To everyone who spends their summers reading, I salute you.
I have heard from many, especially teachers, that summer is their time to hit the pages and fall into a good story.
Whether it is a familiar tale that excites and fascinates them every time they read it or a new story that feels like finding your soulmate all over again, there are many benefits to reading as an adult.
Reading later on in life can help reduce stress, reduce mental decline in seniors, and helps people unwind, according to a New Zealand company, The Expert Editor.
We encourage reading in children because we want them to reap the early benefits of reading but also to benefit when they hit adulthood.
What better way is there to promote reading for kids than to show them adults who read?
Parents who read raise readers, according to Scholastic Canada.
“Fifty-seven per cent of kids who are frequent readers have parents who read books five to seven days per week, compared to only 15 per cent of kids who are infrequent readers.”
“Nine in 10 kids and parents say they enjoy/enjoyed read-aloud time, and parents of children ages [up to] five cite reading books aloud, telling stories and talking together as among the most important things parents should do with their children to develop language skills.”
For those fellow readers who are looking for something new, there are fantastic Saskatchewan authors from across the province who could always use one more fan.
I had the pleasure of attending the Sagehill Writing Retreat at St. Peter’s College last week, with excellent readings kicking off a week of creating Saskatchewan and Canadian art.
It was fantastic to hear the works of Saskatchewan-born authors Daniel Scott Tysdal, Sandra Ridley and Jacqueline Baker on July 20, as well as Tanis MacDonald and Jeanette Lynes on July 22.
We are lucky in this area to have events like this, whether they are readings at the Reid-Thompson Library or the St. Peter’s College, and I wish more people would take advantage of these events.
There is something to be said for having the opportunity to meet the authors and speak with them about their work. Writers, especially the passionate ones, seem to relish this opportunity as much as the readers do.
I am lucky to be able to attend these events for my job and write about them later.
Saskatchewan authors I have had the pleasure to meet include Anthony Bidulka and Ernie Louttit, whom I have read faithfully because of their amazing work. I also enjoyed meeting and talking to Katherine Grimson and Guy Vanderhaeghe about their work, although I have not yet had the opportunity to read their books.
Meeting these wonderful Saskatchewan authors has been a way to discover first-hand the homegrown artists who are telling their stories.
