Children

The Gift of Reading

Underprivileged children want to be read to, learn and discover just as much as any more privileged child. The desire is there, but the means are lacking. This is where the impact of The Gift of Reading is felt. The book a child receives can transform her or his relationship to reading—even to school, by being a friend, rather than an adversary. I am profoundly convinced that a child’s sense of curiosity can be stimulated by the first special contact with an object like a book that opens up the world of the imagination and inspires self-discovery and the discovery of others and the world.

Anyone who has the privilege of knowing how to read and enjoying reading should make a point of sharing this precious gift with a child for whom, otherwise, reading will be inaccessible. Participating in The Gift of Reading is an act of good citizenship.

©Martine Doucet