My motivation for starting our family tradition of reading in the car was purely selfish: I could not bear listening to A Sesame Street Christmas for another 10 hours. My three children had been addicted to this cassette on our previous summer’s road trip.

As I began to prepare for our next 500-mile car trip, I came across a book Jim Trelease’s The Read Aloud Handbook. This could be the answer to my problem. I thought. So I put Roald dahl’s James and the Giant Peach into my bag. When I began to read aloud the tale of the boy who escapes the bad guys by hiding inside a giant peach, my three kids argued and wrestled in their seats. But after several lines, they were attracted into the rhythm of the words and began to listen.

We soon learned that the simple pleasure of listening to a well-written book makes the long miles pass more quickly. Sometimes the books we read became highlights of the trip. I read Wilson Rawls’s Summer of the Monkeys as we spent two days driving to the beach. We arrived just behind the power crews restoring (恢复) electricity after a tropical storm. The rain continued most of the week, and the beach was covered with oil washed up by the storm. When we returned home, I asked my son what he liked about the trip. He answered without hesitation, “The book you read in the car.”

Road trips still offer challenges, even though my children now are teenagers. But we continue to read as we roll across the country. And I'm beginning to see that reading aloud has done more than help pass the time. For at least a little while, we are not shut in our own electronic worlds. And maybe we’ve started something that will pass on to the next generation.

“I’m All Crown Now Papa”. tells a heartfelt story about a lovable young boy growing up in the rural mountains of Haiti, addressing a series of questions to his father in heaven, who passed away when he was only 1 month old. His grandmother, Grann, has told him so many stories about his father and the striking similarity between the two even at a very young age. The boy updates his father of the dynamics around the family, their struggle, their pain, their joy but most importantly his efforts to be a good boy, taking care of Grann and his mother in his father’s absence. “I’m All Grown Now Papa” also shows how difficult it is for some boys and girls in certain parts of the world to receive an education and realize their dreams. All of the emotions and natural beauty of the mountains are beautifully interpreted through the illustrations of a gifted Haitian artist.

In the heartbreaking account of a young boy speaking to a father no longer with him, “I’m All Grown Now Papa” is written through the eyes of the author of the book , Claude Louis, in a journey through his own young childhood in Haiti. Claude Louis highlights charming village life and the undeniable love of his ‘Grann’. “I’m All Grown Now Papa" attracts more privileged children and their parents to get involved in providing much needed aid and opportunity for those less fortunate.

In simple but vivid language, Claude Louis draws the readers into his world. The wonderful synchronicity(同步) of words and images seizes the life of Claude Louis perfectly, us his lived life is in line with his thoughts of his father, who remains a constant companion to his son ??? the heaven, thanks to his memory, which is kept alive by ‘Grann’, who reminds him to ‘look into a bucket of water’ whenever he asks about his Papa. Louis expertly weaves the value of education into his story, and its importance even in the face of making a living despite hardship. His firm belief is delicately seized in the last illustration, that of his growing self, gaining in fame and in acquirement, all the while moving symbolically closer to his Father.

In a highly technical world, there is something quite magical about the timelessness of the public library. And the impact and importance of libraries extends across decades, centuries even, dating back to 4th century BC in Athens. 【小题1】 They serve as community cornerstones and giving free access to books, resources, and information.

A study by Pew Research Center found that 94% of Americans agreed that having a public library improves the quality of life in a community, and 95% said that libraries give everyone a chance to succeed and promote a love for reading. 【小题2】 Here are a few of the reasons why they are so important.

Libraries promote education.

Beyond the free access to books and computers, many libraries also offer valuable services including tutoring, learning camps, and homeschooling resources. Many libraries host STEAM events for kids where they get to experience life as an astronaut, learning about the solar system and working together to build robotic, space-related projects. 【小题3】

Libraries build a sense of community.

【小题4】 So, whether you join a monthly book club or read book submissions from local authors, you’re broadening your horizons, making connections, and learning from other members — ones who you may have never crossed paths with otherwise.

【小题5】

Original documents are digitized and maintained at libraries. This helps preserve the nation’s cultural heritage, as well as provide an opportunity to better understand others’ points of view. If you ever get the chance, visit the New York Public Library to explore its database of over 1,800 newspapers, magazines, and journals, all published between 1740 and 1940.