Saturday, November 24, 2007

For The Love of Reading

I'm a big reader although I don't read a near the amount I used to when I was younger. Blame the needle. My reading time has severely dropped off since I've discovered the needle and thread. I love both equally so I try and spend my time doing both. Sometimes it works out well, sometimes not. Anyway, I'm getting off topic a bit.

I was on the Indigo/Chapter's website looking for this Clean Eating Cookbook that I want to buy and one link always leads to another and I stumbled upon this interesting, but disturbing fact. Our school's bookshelves are empty or fast becoming so. Indigo has implemented a program For The Love of Reading, that is trying to raise funds to assist in stocking those empty bookshelves by selling little stuffed animals, such as this little cutie This joins my love of turtles with my love of reading! What could be better than that for me? I'm thinking I need to get myself this precious turtle, maybe after the holidays I will treat myself to a little post holiday pick me up.

There is an online Petition you can sign in support of this program. Reading has always been a passion of mine and it is just heartbreaking for me when I see people that are able to read and don't.

What is worse to me is not the ability to read and not using your ability, but not being able to read period. The thought of never being able to escape to another place via my novels is more than I could handle. I can barely watch commercials pertaining to illiteracy. When the people speak of the shame of not being able to read and the fear of being discovered angers me so much. Not because of the person themselves, but because of the system that put a person in a place that they could continue in school and not be able to read? Did no one notice in Grade 2 when 'See Spot Run' was a challenge? It tears at my heart because I'm sure this person would love nothing more than to read and I think of all the joy my books have brought me and this person has missed out.

I'm off to sign the petition! Will you join me?

2 comments:

Pumpkin said...

Great post Tammy! I love reading too and there is nothing I love more than creating the imagery in my head while I am reading :o)

I have signed the petition. Hopefully it will help. With the way they keep cutting back things in the schools, there's not going to be anything left for these children :o(

Velda said...

that's sad that there are no great books to read...I know our library is very full, but alot of the books are very old and in disrepair. We have two ways of donating books to our schools, both thru purchasing books from scholastic which in turn gives books to our library and we also have a christmas show at chapters that donates an equal amount of book $ value based on what parents/kids purchase that particular night during the show. But I am sure it's not enuf.

Cute turtle!