Celebrate National Read a Book Day

September 6 is National Read a Book Day, though in my household I think that’s every day! And indeed this is a holiday that everyone can celebrate, at home or in the classroom. Here are a few ideas for celebrating reading today and every day.

Make a reading nook: in your home or classroom, having a little nest or special place for reading can be a lot of fun. It needs good light, a comfy place to sit or lie down, a shelf or table where you can put snacks and drinks (at home at least; a shelf might make more sense in a classroom) and a good stash of notebooks, writing utensils and bookmarks.

Print some bookmarks: speaking of bookmarks, it might be time to refresh your supply of bookmarks. I’ve done a few posts about printable bookmarks (for example, here and here) that last bunch is all coloring bookmarks, which is great to add another activity to your reading day festivities. If you’re making bookmarks for the home you can search for bookmarks on a theme, such as robots or ice cream or mandalas, which can be fun for all ages to have their own bookmarks they color themselves.

Book bingo: Maybe now is the time to start a reading challenge or filling out a book bingo card. There are tons of different options for kids and adults, or you can make your own based on ideas from your classroom or family. Some things to include might be different kinds of books to read (chapter books, graphic novels, audiobooks, etc.) or places to read (outside, in bed, at a restaurant, and so on). If you want a printable reading bingo card to use, check out this one from Childhood 101, or this summer reading bingo printable from Imagination Soup.

How do you celebrate reading every day? I’d love to hear about it!

[Image by StockSnap from Pixabay]

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Elf on the Shelf Ideas for the Classroom

The celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is important throughout Mexico and other parts of the world. Her feast day is Dec. 12, and the celebrations honoring her appearance to Juan Diego in 1531 begin a few days before that.

Whether you celebrate yourself or just want to share about the celebration at home or in your classroom, Las Mañanitas: The Beautiful Celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a good place to start. The book, by Ernesto Joel Vega Rosales and Jeanette Gonzalez Seneviratne, with illustrations by Dana Sanmar, tells the story of a family’s celebration of the feast day in both English and Spanish.

They prepare with a novena, which is nine days of prayers and preparations. The children, Lucia and Pablo, are given special outfits made by their grandmother that look like what Juan Diego might have worn when he saw Our Lady. The book describes the prayers that are made each day, such as a prayer for respect for life, for families and for the indigenous people of the Americas, to name a few.

As told in the book, Juan Diego was a native Mexican born near modern day Mexico City. His given name was Cuaauhtlatoatzin, which means “He who speaks like an eagle.” When he converted to Christianity his name was changed to Juan Diego, and as he walked to church he passed a hill called Tepeyac. One day he heard the birds singing especially beautifully and a voice called him to go to the top of the hill.

There he saw Our Lady of Guadalupe, who asked him to tell the bishop she wanted a chapel built in her name at the foot of the hill. The bishop asked for a sign that Juan Diego really saw her, and later she had him collect flowers that she blessed and take them to the bishop. When Juan Diego dropped the flowers, an image of Our Lady could be seen on his cloak, which is still on display in her basilica to this day.

The feast day is celebrated as mañanitas, which includes singing, indigenous music and dancing, and children presenting flowers to Our Lady. Juan Diego is remembered today as being humble, brave and faithful, and was the first indigenous American made a saint.

The book is colorful and tells the story in a clear way, and it’s fun to have it both in English and Spanish if you teach Spanish or speak Spanish at home or in the classroom. It’s a great way to learn the basics of the celebration and the story of Juan Diego and why he is still remembered today.

About the book: 40 pages, paperback, published 2024 by Loyola Press. Suggested retail price $14.99.

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Have you read?

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