The Boxcar Children: Four orphans hiding from their grandfather and ending up in an abandoned boxcar. It is a series built around children who have lost their parents, but still have each other. They also have tenacity, hope and joy.

I came across the series when I was helping a student choose a book he might like to read. We went through a number of different books, reading the back covers and sometimes the first page. Nothing seemed to interest him, until we got to Book 1 of The Boxcar Children. I explained to him that I had read these books as a kid, and our children had read a few as well when they were his age. He looked at the first page and nodded.

“This is the one I want to read,” he said. So, we did.

We read together for a few days, his interest growing as he started to understand the story and care about the characters. One day I had to go do something as we were starting our reading time, and when I came back he had picked up the book and was reading on his own. I knew he was hooked.

Books are marvelous, magical things. They tell us that other people have troubles, too; that we are not the only ones in the world who may have experienced tragedies, or even smaller disappointments. And the right book can show us that things don’t have to stay miserable; they can give us hope that there is a way out of our troubles.

Students who have lost parents, or are dealing with other very grown up problems, need good books. They need to feel there is a safe place to go where they can know for sure what someone else is thinking. Where they can hear how someone else reasons through a problem. Where they can get advice without asking for it. Where they can feel loved. And they can make us feel loved. There are books I keep by my bedside and read over and over again because each time they make me feel safe, and inspired, and cared for.

My favorite “book story” from this year of working with children in a rural public school system comes from an author named Mo Willems. I had never heard of Mr. Willems before this year but when any of the elementary school classes I was in would go to check out library books his were the ones they wanted.

I remember one day when four little girls all wanted the new Gerald and Piggy book. They came to me to settle it and said I had to pick a number. I was new to the concept so they sighed and explained that I had to pick a number and whoever guessed closest to that number got the book for the week. Frankly, I doubted this would work, but I dutifully chose a number. The girl who came closest calmly reached out and took the book from me while the other three turned away and went to find other books. I was stunned. Harmony had prevailed!

Later, I came to understand why those books were so coveted. They are funny, kind, smart and make you want to be there, in the book. I found out how powerful they were later in the year.

A student arrived late and in a terrible state. His morning had been awful and I realized he needed some time to sort things out. I pulled him out of class and we went to the library and grabbed a few Gerald and Piggy books. The first few pages I read to him, – no response. The next few pages I did all the silly voices and dramatic pauses, – a glimmer of interest. By the end of the book he was reading the part of Gerald and I was reading Piggy and we were laughing and gasping right along with the characters. He was back. Back to where he could go into class and participate. I was, again, shocked. (I’m often shocked at what I learn from kids.) He had allowed the power of ideas to change him, to seep in and soften his anger and turn his hurt to hope. It was an extraordinary thing to witness.

Some day I will write to Mr. Willems and thank him, but for now I simply want to encourage all the adults reading this to find ways to bring the gift of reading to kids. There are so many ways to do this. You don’t have to be a teacher or a parent, but you do have to try. To go to the library and see how you can help. Or, your local bookstore and offer to give some gift certificates to kids who might not be able to afford new books. Or, start a Literacy Loons program:

(see http://www.bearpondlearning.com/ ) or Roads Scholars program (see http://www.teamlongrun.org/ ) in your neck of the woods. Or, something even better!

We all are blessed when kids discover the power of ideas, the joy of empathy, and the excitement of living vicariously through someone else for a few hours.

So, happy summer reading, and sharing.