NYT: "Father and Daughter Bond by Years of Reading"sevide

After coming across this New York Times article on the Reach Out and Read Facebook page, I knew I had to share it on the blog. The story of a New Jersey librarian who read to his daughter every night for over 3,000 nights during a reading marathon they named "The Streak," it is evidence of the positive effect consistent reading can have on a child. Beginning with L. Frank Baum's The Tin Woodman of Oz when Jim Brozina's youngest daughter Kristen was in fourth grade, they agreed to a pact in which he would read to her every night for 1,000 nights. The Streak ended up lasting for 3,218 nights, ending with the day Mr. Brozina moved Kristen into her college dorm room. Ranging from picture books such as the George and Martha series to the Harry Potter series to eventually Dickens and Shakespeare, they faithfully read for at least ten minutes before midnight each night.

For Jim and Kristen, their reading nights were about more than just instilling a passion for reading. It was also a way for them to bond after Kristen's grandparents died, her mother left Jim, and her older sister went off to college. Kristen told the Times, "It was just the two of us. The Streak was stability when everything else was unstable. It was something I knew would always be there. People kept leaving me, but with The Streak, I knew that nothing would come before The Streak."

The message of Reach Out and Read is that kids who grow up with parents who read to them and encourage them to learn to love books and reading are better prepared to succeed in school and in life. Kristen is a prime example of this idea: She is about to graduate from Rowan University as an English major with a 3.94 GPA, and was recently accepted to the University of Pennsylvania.

When Mr. Brozina was asked if they planned to keep up the tradition of The Streak in the next generation, he deferred, saying it was up to Kristen. He added, "These books, she'll read to hers and they'll read to theirs. And they'll read to the generations down the lines. It's a means for me to touch generations I'll never see. They'll all be smart. I can't imagine these books will never be used. Every single one of them is so good."

This article made me wonder, in how many families are the fathers the one who do the reading? Without any research on this topic, I would guess not very many. Although we never read for 3,218 nights in a row, I have very fond memories

of my dad reading to me when I was growing up. While my mom and I read everything from My Way for Ducklings and the Disney Princess books I insisted upon to Judy Blume and The Little House on the Prairie, my dad had a different style. Although I'm sure he read me plenty of picture books, he also read all of Bram Stoker's Dracula to me when I was in fourth grade.

In fact, my supportive father even wrote this comment on the first post of this blog:

Nice blog, Em! Got a question -- what is RO&R's position on comic books and comic strips as reading material? I think a lot could be learned by reading, say, collections of "Calvin and Hobbes" comic strips. As the very least, a kid would come to know that "BATS AREN'T BUGS!!!" -- PL

Even if we didn't have a catchy nickname like The Streak, my dad and I did have a very special reading tradition, which was reading Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes collections. To this day, we can still quote some of our favorite lines from these comics. I vividly remember begging for "Just one more story, Dad!" and us cracking up at the antics of Calvin and his imaginary tiger Hobbes when he consented. Although they are not the traditional bedtime story material, many of these stories do teach a lesson and they show that comic books or strips can engage children in reading much like books can. I'm proof of that. Thanks, Dad!

You can read the full NY Times article here.