Read and Soar

Yomi Akinpelu

Description

'A truly inspirational book, full of very quotable quotes about books and reading. Very readable, it makes an ideal handbook for parents, with hints and tips on how to motivate children to read. It also considers ways in which reading empowers the individual and the benefits of reading to health and wellbeing. A treasure chest of ideas for those working with children and young people, it will ring many bells with professionals who seek to promote reading in all its aspects.'Delyth Humphreys, National Year of Reading 2008 Wales Coordinator'This book is full of reasons why reading is a must for all -babies, children and adults. Reading will extend our imagination, bring our dreams to life and enrich our vocabulary.In the first seven chapters, the author draws on extensive research to answer our questions on 'why read'? The quotes on reading, including those of great men and women through the ages further gives credence to the fact that reading has always been recognized as a quality and life changing activity for everyone.Chapters 8 and 9 tackle the all important challenge of getting our children and youth to read. Many parents and carers have run out of reasons and explanations to encourage their youngsters to read. Like me, you should memorize every word in this section and thus armed, return to battle. The results this time will be amazing.'Esther Okwok, College Librarian, London 'The author makes an impassioned plea to you through these pages to take reading seriously. She reminds us of how reading has the potential to shape and enhance our thinking, to guide us, people of all ages, to achieve our full potential. In this modern age of electronic entertainment, a challenge comes to pick up books and improve ourselves and our children. This is a wonderfully refreshing voice against the backdrop of 24-7 T.V.'Graham Reilly, Primary School Teacher, Sidcup KentBook reviews online @ www.publishedbestsellers.com

Informations

• Publié par: Pneuma Springs Publishing
• Date de parution: 15 juin 2008
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781782281870
• Langue: English

Extrait

Read
and
Soar


Yomi Akinpelu
Copyright
First Published in 2008 by: Pneuma Springs Publishing
Read and soar Copyright © 2008 Yomi Akinpelu
Mobi eISBN 9781907728532 ePub eISBN 9781782281870 PDF eBook eISBN 9781782280378 Paperback ISBN: 9781905809189
Pneuma Springs Publishing E: [e-mail] W: www.pneumasprings.co.uk
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Published in the United Kingdom. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. Contents and/or cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the publisher.
Dedication


For my children
Joshua, Gloria & Hannah


2008 is a National Year of Reading; this book is the author’s contribution to this reading initiative
Contents
1 Reading Gives you Wings
2 Reading can Transform your Life
3 Discover the Magic of Reading
4 Books are Ladders
5 Books Educate your Mind
6 Reading Shapes your Thinking
7 Books Fuel your Imagination
8 How to get your Kids to Love Books
9 The Influence of Libraries on the Youth
10 Reading Boosts Creativity
11 How Reading Enhances your Writing
12 Reading Research and Initiatives
Sources
1. Reading gives you Wings
To read is to soar to a point of vantage
“M ooooooom what are you going to get me for my birthday?” My four year old son asked, smiling from ear to ear like a Cheshire cat.
“What would you like” I asked him.
“I want wings,” he said.
I was both puzzled and amused at this rather unusual request and thought my son’s active imagination was being roused by some winged cartoon character he had been watching on TV.
“Why do you want wings?” I asked.
“So I can fly,” was his reply.
I thought about this for a few seconds, and in a flash of inspiration said to him—“If you want to fly you need to learn to read, reading gives you wings, you can go anywhere you want to go and be anything you want to be if you learn to read.” Of course I had to explain what I meant to him afterwards, and for the rest of this book I will be expanding on this.
Thinking back on this conversation I realised the aptness of my response. Reading does give you wings (figuratively speaking) and lifts you to a position of advantage.
Some two years later when my son was about six years old, he said “mum I would like to go to Narnia” ( The magical land of ‘The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe’ by C.S. Lewis ).
I smiled at him and said: “you know what to do if you want to go to Narnia.”
“What?” He asked.
“Go read the book, and you will find yourself in Narnia,” I said to him.
He smiled knowingly and said to me, “you are just one imaginative mum.”
2. Reading can Transform your Life
Many a revolution has been borne on the wings of a book
P aul left school with absolutely no qualifications, he was in and out of prison like a yo-yo. He was basically going no where fast, his life was pointless—like a broken pencil. The future looked bleak. The last time Paul was in prison he was given a job helping in the prison library. Surrounded by books he reckoned this might be his chance to improve his life and his reading. He began gradually; reading adventure books. At first reading was simply a means of escape to places far beyond the four walls of his miserable prison surroundings, but before long he couldn't get enough of those books, the stories gave him so much hope and a sense of encouragement. This was really his first step to breaking out of the cycle of going in and out of prison. When he got out of prison he did several menial jobs, then he started his own business, got married, went to college, studied for a degree and later became a published author of a series of children’s books which are popular in schools. It was a long and difficult road for Paul Lloyd but the turning point came for him when he began to read in that prison library many years ago.
Reading is usually seen as a personal and essentially passive pursuit. This story clearly disproves that myth. Reading is life transforming and can help us achieve our full potential and lead a richer life.



