Written by Student Voice Intern: Rayna Germann 

Family Literacy Day takes place every January 27th with the purpose of raising awareness about the importance of reading and engaging in literacy-based activities, especially in families. I love to read, and I feel like reading, especially in schools, has a horrendous reputation. My goal is to help change that. It is common now for children to not want to read. There are endless opportunities for enjoyment both online and off that don't require reading. However, reading has definite benefits. I have read so many books throughout the last 12 years of my education, and every single one of them has taught me something and impacted my life. With this in mind, I want to share the books I have read in school that impacted me the most to highlight the importance of reading and hopefully inspire others to read more as well.  

Wonder – R.J. Palacio 

This heartwarming story, perfect for kids in the older elementary grades, follows the first time August "Auggie" Pullman, a boy with a facial deformation that prevented him from attending school, was able to do so. It age appropriately addresses topics like self-acceptance, empathy, kindness, and prejudice toward individuals with disabilities. Several of the characters in Wonder tell the story in the first person. It is broken up into eight sections, each of which is titled by the character who is telling the story. This is such an informative read for kids before they head into middle school, as it teaches them the lessons they truly need for the coming years.  

Kids need this book. The overwhelming crisis of mental health issues in youth, many due to bullying, is something that needs to be recognized not just by adults, but kids too. Reading this book teaches youth how bullying can hurt someone, and kids learn that everyone should be treated with kindness. Now more than ever the lesson of kindness and empathy is needed, and Wonder teaches kids just that.  

How did this book impact me? It completely altered the way I perceive others and choose to act towards them. After reading Wonder in grade 5, I swore I would always try to be empathetic and treat others with kindness. I think many kids who reads this story will feel the same way and make it their mission to spread kindness too. Wonder also taught me about the importance of being unique. This is such a massive lesson for kids as they grow up. The urge to fit in and conform to the norms of everyone around you in your youth is so strong. August teaches readers that you do not have to fit in, and that, standing out can be a good thing. Everyone is meant to stand out, and nobody should hide who they truly are. 

Everyone learns how to be a better version of themselves from this story. 

The Outsiders – S.E. Hinton 

The Outsiders, a coming-of-age novel for middle school students tells the story of Ponyboy Curtis, a young teen who lives with his two older brothers after their parents tragically died. Ponyboy is a part of the Greasers, a lower-class group in Tulsa, they rival with the Socs, who are a higher-class group on the other side of town. The story follows Ponyboy and his Greaser friends as they learn hard lessons about family, friendship, class conflict, identity, empathy, and more.  

This story is perfect for middle school students as they are learning to navigate the social world, trying to figure out who they want to be. It is heartbreaking, healing, and a story I believe young teens need. The book acknowledges mental health issues, peer pressure, and feeling of uncertainty that kids can connect to through the characters. Everyone who reads The Outsiders should be able to find something they connect with, whether that is feeling like an outsider, as both the Greasers and Socs do in the book, or always being in the middle of two people you love fighting, like Sodapop. It could be acting out to hide your struggles, like Dallas, or caring so much for everyone around you that you act out in a harsh way because you don't know how to manage emotions, like Darrel. The point is everyone can find themselves in The Outsiders.  

I would like to point out that there are themes of violence, death, abuse, and smoking in the novel. However, I do not think this should make kids stay away from the story in the slightest. These themes teach us something, whether that is the impact of violence on youth, or how people resort to things they should not when they are struggling. In the grand scheme of things, you learn so much from these dark themes than if it were a lighter-themed book.  

When I say that this is by far my favourite book I have read in school, I am by no means lying. The Outsiders taught me so much about love, identity, empathy, and how everyone is the same no matter the societal restrictions placed on them. I learned that I need to look past stereotypes, live to my fullest, “stay gold”, and never think you know what is going on in someone else's life. This story teaches young teens how short life is, how important family and friends are to our lives, and why empathy is a necessity in one’s character. Beyond that, it showed me that everyone feels like an outsider. We all feel like we do not belong. This story proves to us that nobody is alone in how alone they feel. Being on the outside makes us all similar, not different. 

I found a part of myself when I read The Outsiders, and I think so many other young teens will too.  

To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee 

To Kill a Mockingbird is a memorable story told through the eyes of young Scout, who tells readers about her father, Atticus, a lawyer who relentlessly works to clear a black man wrongfully accused of rape. There is also a mysterious neighbour, Boo Radley, whom Scout and her older brother Jem desperately try to understand. The story is a coming-of-age novel perfect for high school students. It discusses themes of racism, prejudice, empathy, and sexism, in such a captivating and age-appropriate way. This story tugs at your heartstrings. Telling the story from a child's perspective allows readers to understand and connect to the concepts. This is an amazing read for high school students since they are preparing to go into the world and deciding how they will face problems such as those discussed in the book.  

To Kill a Mockingbird is the inspiration high school students need to figure out who they want to be in the world, what they want to stand for, and in general how they will choose to live their live. Whether that is practicing empathy, like Scout does. It could be fighting for what you believe in and never giving up, just like Atticus. Or it could be always being courageous and brave, like the whole Finch family must be. 

To Kill a Mockingbird taught me the importance of empathy. In the novel, Scout and her brother Jem learn how to be empathetic from their father. How he teaches the kids helps them completely alter their life in how they perceive others. At the end of the novel, when the kid’s empathy impacts another character’s life majorly, all readers can see the importance of putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. That was the lesson that stuck with me the most from the novel. That said, I also learned so much about prejudice, and its impacts. The sad story of Tom Robinson, the black man falsely accused of rape, shows all readers how prejudice can change someone’s life for the worse in an instant. It really hit home the sad reality of prejudice for me, especially against people of colour. I know even more now how I want to live my life, and what I will stand up for repeatedly. 

