Children’s Books, A Stepping Stone to a Lifetime of Reading
Imagine the world through the eyes of a child. You pick up a boldly colored book and crack open the pages. Even if the words on the page are too big for you to read, the pictures still capture your imagination. Suddenly you can’t wait for bedtime, when mom or dad will read you the story before you fall off to sleep. Such is the magic of children’s books.
It is this magic that follows us into adulthood. The treasured books that made our young hearts smile provide a stepping stone to the great works of literature, the wonders of science and the joys of learning about everything and anything. Reading is the key to that great adventure, and an activity that separates us from all the other life-forms on Earth.
Children’s books encourage reading at a young age by making it fun and entertaining. Capturing a child’s attention and holding it is just the beginning. Reading the stories of others often inspires children to create stories of their own. By taking pen, or pencil, to paper children create their own worlds, their own characters. Their young minds start to think, to discover their creativity. Before long, writing skills develop, a crucial skill in the art of communication.
As children advance from grade school, to high school and then college, reading and writing becomes even more important. Book reports, biology papers, even exams are easier to handle if there is a solid foundation in reading and writing. There is also the recreational aspect. It is so nice to curl up with an exciting work of fiction or a book of lovingly crafted poetry at the end of a long day at school. All of this becomes possible because once, when you were very young, you picked up your very first children’s book.
