Read across the Valley

When my older son was home on winter break, he mentioned that Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg’s 2015 challenge for the year was to read a new book every other week. Although I have a terrible track record of keeping New Year’s resolutions for an entire year, I thought this sounded like a wonderful challenge, and I decided to set that same goal.

Zuckerberg posts his book choices, in case others want to read and discuss them online. His books emphasize learning about new cultures, beliefs, histories and technologies. But I decided I just wanted to read books that had been sitting on my shelf for some time or books that had been given to me that I hadn’t read yet.

All of the books I have read so far are non-fiction, and they have taken me to Africa, Pakistan, the moon, to top-ranked schools, and to a variety of other places. Although I might not have chosen each of these books for myself, I have enjoyed all of them, as they have been wonderfully insightful and informative.

As I was preparing for Read-Across-America Day (Dr. Seuss’s birthday, March 2) in my classroom, I was reading A Man on the Moon, which chronicled the voyages of the Apollo astronauts. Reading about their struggles and joys, their insights, and their families provided for interesting dinner conversations.

Had I not accepted this challenge of reading two books a month, this book would have continued sitting on my shelf. I wondered if other busy parents and professionals would also appreciate a little boost or challenge to reestablish a recreational reading habit.

I thought about how much more beneficial and fun Read-Across-America would be if it were not limited to schoolchildren. Imagine the literacy benefits to the Valley if Read-Across-America were multi-generational and occurred in businesses, the hospital and other public places.

Our area nursing homes or assisted living homes could have a designated reading or story time during which community members volunteered to read. Patients in the hospital could be given new books on this day. Doctors could share a couple of sentences regarding the books they were presently reading when they did their rounds.

In businesses, signs could be posted stating what books employees were reading. Board of Directors’ choices could be posted alongside their photos, stating what book each member was currently reading.

School board members could have signs hanging in front of their nametags, stating their current literary pursuits. Businessmen and women who were involved in school partnerships could visit schools and participate in quiet reading with the students, providing great modeling.

This time could be followed by book-talks. Students would see that these successful business personnel also valued reading.

Imagine the conversations that would result, both within the professional world, and also at dinner tables across the Valley: “One of my clients said she used to babysit for that author.” “Mr. Smith became really excited when he saw what I was reading, since the main character was his best friend in high school.” “Our board president wants to borrow this book when I’m done with it.” “After reading this book, I definitely want to go on the Camino de Santiago Trail in Spain.” “I think I want to be a … after reading this book.” The possibilities are endless.

Although I am reading these books for my own enjoyment, I am reminded of how valuable it is for children to see their parents and other adults reading, and how interesting the world appears to people who read. Conversations are sparked when parents and others become inspired by new information.

When I think about building business-school partnerships and their benefits to communities, I think of far-reaching advantages, including the modeling of important behaviors that students and others would want to emulate. Some of these behaviors include the joy and the habit of life-long reading. Books can still take us anywhere. They broaden our knowledge, perspective and imagination.

Consider joining Mark Zuckerberg and me in the challenge to read two books each month. Also, consider what your business or company might be able to do to increase reading levels here in the Valley, not just on Read-Across-America Day, but all year long.

Diana Sloan-Basner is an elementary teacher at Birchtree Charter School. She has reignited her love for reading because of her New Year’s Resolution of reading two books a month.