Here's your answer. Author Wendy S. Swore is visiting Kailua Elementary School this coming Wednesday to give a presentation for our 3rd through 6th graders. Truth: I chose to read her book solely because of her visit. And, as is the case nearly every single time, I LOVE IT!
Sometimes we find gems of great storytelling in the most unpredictable places. Sometimes it's because our friends are reading it and said it was good. Sometimes we see the cover and are immediately intrigued. Sometimes, we just randomly grab the nearest book and go for it.
All are perfectly fine methods of book selection in this library. Explore, discover, be curious, try stuff out, and if it doesn't fit, return it and try again.
But the children always ask me the best questions, like "What are you reading?" Perhaps out of curiosity on their part. Perhaps they want to see if the guy who preaches "read read read" every time they see me ACTUALLY DOES READ-READ-READ. Perhaps they are seeking some kind of guidance or validation that the librarian likes the same stories they do. In the spirit of honestly answering this question, for whatever the motive, I have created a very public reading log, so you can see what Mr. Tanaka is reading. And I'll be honest in saying that it varies a lot. Like many of us, I get lost in reading tiny passages of writing on social media. Sometimes I'm engrossed in a how-to book that helps me understand a project better. And sometimes, it's just plain old reading for fun. Here's the link if you're curious. MEN. FATHERS. UNCLES. Father-figures and male-role-models of every kind. I encourage you to show the young ones that you read too. Here's an article, even though it's 5 years old, whose main points are still very valid today. When I became a dad many years ago, I was not a frequent reader. I read the newspaper, Entertainment Weekly, and guitar magazine articles. And whatever was required for my job. When I became immediately responsible for my newborn son, I had to do something scary - admit to myself and to my new family that I wasn't very good at something but I was going to try. And so I did. Who knew that a few years later, I would be graduating with a Master's degree in Library and Information Science from UH Manoa? It IS possible. It's never too late. You DO have time. It may even be difficult and uncomfortable, but we all have to start somewhere. If you need some help figuring out this reading thing, please reach out to me any time via email and we'll get it done together. Deal?