The scent of a new book with an uncracked spine on the first day of school. The worn yellow pages of a paperback lit by a flashlight under the covers . A big, juicy novel splayed out on a beach towel next to the sea.
What can replace the joy of reading real, heft-in-your-hand, load ‘em up in your arms, pass them around to your friends…books? Real books, the kind that you can write a loving message inside the cover of, balance on the edge of the tub, hide under the mattress, slip into your purse, pile up on your night table, and fall asleep with on your lap. What is better?
NOTHING!
What can we do to ensure their continued existence? Plenty!
Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nannies: pass on your love of books, with all their unique qualities, to the children in your lives. They are the future book readers and buyers. They already have enough electronic pursuits; they do not need to lose books, real paper-and-ink books, to technology.
Read to a child. Read with a child. Let a child read to you. Take them to the library. Take them to a bookstore. Give them a book. Talk with them about passing books on to their friends. Encourage them to write; for they will write the books of the future.
Real books, as we know them, will die only if we fail to share our love of them with the next generation. Don’t delay–the next generation is here, now.
