The Power of Books
When the 24th of Feb comes around, we all know it’s Valentine’s Day. If you’re looking for something unusual to do this V-Day and your significant other happens to be a reader… Well, you’ll be pleased to know that the 14th is also International Book Giving Day.
That combination is as pleasing as cookies and cream! Although it’s the perfect match for those who have book-loving partners, the true meaning behind this day is all about sharing a book with a child.
The Power of Books
I don’t know about you, but my imagination was my best friend when I was a kid. There was never a dull moment. If I wasn’t in school or doing homework, I was a lion cub trying to survive on the savannah. Or a shipwrecked sailor escaping sharks in my swimming pool. Or a space rabbit (yep, we played that game… Can’t get more imaginative than that!).
And books played a large role in that imagination. I read Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl. My mind was filled with magic, and it played out in my imagination. I read about the Saucepan Man and Moonface in the Magic Faraway Tree. The adventures of the Famous Five and the Secret Seven. James and Giant Peach, the Oompa Loompas in the chocolate factory.
All I had to go on were a few pictures in the book (not even, in some cases!), and my imagination provided the rest of my fantasy world.
The Digital Age
Let’s be honest. Today’s kids are not the same as we were as kids. Childhood has changed. Today, kids have screens and videos to keep them busy. Maybe even video games. This digital era is an excellent way to learn (kids have the whole world of knowledge at their fingertips!), but it does make me wonder if kids are still having exciting childhoods like I did.
The thing with watching a movie instead of reading a book is that there’s no need to conjure up images in your mind. You already know everything—how the characters look, how they move, how their voices sound…What’s left to imagine?
Give a Book, Change a Life
Yes, maybe the heading is a bit OTT. But this is the spirit of International Book Giving Day! The goal? To get books into the hands of as many kids as possible. More specifically, to get those kids actually reading those books.
Know a kid? Give ‘em a book. It doesn’t have to be a new book. It could be one that you have hidden on your bookshelf that you haven’t read in years. Don’t go giving a 10-year-old The Art of War, obviously… But if you’ve got a book lying around that you loved as a kid, it might be time to pass it onto someone younger who needs a good book to fall in love with!
Don’t know a kid? You can donate books to your local library or make a donation to a literacy organisation. Did you know that 1 in 8 less privileged kids in the UK don’t own a single book? Rather than letting yours gather dust on your shelf, give a kid the gift of a lifetime.
Don’t have kids, know kids, or live near a library? Well, there’s always the option to write a book… Whatever you choose to do, support a kid’s imagination for Valentine’s Day!
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