As a little girl, I could often be found in the school library or curled up in a chair at home with my face buried in a book.
I found it a really magical experience and a privilege to be able to read a range of so many different and wonderful books that were available for readers to choose from.
As a child, I had developed such a love of reading and of books that this has played an important role in inspiring me to become a children’s author.
But do children in our current society view books in the same way as I did, many years ago?
When I was a child, there were no iPads, DS devises or Wii games to distract my attention away from reading. I spent much of my time getting fresh air and exercise outdoors or reading books indoors in the privacy of my bedroom.
Do children really put aside enough time in their busy schedules of playing sport and using technology and their computer devices for reading books? Sadly, I think not.
Therefore, the challenge in today’s society is for parents to encourage their children to make time for reading books as well as engaging in their other activities and to set an example by reading books to their pre-schoolers on a daily basis.
After all, the value and benefits of reading are enormous. By reading a book, we are actually acquiring knowledge which is the most powerful asset that we can ever hope to possess in life.
(Above is a photo of my daughter already developing a love of reading and of books at a very young age. Bridget is now the First Author of “The Flying Desk a-z”).