Experiencing happiness though novels.

By; Madi Tessem

Pick up a book, kick your feet up and step into a world of imagination and endless expectations. 

Books have the ability to take readers to a place full of stories that can be interpreted in many different ways. 

Books grab readers’ attention from the title, cover, back of the book and even the dedications. The phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover” speaks volumes.

Being engrossed by a story creates a feeling like no other. Depending on the person or genre, those feelings may also be different. Popular genres may differ by generation, but a love for reading is something all can experience. 

Western Washington University education students should remember their childhood love for reading when learning how to teach literature to children, advises Emma Chen, a Western professor. She specializes in elementary education at Woodring College of Education, preparing the next generation of elementary school teachers.

“On my syllabus, I put a quote from ‘The Little Prince,’ ‘All grown-ups were once children but only few of them remember it,’” Chen said. “Remembering how it feels to be a child, tapping into reading with families in the community, and remembering the joy in reading, I think that’s the most important thing.”

This is Chen’s first year at Western. Before she became a professor, she found herself writing a book titled “Molly Misses Nainai” about her daughter's experience watching her grandmother go back to China. “It’s my daughter's story and I’m happy now that it’s out there in the world,” Chen reflected. “I’m able to share this experience with other people who might have similar encounters and emotions, but sometimes find it tricky to express it.”

Chen gives people the opportunity to connect with her daughter's story without having to put it into words themselves. People of all ages have the opportunity to experience love, nostalgia, disgust, horror and many other emotions while reading books. Readers may have different preferences in genres and styles of books, but there is always something to bond over. Being in a book-reading community creates friendships out of the love for novels. 

Bailey Hadley is a literacy tutor coordinator with the leadership and community engagement program at Western. She is focused on helping work-study students become literacy tutors at different Bellingham schools.

“Finding the balance of we have to read this book because it’s important and also teaching reading for fun is really important,” Hadley said. “Obviously reading is so important but making sure that you’re staying with what you find interesting is as important as well.”

The joy of reading is elevated and irreplaceable when you’re reading something other people enjoy too. Being in a community space with others, sharing thoughts and listening to what others have to say creates a safe space for readers.

“Reading creates communication, people become well-rounded because they are able to read, write, speak, listen and think,” Hadley said.

The library is another common community space that connects people of all ages and cultures. Advanced services librarian at the Bellingham Public Library, Suzanne Carlson-Prandini has seen many different readers.

“Public libraries serve the full age spectrum from newborns through to people at the end of their lives,” Carlson-Prandini stated. “Reading is a refuge, entertainment, and learning tool that can travel with someone throughout their life.”

Libraries are an endless opportunity for adventure. There are many different genres, authors and stories where anyone can find a new world to enter.

“A single book can read five different ways for five different people because each of those readers brings their own life experiences to that book. It's more about how every book has a reader that will enjoy and cherish what that book has to offer,” Carlson-Prandini said.

Reading a book allows you to connect with characters in a way that seems impossible. Fully submerging yourself into a story instead of just watching it allows a connection to grow. The connection you form as you feel their pain, hear their thoughts and watch them grow is something a movie isn’t capable of producing. 

People can interpret the same story in different ways based on past experiences or beliefs. The possibilities of your imagination are endless. Books have something to offer for everybody, whether you’re in a classroom, book club, library or your couch, there is something to enjoy. Pick that book up and remember what it was like to read as a child.