Yesterday was the 100th birthday celebration of prolific children's author Beverly Cleary. I remember reading many of her books as a kid, as I am sure many of you do as well. She has won endless awards for her writing and her advocacy of literacy, and to this day she is still regarded for her connection to children through Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, Leigh Botts, and a certain mouse on a motorcycle.
But Cleary's books are only part of her legacy. Through her publisher, HarperCollins, she became the face of the D.E.A.R. program. Drop Everything and Read, where students should have a book with them at all times for impromptu silent reading, was huge when I was young and continues to be a tradition in classrooms to this day.
In honor of D.E.A.R. and Cleary, try to focus on free time reading just a little bit more this week. While you are eating lunch, put down the cell phone and tackle a chapter of a novel. Instead of watching that sitcom rerun tonight, pick up a short story by an author you've always wanted to read. Start a book with your spouse or child in which you alternate reading pages out loud to each other. I know our lives can feel hectic, filled with options for entertainment, but sometimes it's good to drop everything. Start a new habit in reading this week.
And try handing a young reader a classic Cleary book--he or she just might thank you for it.
But Cleary's books are only part of her legacy. Through her publisher, HarperCollins, she became the face of the D.E.A.R. program. Drop Everything and Read, where students should have a book with them at all times for impromptu silent reading, was huge when I was young and continues to be a tradition in classrooms to this day.
In honor of D.E.A.R. and Cleary, try to focus on free time reading just a little bit more this week. While you are eating lunch, put down the cell phone and tackle a chapter of a novel. Instead of watching that sitcom rerun tonight, pick up a short story by an author you've always wanted to read. Start a book with your spouse or child in which you alternate reading pages out loud to each other. I know our lives can feel hectic, filled with options for entertainment, but sometimes it's good to drop everything. Start a new habit in reading this week.
And try handing a young reader a classic Cleary book--he or she just might thank you for it.