Sometimes I want to pinch myself — I have two dream jobs that involve people and books!
I get to work at the library where I can engage people during events, have co-workers, be creative and visionary, and sometimes listen to audiobooks while I do other non-creative tasks.
I also have this job where I get to walk alongside students who are discovering who’s already inside them. To see what the literature and nature provoke in them during the week.
Despite what some people assume, I was not a bookworm growing up. I loved hanging out with people but mostly enjoyed read alouds from the teacher and the occasional trip to the school library. I went to daycare after school where I mostly played on the huge playgrounds or tried to be friends with the staff instead of the students (on-brand me…). I was off the charts in reading and writing abilities, but my taste in books didn’t start to form until I started hitting high school. Even then, I read few books outside of assigned readings. If it weren’t for some really faithful and gifted English teachers, I honestly don’t know if I would be doing what I am right now. Through literature, they showed me the power of someone’s story and that fire has never left. I can easily say that desire to seek others’ perspectives has been indispensable in every area of my life.
I think my own “reading journey” can help other parents feel at ease if their student doesn’t seek out all the goodness that’s available to them right now. I don’t promise that their child will become a literature major (and that’s not what they want anyway!), but I do believe that reading, discussing, and asking good questions together helps push that needle forward toward seeking out better writing and inspiration for themselves. Students need to discover how to think about what they think! Their personal connections create fond memories of literature and remind them of many others who they can ask for rich books along their own journey.
In addition, I hope reading more widely gives them the freedom to decide for themselves what makes a good book and what doesn’t. I am almost 40 and still can feel bad about having wildly different views than my friends or critics on certain well-acclaimed books. However, I know I might gain some different perspectives hearing from them just as I should be willing to explain my position if asked. Learning to be settled in who you are as a reader is a gift that requires patience and cultivation.
P.S. Look at this copy of The Giver I found at my library. It was published in 1997, only 4 years after the novel came out. The related readings are an incredible resource (see poem below). Part of why I love my tiny library is that a bigger library might have culled this one out decades ago for a newer copy of just the novel. Little libraries can keep gems if you know where to look!
Maple Key Tutoring 