The Whole Point

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Why Do You Write For Children?

So parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles can read to them.

So teachers and librarians can read to them.

So they can read to themselves.

So they can fall in love with books.

Which is a way to fall in love with life.

Right?

They — the kids — are the whole point.
A point driven home today during the annual Literacy Parade at my daughters’ school.

It opened with a rousing rendition of Teach Your Children Well, sung by a motley crew of kids, teachers and parents…

Then the parade kicked off with a pledge to read over the summer…

… followed by the class floats, each in honor of a book!

The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan

How I Became a Pirate, by Melinda Long

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, by Kate DiCamillo

Henry and Beezus, by Beverly Cleary

The People of Sparks, by Jeanne DuPrau

The Poppy Stories, by Avi

I could go on but I’ve far exceeded my “add image to blog” capability here, so I best go lie down.

But you get it, right? 

Kids LOVE these books.

They talk about these books.
They celebrate these books.
They remember these books.

Which is, I’ll reiterate, the whole point.

(From The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein) 

22 Responses to “The Whole Point”

  2. Anonymous

    Love those book class floats. Awesomeness. A whole parade devoted to books! That’s what it’s all about, my friends.

    Happy Poetry Friday!
    Jules, 7-Imp

  3. saralholmes

    I demand this event go nation-wide. Immediately. Forget the NCLB standards (forgettable anyway) and rate schools by their literacy parades!

    And now I’m dreaming that one of my books will be marching in a root-tootin’ parade some day.

  4. Anonymous

    What a fun event! It puts our little school’s storybook character parade to shame.

    hokgardner