I recently got a text from a friend of mine named Beth, down in Macon, Georgia. Beth is an elementary school teacher down there. She truly loves working with kids. I had the privilege to meet Beth and her family many years ago. Back then, I was doing speaking engagements in public schools and churches using animals. It was an interesting way to make a living to say the least. Beth and her husband even let me stay with them once, so I didn’t have to get a hotel while I was traveling to Florida to do more programs. The text she recently sent included a picture of a child grinning ear to ear, holding a copy of my first children’s book The Not So Ordinary Journey of Todd the Toad. The text said:
“My student loves your book. We’ve been reading it for Earth Week. She’s been working on her reading skills. She struggles with reading. So, we’ve been using your awesome book. Great job brother.”
She went on to say that she’s used my book in her classroom just about every year since they got it to promote friendship and inclusion. She asks the students if they would be friends with Todd the toad, because the book is about his struggle to find friends. Her lessons regarding my book blow my mind in a good way. Beth told me that she always ends her discussion of the book by asking the kids to find nice things to say to Todd the Toad at the end. She followed that text up with this:
“I believe so many things can happen simultaneously while you’re teaching. You can teach skills, language and character. Your book helps me do that! Your book makes life a little easier for kids like Todd the Toad in classrooms all over the world. I wish many more teachers could have this book.”
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a lump in my throat as I looked at the text and pictures of the smiling child. I was that child way back when. It warmed my heart to think in some small way something I created is helping a kid learn to read. I used to hustle those books literally out of the trunk of my car. I definitely gave more away than I ever sold. I never cared about sales, I just wanted kids to get the message and I wanted them reading. I originally just had a local print shop make the first versions of the book and paid out of pocket for each print run. Over the years I’ve fine-tuned their presentation and last year we did a re-edit on them, adding a few more illustrations and pages of text. Thankfully, the child gleaming in the text was holding the most recent version of this book. I have become quite proud of the work we did with those children’s books, and even prouder to see it in the hands of this beautiful child.
The truth is, this is the EXACT reason I wrote that book. I wanted kids to feel special. I wanted them to know they were loved. Most of all, I wanted them to be reading. The overall message of …Todd the Toad is about a lowly albino toad who is bullied for being different, but by the end he learns that he is special. His differences are what made him unique. When my mom originally read my book she said, “You’re Todd the Toad.” I guess I am. I was bullied pretty relentlessly as a kid for being quirky, quiet and I wore big glasses. The message in that book is one I would have loved to have heard when I was a kid. I also wrote it in hopes to make it easy for young readers to follow along with the story and remain engaged until the end.
Learning to read changed my life, as I’m sure everyone reading this article would agree. We take it for granted now, but there are places in the world where literacy just simply isn’t an option. I think about the little girls I’ve heard of in Afghanistan, Iraq, or other countries that are denied education. It is such a shame. We are truly blessed here. I am thankful that we live in a free country with teachers like Beth who truly care about educating the next generation.
When I was growing up, reading was very hard for me. I used to get headaches when I’d read. I later found out that reading caused my eyes to stain, and from the first grade through seventh grade, I had to wear glasses. I’m sure that contributed to me not being a great reader at first. It definitely didn’t make me one of the cool kids. Believe it or not, I was so far behind in learning to read that I had to spend the summer between first and second grade with my teacher, so she could tutor me. Lucky for me, I couldn’t swim or do anything fun for the first part of the summer. A girl broke my fingers on the playground when I refused to relent in a game of “mercy.” I guess I won the game, and a shiny new cast.
I was a very nervous and insecure child. Surprise surprise. (I’m still working on that.) When I’d stumble through a Dr. Suess book or some other age-appropriate literature, I’d get more and more anxious, until I’d just shut down. My mom, grandma, and my emotional support hamster, Susie Q, did the best they could to help. They tried to read to me, and help me learn to read. I guess I just needed that extra push from a teacher to get it to “click” for me. So, with a hard cast on one hand and a new pair of glasses on my face, I was all set for some extracurricular activities.
Mrs. Murphy, my first-grade teacher from Archdale Elementary school, tutored me that summer between first and second grade. I am forever grateful. She was patient and loving as she helped me stagger through words I didn’t know. I am sure my Georgian friend, Beth, is equally patient and loving with her students. Teachers are world changers. They’ve changed mine. I bet you can say the same and may even have a teacher on your mind that impacted you! After that summer, I became fully equipped to continue my education. I went from a struggling reader to “academically gifted” within a school year.
This is all because a teacher cared enough to go the extra mile, and nurture what she knew was there all along. I wasn’t dumb, I just had a hard time learning at first. I’ve always been somewhat of a late bloomer, but that’s another story. I gained so much confidence once I was able to put those words together and read. I was able to visit new worlds in books. The possibilities were endless, books gave me hope. They were an easy escape and our school library and book fairs became sacred places for me.
Reading went from something I was afraid of, or embarrassed by, to something I used to center myself. Learning how to read allowed me to take charge of my education. I had the power and agency to be in control of my own knowledge. Books became closer than friends to me. I still have almost every book I’ve ever gotten. I love them. I pride myself now on how many books I read each year. Without learning to read all those years ago, I don’t know where I’d be now. I owe a major debt to the teachers who took extra time with me, who answered my “dumb” questions, and mostly for doing a thankless job. If you’re reading this and you’ve made it this far, go thank a teacher. Extra points if you can thank the teacher who taught you to read. Feel free to share this article with them too, I’m sure they’d like to know they’re appreciated!
Feel free to visit my Amazon Author Page and if you’ve read one of them, leave an Amazon review. Those reviews really help!