Dr. Seuss Inspiring Youngsters On 'Read Across America Day'
BALTIMORE (WJZ)--Today's the day to pick up a book, it's National Read Across America Day and one favorite author -- especially for the youngest readers -- is Dr. Seuss.
Gigi Barnett has more.
Who doesn't love Dr. Seuss?
So when the day comes to celebrate the beloved author's birthday and all of his many characters, the young readers at Arlington Elementary School, in Baltimore, are all in.
"He inspires to make characters in my book, funny characters," said Danielle Hogan.
She says she wants to be a writer, too.
And, that's part of the reason why volunteers from the United Way of Central Maryland visited more than a dozen schools today -- it's National Dr. Seuss's Read Across America Day.
Getting students motivated to pick up a book in and out of class starts early.
"We know that if you don't know how to read by third grade you have more of a chance of slipping through the cracks," said Danielle Hogan, with United Way of Central Maryland. "We want to be able to encourage kids to love reading. Dr. Seuss just has a way of getting kids excited."
But it does something for volunteers, too.
"We get to go back to our childhood, read the fun Dr. Seuss books that we all grew up with. Then we get to share that experience and the fun we had with those books," said Read Across America volunteer, CJ Michalak.
Because there's only one way to describe a day with the cat in the hat.
Volunteers read Dr. Seuss books to students at 16 different schools in Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties.