National Book Lover’s Day!
Written by: Phoebe Warren
“Why would you save me?” Despereaux asked. “Have you saved any of the other mice?”
“Never,” said Gregory, “not one.”
“Why would you save me, then?”
“Because you, mouse, can tell Gregory a story. Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark. Begin at the beginning. Tell Gregory a story. Make some light.”
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This is an excerpt from the wonderful children’s book titled, “The Tale of Despereaux,” by Kate DiCamillo. This book is my very favorite because it resonated with me so deeply from a young age and did a great deal to foster my love of reading. Why have I brought this to your attention? Today is National Book Lover’s Day!
Language evolved from the need for humans to communicate with each other effectively. Indeed, many say that the capacity for language is the cornerstone of any successful civilization, past or present. You may remember from your history class that the oldest written language in is Sumerian. A quick check on Britannica.com confirms this, and further clarifies this language existing in the region of Southern Mesopotamia as early as 3100 BCE.
Did this ancient civilization of Mesopotamia also create the first written story, then? You might be surprised to know that yes, they did. Britannica.com lists the oldest surviving written literature as “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” an ancient Sumerian poem that is said to inspired other ancient literary works such as The Iliad, The Odyssey, and the Hebrew Bible.
I think it’s incredible that as soon as we learned to write, we learned to make stories and record them for others to read. It’s safe to say that stories are a part of the human experience, and we feel compelled to record and share those stories with others. There’s something magical about being transported to another time, place, or world through a series of pages. I think all book lovers agree this to be a true form of magic.
I still remember holding a flashlight under the covers when I was supposed to be asleep, rereading my beloved book, “The Tale of Despereaux.” That feeling still takes hold of me when I turn the last page of a good book amd close the cover. (Or, you know, close the Kindle app for my modernists.) This post is for you, my dear book worms! Go find a comfy spot, put on your comfy clothes, and curl up with a good book.
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies.”
― George R.R. Martin