April 12th is D.E.A.R. or Drop Everything And Read Day, a national day to honor reading. The goal of this special day is to make reading part of everyone’s life. If you’re already an avid reader or a lover of books, this day is pretty much just another day for you. However, for those who don’t really care for books or reading, hopefully this day will help you develop a new perspective.

The first D.E.A.R. Day was introduced in Beverly Cleary’s book Ramona Quimby, Age 8 . April 12th was chosen in honor of Mrs. Cleary’s birthday (may she rest in peace). Since then, the concept has become a program, which has grown from a day to a month in some places.

For most people, the love of reading develops when you’re young. Maybe your parents read to you when you were a child, or some kind teacher read books out loud to your class. In my case, my parents read to me and bought me lots of books. My elementary school teachers read out loud to my class. All of these actions made reading fun for me, so I grew up with a love of books.

While school can make reading fun, it can also make reading seem like a burden. It’s one thing to read for pleasure; it’s quite another to have to read a book in order to write a book report (it’s even worse if you have to read that report out loud). By the time you reach high school, you’re no longer reading books about spunky girl detectives or mice who ride motorcycles. You’re reading about women who are labeled as adulterers and prison escapes (yes, I’m referring to The Scarlet Letter and The Count of Monte Cristo). When you’re forced to read books you may not be interested in, it makes reading become more of a challenge.

This is an opportunity to rekindle your relationship with books! Don’t let the love die! If there’s a book you’ve been thinking about reading, pick it up and give it a chance. If you have a “To Read” list on Goodreads, look it over and pick a book to start. Whatever you do, DROP EVERYTHING AND READ!!