![]() To have a brand-new book to open at night - it’s crisp unbroken binding, the scent of its pages, the soft rush of air and excitement that comes with turning them - this is my dream for every child.Ī pile of books begins with one. My mother wanted us to read constantly but didn’t have the money to buy us 'piles of books’. The books I had as a child were borrowed from the library or the worn books that had moved through many hands before landing, often in states of disrepair, in my own hands.īooks were both a necessity and a luxury in my childhood. Or better, to be able to read them to myself. She said that love began when she was a child and her dad would bring a pile of books to read to her before she went to sleep.Īs I listened, I imagined what would it have been like to have ‘a pile of books’ and someone who had the time at the end of the day to read them to me. “The other night, a friend was describing her love for books. Her books, “Brown Girl Dreaming” and “The Day You Begin” are both very important to the children in my life. Woodson is the winner of, well – all of the awards for her genre-spanning work, including the prestigious Newbery and Caldecott, as well as a Macarthur “Genius” grant (2020). This year, I am thrilled that author Jacqueline Woodson () agreed to share a very personal literacy story. Working with my local literacy partner Children’s Reading Connection (), this campaign has grown to include schools, libraries and booksellers, who have donated scores of books to families that might not have access to them. The most important part is what happens next: Family members reading together. The idea to put books on beds at Christmastime originally came from historian David McCullough, who recounted the Christmas mornings of his youth, when the very first thing he woke up to was a wrapped book at the base of his bed, left there by Santa. In our household, we went without some things that other families had, but we always had books in abundance. Your only job here is to find a way around your own fears, and to relieve yourself of the burden to judge this family – and instead to love all of them, just as they are.ĭear Readers: Every year at Christmastime, I ask readers to put “A Book on Every Bed.” I do so in memory of my mother, Jane, whose weekly trips to our town’s library always yielded armloads of books. This family is receiving professional support (another very wise choice). (I wish I’d had an ounce of that kind of courage at his age.)įurthermore, his father is his ally! Give yourself credit for raising a man who is a good parent. ![]() But that sullen teenager left his bedroom, got dolled-up, and took himself to the prom! You might not understand why your grandson would make the choice to go to the prom wearing what sounds like an amazing outfit. ![]() But the role of a grandparent is actually so simple: All you have to do is to love your grandchildren – exactly as they are, exactly as they present to you through phases, representations, or revelations – and through whatever joys or challenges they encounter.Ĭan you imagine the impact on this family if you just simply loved and accepted all of them, no matter what? ![]() They are receiving counseling individually and as a family.Ĭan I do anything other than cry myself to sleep?Ĭould this be a phase, or will he always be like this? – Devastated Grandmaĭear Devastated: I have a blunt question for you: Are you going through a phase, or will you always be like this? His maternal grandfather committed suicide last year, so I am concerned about the mental health of the entire family. He spends most of his time alone in his room and is very sullen. I don’t want to alienate my son or grandson, but the prospect of having a LGBTQ grandson makes me sick. But there are people out there who don’t like this “in your face” behavior. ![]() My son became very defensive and said that people can love who they want, and that society needs to get used to it. I privately told my son (his father) that I was concerned for my grandson’s safety, as he would be a target if he is so flamboyant. The older grandson, age 17, appeared at his prom wearing a full-length purple gown with nail polish to match. Dear Amy: I have one son and two grandsons. ![]()
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