Read this month: Wayne County Reads events share joy of a good book

It is a simple gift we all forget to take advantage of as we hustle and bustle through our days.

Reading is a chance to take a trip to another world, to learn a new skill or just to share someone’s story.

It is also a chance to sit down and take a break, as well as to encourage the development of mind and spirit.

Beginning this week, the Wayne County Reads committee is officially asking all of us to take a minute to pick up a book — and to share a discussion about it with someone else.

This year’s selection, “Walking Across Egypt,” is the story of a journey, with a bit of southern food rolled in. We won’t ruin the plot for you here, but it is one of those sort of books that is a good read and not too hard to finish once you decide to take the time to pick it up.

The idea behind the Wayne County Reads project is not to get exposure for an author or to promote any one sort of literature.

It is an effort to get more Wayne County residents to realize that there are worlds to explore in the pages of a book.

We are all busy these days. Getting children settled, making sure the house is clean and getting to work on time leave little room for extracurricular activities.

But if we would all slow down a bit, and take a few minutes for ourselves, we would remember the wonder that goes along with discovering a new character or story.

It is that same magic that many of us remember from our childhood.

And there is another area that Wayne County Reads committee members hope their efforts will encourage you to set aside time for this month.

Reading to children is a great way to convince them that there is more to life than video games and television. Reading stirs the imagination and helps children learn how to speak and write well. It is a gift that they will take with them into adulthood.

By showing our children that books are important to us, we teach them to make reading a part of their lives. And it is proven that successful adults were often voracious readers as children.

So pick up “Walking Across Egypt” this month and then take part in some of the activities planned by the Wayne County Reads volunteers.

You just may remember why you loved to read and share a little bit of that magic with others.

Published in Editorials on February 13, 2007 11:12 AM