Indian Horse – Richard Wagamese  

Indian Horse is the heartbreaking and healing story of Saul Indian Horse, an Ojibway boy who was taken to St. Jerome’s Residential School. There, he found his love and passion for hockey, his saviour. As Saul’s hockey career took off, he had to deal with the trauma from his past. Eventually, he learned to move on, he had to confront his past.  

The themes of racism, prejudice, sexual abuse, loss of innocence, alcoholism, and violence make this a hard read. However, I also believe it is a necessary read. High school kids learn so much from this book. It teaches truth as one learns the dark history that Canada has, focusing specifically on how, as a nation, we have mistreated Indigenous people. Beyond that, students learn about trauma, its effects on people, and how to move on from past experiences.  

I found this book so hard to read at times, because it so devastating and it really makes you question a lot. That is the whole experience though. That is the point. Richard Wagamese never intended for this to be an easy read; it is meant to be difficult just like those times were for Indigenous people. For me, a reason it was so hard to read was because I really put myself in the characters shoes and connected to them. Not only that, but throughout the novel readers are meant to really like one character, then at the end we learn horrifying truths about them, which really can hurt when you felt you liked them.  

The hard truths in this book taught me so much. I learned even more about Canada’s mistreatment of Indigenous people, and that helped me understand further why things like Truth and Reconciliation Day and land acknowledgements are so important. I learned the importance of family, and how they impact and shape us so much and lastly I learned how trauma can impact people and how facing it can be helpful in attempting to heal.  

Conclusion

Books have taught me more life lessons than any other aspect of school will. I would not be the same person if I had not read these books, and so many others I have read in school. Literature is so important, especially for youth. Not only does it teach us lessons and concepts we need for life, but it also offers an escape. Like Ponyboy, the main character in The Outsiders, books can be an escape from everyday problems for many. With how stressful life can be in school, we need books. Reading strengthens your brain, improves your vocabulary and comprehension, and improves your focus. Reading is important for growth. So, I hope you will take this as your sign. Read more. Encourage others to read and help them find joy in it by sharing. If you will not take it from me, I will leave you with a quote from Dr. Seuss – “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” 

References:

• “40 Best Moments from ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, One of the Most Important Films of All Time.” 40 Best Moments From “To Kill a Mockingbird”, One of the Most Important Films of All Time ~, 2 Nov. 2015, www.vintag.es/2015/11/40-best-moments-from-to-kill.html. 
• “7 Key Themes in to Kill a Mockingbird.” YourDictionary, YOURDICTIONARY, www.yourdictionary.com/articles/to-kill-mockingbird-themes. Accessed 12 Jan. 2025. 
• “Family Literacy Day 2025: Learn to Be Green, Together.” ABC Life Literacy Canada, 12 Nov. 2024, abclifeliteracy.ca/programs/family-literacy-day/. 
• Hinton, S. E. “The Outsiders: Paperback.” Barnes & Noble, Penguin Young Readers Group, 20 Apr. 2006, www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-outsiders-s-e-hinton/1100458329. 
• “Indian Horse | CBC Books.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 10 June 2021, www.cbc.ca/books/indian-horse-1.3973010. 
• “Indian Horse Movie Review.” Canadian Roadstories, 13 Apr. 2018, roadstories.ca/indian-horse/. 
• “Indian Horse Themes.” LitCharts, www.litcharts.com/lit/indian-horse/themes. Accessed 12 Jan. 2025. 
• Law, Thomas J. “9 Benefits of Reading Books: Enhance Your Life Daily (2024).” Oberlo, 19 Oct. 2023, www.oberlo.com/blog/benefits-of-reading-books. 
• “Let the Outsiders Decide.” Digital Soup, 22 Mar. 2013, ollyarber.wordpress.com/2013/03/22/let-the-outsiders-decide/. 
• Seuss. Oh, the Places You’ll Go. Random House, 1990. 
• Stanborough, Rebecca Joy. “Benefits of Reading Books: For Your Physical and Mental Health.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 15 Oct. 2019, www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-reading-books#takeaway. 
• Ulianitsky, Eliram. “Summary of the Inspirational Book ‘Wonder’ by R.J. Palacio.” Medium, Medium, 1 July 2023, medium.com/@Eliram_Ulianitsky/summary-of-the-inspirational-book-wonder-by-r-j-palacio-a699d2c1c1ce. 
• “The Outsiders.” CliffsNotes, www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/o/the-outsiders/book-summary. Accessed 12 Jan. 2025. 
• “The Outsiders.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 25 Mar. 1983, www.imdb.com/title/tt0086066/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1. 
• “To Kill a Mockingbird.” CliffsNotes, www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/t/to-kill-a-mockingbird/to-kill-a-mockingbird-at-a-glance. Accessed 12 Jan. 2025. 
• “To Kill a Mockingbird Book Magazine.” Magazine Cafe Store, www.magazinecafestore.com/products/to-kill-a-mockingbird-book-magazine. Accessed 12 Jan. 2025. 
• “Wonder Book Cover.” Educational Books for Schools and Colleges, admin, https://moxhambooks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Moxham-Books-Logo.png, 8 July 2020, moxhambooks.co.uk/home/attachment/wonder-book-cover/. 
• “Wonder Series by R.J. Palacio.” Goodreads, Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/series/128406-wonder. Accessed 12 Jan. 2025.