I read an amazing article today and if you are a lover of books and stories I really think you should read it.
Here’s the link to the complete article. Make sure you have a box of tissues handy, you’re gonna need them.
Can you imagine how J.K Rowling must have felt when she learned about that little girl and the effect her words had had on her life? If that would have been me I would have broken down completely—I’m a mess after just reading about it. I have so many feelings I have a hard time articulating them, but I’ll try.
I guess I’ve always known that stories can change people’s lives. After all, I am a writer and I live and breathe stories. My own and others’. And books and stories have always been an important part of my life.
My mom was very sick when I was little and wasn’t able to play with me or keep up with an energetic kid. She taught me how to read long before I even started school to keep me occupied.
I remember how I felt the first time I read a book out loud to my mother. The book was Flap your wings by P.D Eastman and she listened intently to me as I slowly got through it. Afterward, I felt like I had conquered the world and my love of the written word—and books—was born in that moment.
I know my story isn’t anywhere near as dramatic as little Juniper’s in the article, but they’re both important. Books and stories are a necessity of life, this article is the proof of that.
Article 26 of The Declaration of Human Rights starts with Everyone has the right to education. By teaching children how to read and write, we change their lives. We change the world.
Which is why I’m donating to the Swedish branch of Plan International and a project called Teach a girl to read. Because what if that particular girl grows up to be the next J.K Rowling, who writes words with the power to save children? Or if being able to read gives her a greater sense of worth and the ability to stand up for herself and others?
That would be worth all the money in the world.
Nell Iris 