Have you ever heard of this auspicious day? Well, if you have, I would like to be your friend and hang out and read with you! If you haven’t, let me introduce you to it!
Drop Everything and Read Day takes place every year on April 12th. Why April 12th? Because that is Beverly Cleary’s birthday and Beverly Cleary is the reason so many of us are readers to this very day. Remember Ramona the Pest and her big sister Beezus? Written by Beverly Cleary!
And so, to honor her on her birthday, families are encouraged to take at least 30 minutes to put aside all distractions and enjoy books together. Many schools also participate in this practice today. But even if you’re not in school, or don’t have kids to read with, you can just celebrate on your own! Find 30 minutes today to just sit and read.
I’m currently reading “Freewater” by Amina Luqman-Dawson, winner of the 2023 Newbery Award. But I’m also reading “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt. And I’m also reading “A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah Maas (some of you probably know it as ACOMAF). But I’m still not done…I’m also reading “Saga, Vol. 63” (FANTASTIC graphic novel series!). And then there are the books I’m reading with my 5yo son – he’s recently discovered the Choose Your Own Adventure books and we’re having a lot of fun with those.
Hopefully, my list of current reads inspires you rather than intimidating you – you don’t have to read four books at once! I’m just super extra when it comes to books. Just find one book, one short story, one collection of poems, one newspaper article, one magazine, one blog post…find a cozy spot…and READ! Start with 30 minutes, maybe it will turn into more. And maybe, like me, you’ll celebrate Drop Everything and Read Day EVERY day. Beverly Cleary would love that.
How did you end up celebrating D.E.A.R. Day? Let me know!
