of school due to illness, then was forced to take half-days when I returned. Because of the numerous doctors appointments I had, we developed a routine, my mother and I. We would go to the pediatrician, then to The Book Corner in Niagara Falls, where I was allowed to pick out 2-3 books I wanted. I would invariable have begun reading one of them in car by the time we arrived home. I still remember the way I felt every time we entered The Book Corner. My mind would race and begin to fill with ideas of what I wanted to read, what I would choose. The whole store seemed filled with wonder, with possibilities.

Luckily, whether by nature or nurture, my daughter has inherited my love of books. Everyday she is excited to tell me what book they read at school, and not a night goes by without the request for a story — or six. Her current favorites include: Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann, There’s a Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone, and Curious George by H.A. Rey. And thanks to birthday, Christmas, Easter and “just because” presents from her grandparents and great-grandparents, her collection of books is rapidly approaching the size of mine. The time we spend together, cuddling and reading her books is magical; I’ll almost be sorry when she can read them herself. I’ll miss the way her eyes light up when we’re reading, and she starts the next line before we turn the page, and the giggling that ensues when we read something silly.

I can’t imagine my life or home without books. Yet, all over this beautiful world, our nation included, there are homes where books are in short supply or simply non-existent. I will never forget the look on my daughter’s face when she first learned this — it happened when we were in Wegmans this past weekend, doing our grocery shopping.

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Entering the store, I had noticed a large bin that contained brand new books collected for a book drive sponsored by a local literacy group. So, as we shopped, we picked out several books that Grace had enjoyed, and as we left, I had her help me put them in the bin. Knowing she would wonder why we had done this, I prepared myself for the onslaught of questions. However, only two queries arose. The first: “Why did we put the books in that big bin?” I gently explained, in a way she would understand and without being frightened, that some people were not able to have books, that some people simply didn’t have enough money to buy them as we did, even when they work very, very hard. The look on her face was both sad and contemplative. After a bit of silence came the second question: “Well, maybe I can give them some of my books. I have lots and lots of books. Maybe we could do that mommy?”

When we got home, I went straight to my computer and to the site Reach Out And Read. I looked up our state, located a donation center and contacted them for information on how to donate books. Grace picked them out, and they’re sitting on the table, ready for me to bring to her pediatrician’s office (the donation site). I did a bit of research and was astounded and pleased by the number of book donation sites I found. Here are a few of my favorites: Reading Is Fundamental, First Book, Books for Kids Foundation, and the Literacy Empowerment Foundation.

These amazing organizations provide books to both children and schools that lack the funds to purchase them. I urge you to support them, whether by donating books, organizing a local chapter, or a making small monetary donation. They do something not many organizations can: they bring a world of possibilities and joy to children who desperately need it. That, my friends is something we can all be proud of.

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Editor’s Note: You can read even more about the importance of books to kids by reading our Wednesday on the subject: “A Book Does a Body Good.” Just click this sentence.