When I was younger, three, maybe four, my father read bedtime stories to me. Those first stories opened my mind to a new world; a new world full of imagination and dreaming. They allowed me to think, to process the truthful and the imaginary. They made the scary less scary. They made the evil melt away. I loved those stories.

Later, when I turned five, I learned to read for myself. This opened my eyes to even more adventures. I could sail on the clouds with Captain Hook and Peter Pan. I could swim in the seas with the Little Mermaid. I could attend fancy balls with Cinderella, or plant beanstalks with Jack and the most amazing part of this new discovery was the fact that I could do all of this anytime it pleased me. I didn’t have to wait for daddy anymore. That thrilled me.

Today, I continue to love the adventures books can take me on. I can’t find a better, or more available form of entertainment. As I flip through the pages of Holes, I find myself digging holes on Camp Greenlake with Stanley Yelnats right by my side. When I’m read Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume, I’m exploring the canyons with Davey and Wolf. I never get tired of skipping down the yellow brick road with Dorothy and Toto while reading The Wizard of Oz, either.

Plus, every character I’ve ever read about on my many journeys is still with me, in my heart. By reading about them, their stories have become mine and they have become my friends. I can use their bravery when I can’t find my own. They’re there when I’m lonely. All these characters have become more than fiction, more than words on a page to me. They are all living, thriving even, inside my mind.

I also carry around all the characters I’ve created; the ones I’ve written down. They are the ones that came straight out of my imagination. They’re exactly who I want them to be; who I need them to be. The writer in me never rests, so even when I don’t need any of my characters, they are with me, feeding me new ideas, new dreams, new characters, and new stories. All of this evolved with those simple bedtime memories of words on a page turning into colorful, childlike fantasies.

Now, I challenge you, parents, read to your youngsters. Fuel their creative side and their love for the written word. Help them blossom in the arts and become beautifully cultured people. Help them by giving them those vivid memories of bedtime stories, of words coming to life and growing into dreams.

Children, read, read, and read some more! Books will set you free. They will allow you to travel places you never thought possible, like the moon, or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. These places can inspire you and provoke your thoughts, your emotions, your dreams. By reading, you can discover new heights, which will allow you to accomplish your wildest ambitions, all you have to do is crack open a book!