Dr. Seuss Can Still Excite Children About Reading
Dr. Seuss, renowned children’s author, shares his birthday with Read Across America Day. Seuss, a.k.a. Theodore Geisel, is beloved across generations and considered by some to be the best children’s author ever. The name Dr. Seuss is certainly a household name in most of the US.
The National Education Association started Read Across America on March 2,1998. According to the NEA’s website they wanted to create an annual event to get young minds excited about reading.
Michigan celebrated Read Across America in Style. According to neatoday, “…thousands of books and hats have been distributed to public school students. Also, at every stop, hundreds of student took the ‘reading and brushing oath,’ pledging to read each day and brush each night.”
The News-Herald reports that Mentor Public Library used a theme based on Seuss’ story ‘Horton Hears a Who.’ The response was overwhelming and the demand for Dr. Seuss books high. “I know a lot of schools in the area have parents or grandparents coming in to read a Dr. Seuss book. That’s why we don’t have a lot left,” said Kim Sidorick, children’s service manager for Mentor Public Library. “He started writing in the 30s, so he spanned a lot of generations. We had people come on Saturday saying, ‘I just realized its Dr. Seuss’ birthday and I need a book!'”
All of the Dr. Seuss festivities are being promoted and carried out by the Cat-a-Van tour which has been travelling to schools and libraries for three weeks and runs through March 14, 2014.
The Cat-a-Van tour started in the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas and made its’ way North. The tour stops in a new city each day and distributes $5000 to a local school library amid enthusiastic fanfare.