Reading can transform your life because the more you read, the more you know. The more you read, the more you can imagine. The more you read, the better you understand other people and this can help enhance your relationships and consequently improve your life.
When the message of a book is rightly phrased, it could pass your defences, enter your heart and explode silently and effectively within your mind and change you from inside out.
The Bible is generally accepted by Christians as God’s word to man, that being the case, one could say God chose to communicate his thoughts to humanity through a book. Many are known to have been greatly inspired and transformed by it.
There are a few simple habits you can cultivate in life that really have a potential to change your life; reading good books is one of such habits. Reading has such a capacity to transform a life; it has the ability to unlock a wealth of treasure and greatness from within an individual. Through reading you can rub minds with the greatest thinkers of all time. You can share in the wisdom of the greatest minds that ever walked the surface of the earth simply by reading their books. Through reading you access the knowledge and wealth of wisdom of the author’s mind. You also become a partaker of the rapturous moments of inspiration enjoyed by the writer. You can even experience and enjoy ‘divine’ moments of insight akin to a spiritual experience, simply by reading a book.
3. Discover the magic of reading
Books can be magical as they are able to catapult you to another world in the twinkling of an eye
B ooks are magical, people can find a new world through the power of the written word. Books have a certain kind of enchantment about them; they are able to catapult you to a different world in the twinkling of an eye. Between the covers of a book exists a sort of paradise. All you have to do is add a little ingredient called imagination and you can feel the magic everywhere. You don’t have to be a child to enjoy the thrill of reading; you only need the imagination and enthusiasm of youth and you’re halfway there.
The ability to read is an awesome gift; not just to perform tasks like reading the instructions for the use of a new electrical equipment, or reading the signs to where you’re going or reading the label on a can of food in the supermarket, but so you can enjoy life through reading jokes, letters, prose, poetry etc.
I love reading and paradise for me is getting the kids to bed early and settling down in front of the fire place to read a good book. I love to suck out the life and marrow from a good book like a dog with a juicy bone. There is nothing that I enjoy more than gleaning wisdom from writings of wise men and women, for me this is like a conference of great minds being ignited and exploding in revelation. Or it could just be getting captivated in a fascinating story; riding the waves, feeling the breeze, and enjoying the thrill of a good adventure novel.
Reading is one of the most enjoyable activities in life, but in case you have not discovered the joys of reading, here are some benefits of reading. Reading n ovels, short stories, poems, and plays provide good quality lasting entertainment. As you read through the pages you may well find that a kind of peaceful paradise exists between the covers of books. Reading can make you a more interesting individual. Those who are well-read are likely to be quite knowledgeable and interesting. The book knowledge just seeps from them. Even if they don't always know all the details, they can often converse on some of the most interesting literary topics! It's true! If you've read a great deal, you'll have a conversation piece on many topics wherever you find yourself. Another benefit of reading which is probably quite obvious is that you become a better scholar or writer when you read. It is a fact that reading more will improve your writing and knowledge.
If you want to