Books Are...

After Rudine Sims Bishop

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Here’s the landmark essay “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors” by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, written in 1990.

Thanks to Carl Lennertz of The Children's Book Council for featuring “Books Are…” in the Get Caught Reading series.

The Every Child A Reader program offers teachers, librarians, and booksellers bulletin-board-sized posters of authors, artists, athletes, musicians, and beloved book characters reading a favorite book.

Large posters (like the one I’m holding) are available to purchase at my shop. The original “Books Are…” comic appears in my book I WILL JUDGE YOU BY YOUR BOOKSHELF.

Lately I’m leaning into books as connectors.

I’m trying to making reading bedtime stories to my kids a priority. They wind down for bed, I work on my audiobook narration skills (hey, one can dream), and we all get lost in a story.

Even my older kids, who prefer to read to themselves, seem to be enjoying our bedtime reading routine. Some authors we’ve enjoyed recently include Beverly Cleary, Shel Silverstein, Annie Barrows, and Dave Eggers.

I’m also finding connection with other dads in a bimonthly fiction book club. I’ve enjoyed it so much I’m thinking of starting a nonfiction book club of my own. More on the joys of book clubs in an upcoming comic.

Books have meant something different to me at different stages of my life. But they’ve always been a reliable, adventurous companion, eager to whisk me away to new worlds and new ways of thinking.

What do books mean to you?

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