Have you ever thought about how a book has changed your perspective on things? Has meeting a character in a story made you think twice about how you think about someone you know or see in the news? Have you ever read a book which tested your belief system?
Reading books opens our minds to new and exciting things. As parents and teachers, even though it is wonderful when we see our children enjoying a particular genre or author style, we should encourage our children to seek out different types of books to read when borrowing from the library.
How can you do this? Talk to your child about what they are borrowing and reading and ask them what they think of the book and the characters within. Go to the local library together after school or on the weekend and instead of going to the same type of book or author – suggest something just slightly different.
When we seek out different books we can open magical lands that we may have never stumbled across. We can see how others, whom we might not always relate to persevere to achieve their dreams…or perhaps the opposite. Seeking out books that make us think stretches our mind and help us to realise what else is outside of our own little bubble – something we should encourage in all of our children
