By U.S. Sen. Susan Collins
(R-Maine)
By investing in our children, we invest in the future of our country. I can think of no more rewarding and enjoyable way to invest in our children’s education than by encouraging them to read. Whether it is reading to a toddler or helping young students find their own way through a new book, reading becomes a lasting gift in a child’s life.
Each year, I introduced a resolution in the Senate declaring March 2nd as national “Read Across America Day.” The resolution encourages parents to read to their children for at least 30 minutes every day.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis said, “There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.” I share this appreciation and love for reading and believe it is vital for parents to expose their children to books at an early age.
That is why since my election to the U.S. Senate in 1996, I have made it a priority to visit as many schools as I could throughout our state and to read to as many young people as possible. To date, I have visited more than 180 schools and have had the wonderful opportunity to share some of my favorite books with thousands of children. These experiences rank among the most rewarding of my time in the Senate.
We picked March 2nd for Read Across America Day because it is the birthday of one of America’s favorite children’s book authors — Dr. Seuss.
Theodore Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, was born in Springfield, Massachusetts on March 2, 1904. After attending college, he pursued a career as a cartoonist. But his important mark on society began when he wrote and illustrated his first book, “And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street”, in 1937. A little known fact is that 27 publishers rejected this book 27 times before it was finally printed. So while Dr. Seuss’s stories teach young people the joy of reading, his life story can also teach them about the importance of persistence.
The National Education Association (NEA) marks Read Across America Day by helping teachers, librarians, celebrities, parents, grandparents, and others to develop and participate in reading motivation and awareness activities in towns across the country. The goal of the national Read Across America program is to bring reading excitement to children of all ages. The program has been a huge success.
But remember, capturing the spirit of this special day can be achieved through a much simpler act: spending 30 minutes of your time each day to enlarge a child’s world through a book. It is my hope that “Read Across America” will continue to encourage families to get into a daily practice of reading to their children and helping them enjoy the magic of books.
I applaud schoolteachers, librarians, and most of all, parents, for their commitment to teaching America’s children the joys of reading. I encourage all Mainers who have or spend time with young children to observe and enjoy “Read Across America” every day. As the Cat in the Hat says to a young cat in Dr. Seuss’s 1978 book, “I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!”, “The more that you read, the more things that you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
