Welcome to D.E.A.R., a month long initiative that encourages everyone to Drop Everything (cooking, shopping, Facebooking, texting, gardening, video gaming, etc.) and Read. D.E.A.R. kicks off every April 12, the birthday of author Beverly Cleary who immortalized D.E.A.R. in her Ramona Quimby books. Although D.E.A.R. is celebrated throughout April many continue the enjoyment throughout the year.
To celebrate D.E.A.R., schools, communities, individuals and families call a halt to other activities, grab books, and read, read, read. Some even organize read-a-thons, book discussions, reading trees, book drives, and more. Personally, I plan to drop as many errands and lunch commitments as I can get away with as well as non-essential housework (Who likes housework anyway?) and read the three poetry books (it is National Poetry Month also!) I recently purchased as well as a tribute book to Dr. Maya Angelou, whose birthday was April 4.
Ann’s D.E.A.R. Reading List
“The Walmart Republic” by Quraysh Ali Lansana & Christopher Stewart
“Poetic Rhythms for Life’s Moods” by Gary L. Hawthorne
“Abide in the Spirit of Change” by Hayward Bethel, Frances Phillips Lee & Antoinette Franklin
“My Journey with Maya” by Tavis Smiley & David Ritz
How about you? What activities are you willing to give up to drop everything and read? What books are waiting for you to crack open and enjoy?
Ann Fields 
oh dear…the whole of my TBR mountain!
Sometimes I think it ought to be the opposite: Stop reading and do your housework! 🙂 Still, I always have a list of TBR.
So glad it’s not just me! Books, books everywhere…in chairs, on night table, on ironing board, in bathtub (no water in the tub of course), and on and on…just waiting to be read.