It's the 20th anniversary of the first Read Across America day. Every year since 1998, the National Education Association (NEA) has promoted Read Across America. March 2 is the day that is highlighted to encourage reading. What can you do to support this celebration of reading?

There are so many reasons to read for information. Cookbooks teach us more than how to create edible masterpieces. Nutrition and health books abound. One of the best of those that I have ever read is Death to Diabetes, by DeWayne McCulley, a must-read if you have a loved one with diabetes.

Do you have a young friend who likes to read, color, trace letters, and work paper puzzles? What do I mean by paper puzzles? Those would include mazes, word searches, and crossword puzzles. The "Harry the Happy Mouse Activity Book" has all of these activities, and it would be a perfect present.

Too often the media portrays minority families as sad and broken. This book shows a loving, vibrant African-American family that is joyously spending time together. Trish Cooke's book has simple sentence structure with easy-reader words, positive messages, and Paul Howard's glorious illustrations.

Catch the young child's interest in the world around her. Make sure that she has access to a variety of reading materials. Building strong readers starts years before a child ever goes to school and enters the classroom. Birth to age 5 is a critical time in your child's intellectual development.

Start your plan now! Read Across America is coming! March 2 can be a glorious celebration of reading in your family. Visit a library. Bring friends and neighbors into Read Across America, so that they can enjoy this special day, too. Have a wonderful day of reading!

The Amelia Series, books 1-3, are memoirs that chronicle the sad and difficult life of a young woman called Amelia. The books are a look at how difficult life can be for a child who does not grow up in a loving home.

With the emphasis on electronics, the tradition of giving books has gone out of vogue, at least in some parts of the world. Not so in Iceland. Books are considered a precious present for the holidays. How can you make this sweet tradition a part of your family's holiday season?

Dyslexia is misunderstood problem. The general public people thinks that it has to do with writing letters backwards. That is incorrect. Dyslexia occurs when the brain does not process visual information correctly. Dyslexia is a specific learning disability.

Parents, here are ideas to increase the time that your child reads in the summer and enjoys it! The article is written in kid-friendly language to share it with children. It is addressed to them. There are also resources at the end of the article to help them have a great summer reading experience!