I’m biased, to be sure. 

Still, I think reading aloud is one of the best things grownups and kids can do together. 

I think it’s one of those things that can help make us better humans.

And not to be too woo-woo, but I think it can make the world better. 

Plus, reading aloud is just fun.

So, whatever this day brings, keep on reading aloud.

“It’s not the toys in the house that make the difference in children’s lives; it’s the words in their heads. The least expensive thing we can give a child outside of a hug turns out to be the most valuable: words.”

— Jim Trelease, “The Read-Aloud Handbook“

What these kids need desperately is for us to read to them more often, and then for them to chat with us about what they’ve understood and enjoyed.

—  Mem Fox, “Reading Magic“

The nightly story freed him from the weight of the day. He cast off, he went with the wind, almost weightless, and the wind was our voice. 

No fare was asked of him for his journey, not a penny. He need give nothing in return. It wasn’t even a reward. (Rewards! As if you had to be worthy to receive a reward!) Here, the greatest treasures were given free of charge. 

— Daniel Pennac, “Better Than Life“