“The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
             Dr. Seuss: “Oh, the Places You’ll Go."
 
While Read Across America is celebrated March 2, the reading program sponsored by the National Educational Association is celebrated all year long, with tips for readers, book list recom-mendations that showcase diverse authors and characters, and featuring a different theme each month.   January explored families and history; February practices empathy; and March cultivates compassion.  Teachers, parents, children and others involved in education are fully aware that the month of March is for readers.  

March 2, the birthday of Theodore Seuss Geisel, also known as Dr. Seuss, was declared Read Across America Day by President Barack Obama in a Presidential Proclamation.
“From a child’s first foray into the depths of a story to an adult’s escape into a world of words, reading plays an integral role in our lives,” said President Obama in his proclamation.
Some might think this only relates to children and simply teaching the ability to read, but literacy isn’t just about the ability to read words on a page.
“Works of fiction and non-fiction alike pique interest and inspiration and shape our understanding of each other and ourselves, teaching us lessons in kindness and humility, responsibility and respect,” the president explained. 
Perhaps to some, Dr. Seuss is just a children’s book author.  Maybe his stories, loved by so many, are just fictional.  Once children have reached a certain age, Horton and the other imaginary characters might be passed on, but for others, Horton isn’t just an imaginary elephant.  
Why? Because these people are able to connect this fictional character to society, as the president stated in his proclamation.  They see that Horton came from a position of privilege (his size) and felt it was his responsibility to take care of a community of people so small, others were not able to see them.
  These children learn how to be empathetic before they even learn the dictionary definition of the word empathy.  These children learn about the harm discrimination and bullying creates, as they read about the Sneetches.  These children learn about hope and goal-setting, and even dreaming, in “Oh, the Places You’ll Go.”  These are just a few Dr. Suess books.  He and so many authors promote self-awareness, as well as empathy for others through their many stories.
   “The moment we persuade a child to pick up a book for the first time, we change their lives forever for the better,” said President Obama.  “Books reveal unexplored universes and stimulate curiosity, and in underserved communities, they play a particularly important role in prompting inquisition and encouraging ambition.  The more you read, the more things you will know.  The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.  Together, we can help all children go plenty of places along their unending journey for knowledge and ensure everyone can find joy and satisfaction, in the wonders of the written word.”
May you always have an angel at your side.