Last week, people worldwide – including you, perhaps – celebrated World Book Day, an annual event set up by the UN’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. And to celebrate this further, the charity World Book Day launched a manifesto: Reading is Power.
Interestingly, this manifesto was written by young readers for young readers, and they’ve made four bold statements around growth, choice, power and knowledge.
But if you’re into science, technology, engineering or maths – STEM subjects – do you really need to bother with reading books? It turns out there a zillions of reasons why you should pick up a book and read:
- Reading is enjoyable escapism and allows you to learn to immerse yourself in a story
- Reading can open new worlds and expand your horizons – this may inspire you to change something in your own life or alter your future career or life choices
- Relating to characters in a book allows you to explore your own identity, or to see the world from other people’s perspectives
- Reading improves your vocabulary and, if you enjoy it, with minimal effort! Being articulate will be helpful in whatever profession you may choose
- You can also read a book to learn a skill or to increase your knowledge of a particular topic
- Reading can reduce stress and improve your memory, focus and concentration
- Books are good value – especially if you borrow them from the library
- Reading is Power! World Book Day 2019 has collaborated with a group of young people to produce a manifesto, describing how you can “read today, for a powerful tomorrow”.
Put together, all these benefits will improve you holistically. Evidence suggests that if you enjoy reading, your cognitive progress (how much you know, perceive, remember and how good you are at judging situations) and social mobility (changing your social status) are improved – and that this is even more important than your academic achievements or the socioeconomic status of your parents. So, read more to achieve more in life!
Sharing a love of reading with a family member or a friend plays a key role in how likely you are to read for pleasure. So, if you don’t know where to start, why not set up a “reading community” with someone who does?
Do you enjoy reading? Do you have any books that you would recommend to our other readers? Maybe you prefer not to read? Our challenge for you this week is to pick up a book and read it, talk about it, and take pleasure in it. Why not join (or set up) a book club at your school?
Read more about this:
World book Day: Reading is power manifesto and video
Edutopia: The benefits of reading for pleasure
Life Hack: Ten benefits of reading: why you should read every day
Need some help choosing a book? Try one of these World Book Day ideas
