Celebrate Family Literacy Day

Reading is such an important part of growing up. Ever since I first read Red is Best and Jillian Jiggs ("It looks like your room has been lived in by pigs!"), I've been hooked! My mom, a children's book author, always encouraged my siblings and I to read anything and everything. And we did.

In fact, many of my most treasured childhood memories involve books. I remember begging my mom to keep reading after she'd finish a chapter of Ribsy during summer vacation at the cottage and listening intently as my fourth grade teacher read aloud to us from Hatchet (which is part of our top 100 kids books). Even now, I still get excited about a new book. As I write this, I'm looking forward to curling up with my current novel, The Art of Racing in the Rain. (It's absolutely wonderful, by the way.)

Which is why, in an age largely dominated by video games and 5-year-olds with cell phones, it's great to see kids get excited about reading and writing. No matter what form a story is in — on paper, an e-reader, a blog post or even a Tweet — there is endless potential for the power of a good story.

That's why, this literacy day (and every day, really), we should celebrate reading, writing and the sharing of stories.

Need some storybook inspiration? Check out our top 100 children's books! Also, be sure to improve your storytelling skills with our tips on how to read so your kids will listen.

Tell me: What was your favourite book when you were a kid?