The Reading Revolution

#ReadTogether

Are you ready?

It’s time for a reading revolution.

We have a literacy crisis, and fascists hate books because reading creates free thinkers. We need to make America read again.

Oh, you are already a reader? Fabulous. I’d like to recruit you. Yes, YOU. You are now a reading role model. Congrats! It looks really good on you.

Photo by Road Trip with Raj on Unsplash

Fallen into a reading slump? Time to get back on the horse, soldier!

We need to make reading cool again. Visible. Sexy. Smart. Adventurous. Comforting.

I remember growing up and seeing adults read the daily newspaper at least. How often do you think children see people in public reading these days compared to how often they see people on cell phones?

RIGHT. That’s our wake up call as a literary community. (Yes, people might be reading on their devices, but that is not what kids are seeing.)

If we want a culture shift, we need to create reading visibility in mass. Reading can no longer be a solo act. It’s a critical, revolutionary one. We have to start planting those seeds now.

Here’s the long game:

1. All I’m asking you is to make your reading habits more visible to the public.

   Leaving the house? Always have a book on hand.

   Read at a coffee shop. At McDonalds. At your kid’s soccer game, in the school cafeteria, at the doctor’s office, on the subway, etc.

2. Do you use social media? Go a step further and post a weekly photo or video of you and/or others actively reading under the hashtag #ReadTogether.

   Show the comfort of reading. Make it glamorous, soft, smart, relaxing, special, emotional, fun, quiet, social, family-centered, etc.

   I plan to post pics on Sundays, but choose whatever day works for you. Can’t manage it weekly? Please do it as often as you can.

Why is this important?

I’ve spoken to kindergarten teachers who have watched children tap the cover of a book like it’s a tech device. (Ugh, my heart.) They don’t even know how to turn pages, never mind practice reading. Instead, they imitate adult behavior, and again, all they see around them are adults tapping and scrolling on phones.

I hate to say it, but by the time students get to my English class at 17-18 years old, it’s so much harder to turn a non-reader into a reader at that point. Not only are they convinced that they hate reading because it’s boring and hard for them, but they are busier with school, activities, and often part-time jobs.

Unfortunately, non-readers tend to fall for fake news and propaganda far more than others because readers understand nuance, tone, spin, word choice, history, context, correlation, causation, cause, effect, empathy, parallels, patterns, and consequences…the list is endless. And reading in real life can get people off screens, into their bodies and minds, and help manage stress.

I’m asking you to spend the next few years being as visible and open as possible with your reading habits. Booktok and Bookstagram changed the game by promoting books and reading. But now the key is to showcase the lifestyle of actually reading to all ages—the textures, the sounds, the comfort, the love.

We need to capture and harness our love of reading to pass it down to future generations.

Can’t afford books? Please visit your local public library and give them love. As an English teacher and young adult author, I grew up in a family of non-readers. The reason I fell in love with books and writing was because my mentor brought me to the public library every week. In case you haven’t been to the library in years, did you know most don’t charge late fees anymore? It’s free, it’s all free. (They have Wifi and DVDs and CDs there too if you are cutting some of your streaming expenses.) We are so lucky libraries exist in a capitalist world. We need to protect public institutions that provide free community services to enhance people’s lives by utilizing those services.

So remember, whenever you leave your home, please take a book with you. It’s your new weapon against fascism. And if you’re brave, let those “smart”phones spread the word.

#ReadTogether