Is That a Book I See in Your Hands?

Were you one of those kids who would hide under the covers with a flashlight after bedtime because you just couldn’t put your book down? Or maybe you hid a comic book inside your textbook hoping your teacher wouldn’t walk by? No matter what kind of reading you were doing, you just hoped you didn’t get caught! Luckily, you, your kids, and other readers in your life don’t have to worry about that this month because May is National Get Caught Reading month!

May is known for many wonderful things like blooming flowers and warmer weather, but its designation as Get Caught Reading Month makes it even better. According to Every Child a Reader, “Get Caught Reading is a year-round campaign to promote the fun of reading books… [It was] launched in 1999 by the Association of American Publishers and is now managed by Every Child a Reader.” Fortunately, this celebration of reading is for people of all ages, and the library is the perfect place to start if you want to get caught reading.

So how might you get caught reading this May? Some suggestions from the National Calendar Day site include:

• Carry a magazine or two with you and pull it out anytime you have free moments.

• Keep books, magazines, comics, etc. in your car for all ages so they are readily available.

• Unplug from your devices, then stop by the library and pick out the latest bestseller or classic on your reading list.

• Charge your e-reader and take it everywhere with you. Many books have been made available for little to no cost.

• Get caught reading to children or grandchildren, then create a routine that carries on throughout the year.

• Put a book, magazine, comic, or newspaper in every room in the house.

• Read outdoors in a park after a walk.

• Use #GetCaughtReadingMonth to share on social media.

I think the idea of getting caught reading is exciting! It harkens back to those nights under the covers or hunching over your desk at school. I was fortunate to catch my own kids reading when they were young, and I always struggled to make them stop when it was late on a school night. Maybe they kept reading, maybe not, but I secretly enjoyed catching them. I also relished it when my kids caught me reading, as I often did in the evenings or on warm summer afternoons. I hoped that they would see me reading and want to do the same.

How might you get caught reading this May? Perhaps you can read a book while waiting at the dentist’s office and a fellow patient will see you and decide to pick up a book themselves. Or maybe someone will walk by the window of the coffee shop while you are at a table reading the newspaper and think, “I should grab the newspaper on my way home today.” And of course, one of the easiest ways is to come to Wickson Library, pick up a book, magazine, newspaper, or any other of their many options, have a seat, and enjoy some quiet reading time. I am certain someone will catch you!