I have a good friend who has three young kids. One is an infant but the other two are older, one going into 6th and the other into 7th. About once a week I see them at my friends house, and we have a tradition, of sorts: each of the older kids sits down with me and talks to me about the books they are reading, and we read some of them out loud together. It seems simple and perhaps a little strange if you’re not used to having friends with kids, but I have to say that there’s nothing like the feeling of enjoying a good book with a child.
The eldest is far advanced for her grade level and reads YA novels. She could probably begin reading adult novels by the time she hits high school, but I doubt her mom or I would be happy with that (side-eye). She’s also confessed to me once that she used to write songs and poems, and once loved a series of books so much she asked if I would help her write what was essentially a fanfiction of the story. It might strike some as odd, but this thirty-something-year-old writer really considers this twelve-year-old my reading buddy.
Her younger brother could not be more opposite. When his mom and I first became friends, he hated reading and writing. If you listen to him tell it now, he “still does.” However, after meeting the family my experience working with reading institutes and teaching helped me identify his likely problem almost immediately—he is classically dyslexic. Once his mom was aware of this and began working with doctors and his teachers, hiring a private tutor as well, his reading skills improved dramatically. Now, as he exits the 5th grade, he’s reading the Harry Potter books for the first time, and can do it on his own (though often has to be prodded to do so by his mother to begin).
When I was in grad school I had to read The Storytelling Animal by Jonathon Gottschall (great read—pick it up). The book details how human beings are creatures of story; storytelling is woven into our existence so finely and tightly as to be almost invisible to us most of the time, despite the fact that we spend a majority of our time day by day engaging with “story” like structures. Think about it: our news shows create snippets of story to sell each segment, our commercials tell simple and even staggeringly complex stories within 30 seconds to sell us products, our sports have commentators describing the game’s story (who’s the underdog, who’s playing fair, who is doing well or not well) for our enjoyment. Everywhere you look in humanity, story is present.
This isn’t the only reason, but it’s one of the reasons at least that I am so happy I met this family and became friends with this mom who believes in the importance of inspiring and encouraging a love of reading and writing in her children. One day, I hope to be able to foster the same relationship between my own kids and storytelling. I’d like to think they’ll sit with me like my friend’s kids do now, but perhaps they won’t want to sit with their mom reading things like Twilight or Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. And if that’s the case, I sure hope some of my beloved, lifelong friends will pick up the mantel and sit with them in my stead.
With love and continuous gratitude,
Sam