A true gift worth giving....

reading
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.

I love books.
I own a lot of books.
I have spent most of my personal money on reading.
I read a lot on the net but I still buy books.

So I was so thrilled when I saw this book was given to one of my son's friends at a birthday party by another parent. BRAVO!!!! Gave a book as a gift...revolutionary! And a great book as well...go buy it, read it and enjoy the great message and fantastic illustration.

Now that we have a english tutoring group at our church on Thursday nights from 5:30-6:30PM, I see the importance of reading even more. Reading truly is a "KEY" to opportunity in our world.

Reading is a gift...thank you parents for giving something to a child of true value. I was convicted that I didn't think...probably a byproduct of tv/video game/computer culture.

Only 70 percent of American kids now graduate from high school.

70% of Washington's children under the age of five are cared for out of their homes.

Warning!!! Important stats ahead, read slowly and think about the consequences of the fact mentioned:

500,000 children in Washington state live in homes without sufficient economic resources to meet basic needs. Only 59% of Washington state's 4th graders read at a basic level. Among African American and Hispanic children, the figures drop to 39% and 31%, respectively...In 4th grade, three-quarters of Asian and white students met basic reading standards, but only half of African American, Native American, and Hispanic students met those standards. One-third of public school students in Washington State failed to graduate from high school in 2001: only 53% of African Americans graduated, 47% of Native Americans graduated, and 47% of Hispanics graduated.