My favorite memories from elementary school were the days we dropped school. Yes, you read that right. Let me explain. DEAR stands for “Drop Everything and Read.” For one week in April, we’d drop twenty minutes of school time each day to read. My reading spot of choice was the space between the wall and the bookshelf. In the first and second grades, you were paired up with an seventh or eighth grade student to help you read. In the grades between, you read by yourself. By the time I reached fourth grade, my love for reading had grown a little bit into an obsession. Still, DEAR week helped me improve my reading skills, and it helped my classmates. I’m very thankful that I went to a school that placed such an importance on reading.
DEAR Day is celebrated April 12, Beverly Cleary’s birthday. Cleary is the author of the popular children’s book series Ramona Quimby, and she wrote about DEAR Day in one of her books. Since then, numerous schools across the country have started DEAR Day programs. It has become so popular that it was extended to the entire month of April. So whenever you’re bored or need to relax, drop your work and pick up a book. If anyone judges you, tell them you’re celebrating a very important holiday.
Happy reading!