By Kelly Maue
Although anytime is a great time to read, April is chock-full of occasions and observances devoted to children’s books, reading, and libraries.
April is National Literature Month, School Library Month, and National Poetry Month. Break it down, and there are several single-day celebrations sprinkled throughout the month as well, starting with International Children’s Book Day on April 2. Many more days that focus on the love of reading follow. A partial list includes School Librarian Day (Apr 4); Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.) Day (Apr 12); Donate a Book Day (Apr 14); Thank You for Libraries Day (Apr 23); and Independent Bookstore Day (Apr 25).
The message is loud and clear. April is the time to celebrate words, books, and reading.
International Children’s Book Day (ICBD) was founded in 1967 and is observed on Hans Christian Anderson’s birthday, April 2. He was the Danish author who wrote Thumbelina, The Little Mermaid, and many other treasured tales. Whether it’s a beloved classic or a more contemporary work, encourage a child to pick up a book on ICBD – and continue the habit throughout April and beyond.
There are many ways to celebrate books this month. Read to babies, a young child, or an entire classroom. Encourage young children to read aloud. Make bookmarks together. Find scheduled activities or author events at a local library. Donate books to those in need or swap with friends. And model the behavior; let children see the adults in their lives reading books.
While reading is its own reward, it also offers many other benefits. Reading nurtures cognitive development by building vocabulary, developing language, and boosting literacy skills. It also improves mental health by reducing cortisol levels. Reading helps improve skills such as focus and imagination. It can help promote sleep by decreasing physical tension and stress. Another big plus is that it helps foster empathy, as books are a means to experience the world through others’ lives. And early reading, along with its resulting increase in knowledge, is linked to overall academic success.
Ideally, children should start engaging with books at a very early age. Small increments of exposure, like 10 minutes a day, can help form this healthy habit. Sharing picture books and reading aloud to littles can help plant the seeds to becoming lifelong readers. So, pick up a book – or several! And encourage children and young people to do the same.
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn,
the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss
HEC Media has hundreds of author interviews, in every genre, available on demand. Search the BOOKS tab on the homepage. Or, start here with a sampling of the children’s book author interviews:
Patricia McKissack and her husband wrote over one hundred books, covering underrepresented figures in African American history
Award-winning children’s book author and illustrator Christian Robinson
Author Nick Bruel of the “Bad Kitty” book series
Sherri Duskey Rinker who wrote the “Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site” books and others
Best-selling author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds
Newberry Medal winner Erin Entrada and her book about mythical creatures, faithful friends and an ordinary girl
Winner of the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor, Stacy McAnulty
Mikey Wrren, a child who became a best-selling author
Derrick Barnes, a celebrated author of graphic-picture books
Author, Chelsea Addison, on the topic of financial literacy
Kelly Yang and Jeff Kinney and their middle-grade novel about racism
Amy Timberlake on her “Skunk and Badger” books
Sarah Kathryn Frey and her story about a service dog and silver linings
