What is it that makes reading aloud so special? And why was Read to Them founded on this very idea?

Author Kate DiCamillo recently shared an intriguing story from her childhood that offers a fantastic explanation. She was featured on a short PBS segment. (3 minutes!)

You can find the entire video here.

“Reading aloud ushers us into a third place, a safe room, it’s a room where everyone involved, reader and the listener, can put down their defenses and lower their guard”, says DiCamillo.

DiCamillo reminds us all of our memories being read to or reading to someone else. “We humans long not just for story, not just for the flow of language, but for the connection that comes when words are read aloud. That connection provides illumination, it lets us see each other.” These moments are so precious, despite their simplicity, and remembered for lifetimes.

Kate DiCamillo is the beloved author of four books on our list. From the classic novel  Because of Winn-Dixie to the thought provoking and heart-wrenching story that is The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.

Not to mention two incredible Newbery Winners; The Tale of Despereaux and Flora & Ulysses.  The Tale of Despereaux will delight and most likely make you crave a bowl of hot, delicious soup. Flora & Ulysses delivers with wonderous illustrations, a squirrel sidekick, and an increasingly intricate adventure.

There is plenty to discover in each of these books. Whatever you choose to read, share it! As DiCamillo explains, “when people talk about the importance of reading aloud they almost always mean an adult reading to a child. We forget about the surly adolescent, and the confused young adult, and the weary middle aged, and the lonely old. We need it too.”

“We all need it.”

Find the entire video and listen to DiCamillo’s excellent story here.