If you've been meaning to bring your son or daughter to the library but just haven't gotten around to it, today is the day. It is the National Education Association's (NEA) Read Across America Day. The campaign asks all children to read a book today. We adults can participate, too, by reading to children or taking some time to start that book that has been sitting on the nightstand for months.

What, exactly, is Read Across America Day and why is it celebrated today? According to the NEA website, "Read Across America focuses the country's attention on how important it is to motivate children to read in addition to helping them master basic skills." For the past 11 years, this nationwide celebration has been held on or near Dr. Seuss's birthday because he "epitomizes a love of learning. Dr. Seuss's use of rhyme makes his books an effective tool for teaching young children the basic skills they need to be successful."

Dr. Seuss was born Theodor Seuss Geisel on March 2, 1904, in Springfield, MA. His books are favorites of children, both young and old, worldwide. They have sold more than 200 million copies and have been translated into 20 languages. Some have inspired specials, musicals, and movies, including How the Grinch Stole Christmas and the upcoming Horton Hears a Who starring Jim Carrey and Steve Carell. Seuss received a Pulitzer Prize in 1984 for his body of work. Although Dr. Seuss passed away in 1991, his legacy lives on at the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum, which has a permanent exhibit titled "Seuss on the Loose in Springfield." If you can't make it out to western Massachusetts, you can learn more about Dr. Seuss by reading one of our juvenile or adult books about Dr. Seuss.

Of course, you don't have to read Dr. Seuss today; any book will do. Whether you have something specific in mind or just want to browse the stacks, the library has plenty of books to satisfy all readers. Happy Read Across America Day!