Book To The Future

Earlier this month, Mano Amiga Academy held "Book to the Future", a special book fair for the students and other kids who frequent the Mano Amiga community library. Adarna Publishing house set up a booth and organized a morning of storytelling and fun games. Youth volunteers joined the activities and sponsored a book for their child partner.

Book To the Future volunteer Vicky Herrera shares how Dr. Seuss influenced her life and why it's crucial for children from all walks of life to have access to good books.

When I was a little girl, I remember how my kindergarten would allow each student to take home a book over the weekend to read. I decided one day to take home the book “The Cat In The Hat…Comes Back” by Dr. Seuss.

I loved the book so much that I took it home…..Every Weekend.

I don’t even remember the story anymore. But I do remember how I felt when I would read. My imagination took over and I’d be so excited to sit down and read it over and over again. I used to have tons of books around me, and I still do.

Last Weekend, Adarna House visited Mano Amiga Academy (in Taguig). Each student was able to take home their own book for free. I loved how they wanted to encourage young kids to read.

Some of the books were written in Tagalog. From “Si Pagong at si Matsing”, to “Ibong Adarna,” to “Ang Alamat ng Ampalaya,”- all I could think was… Dang, if I had these maybe my Tagalog skills would be better!

I guess watching them sit down in their seats and go over their book gave me flashbacks to my Dr. Seuss days, and it reminded me of how important reading was to my own development. Maybe if I never picked up that book, I wouldn’t like rhymes and wordplay (there goes hip-hop!)… maybe I also wouldn’t be writing…

Kids these days…their minds that are so fertile, it’s important we feed the right messages. You never really know what a can influence a child.

Original post could be found at: http://www.victoriaherrera.com/post/4203969919/mano-amiga-academy-x-adarna-house