In a conversation with a friend yesterday, we were lamenting about how frustrating it is when kids haven't connected with a particular teacher or felt inspired or encouraged by adults they interact with outside the home. This saddened me because so often we hear of how influential adults have changed the lives of so many people as children. We have all heard stories of well known people who credit their success to the confidence they received simply from the power of something an adult said or did to encourage or compliment them as a child.

Oprah spent most of her traumatic childhood feeling marginalized by poverty and abuse, but tucked away a small compliment she had received at a school visit from the governor of Mississippi's wife, who told her how lovely she was. She says, to this day, that comment validates her sense of worth. She also credits the inspiration and encouragement from her fourth-grade teacher for her lifelong passion for reading and books in all their forms.

The poet Maya Angelou came out of a severe childhood depression when her teacher gave her a box of books and she became absorbed in the beauty of the words, enough to lift her up and set her free from the sadness and on to become one of our country's most incredible poets.

Books have a magical transformative power that is hard to explain to those who haven't been seduced by them.

At a conference I attended recently on "The reluctant reader," children's book author and speaker Michael Sullivan credited his school librarian for saving his reading life by passing him a copy of The Hobbit in a brown paper bag and telling him not to tell anyone she gave it to him. Up to that point he hated reading. She knew that. She also made it a point to get to know him and knew that he would relate to a fantasy story with action and adventure. Sullivan said, "Fantasy reaches boys on almost a molecular level." Now he can't put books down and has gone on to write many bestsellers for kids and traverses the country encouraging adults on ways to inspire reluctant readers.

Sullivan is best known for teaching his strategies for getting boys to love reading because, as he states: "Boys and girls are different, not better or worse, just different." So their reading styles and interests are generally different, too. Sullivan sums it up by pointing out that boys externalize and want to experiment and learn through problem solving. They tend to prefer books where the action affects the outcome of the story. The focus is on the plot, not the characters. Books that are funny resonate with boys and also help with retention. Humor is a stress reducer and can take the pressure off of those struggling to read. "If you want to reach boys with books - poop is indeed a necessary factor as well," advises Sullivan. Boys connect with nonfiction books and want to read them like girls read fiction. Nonfiction books have pictures and illustrations and spark boys to use both halves of their brain, but, Sullivan laments, most classroom libraries are comprised of 85 percent fiction books.

Sullivan's ultimate message was hopeful and encouraging and emphasized how important the guidance and attention from caring adults impacted the reluctant readers future relationship with books. He quoted his author/friend Gordon Korman's words of encouragement that "it only takes one love connection to transform a reluctant reader, and that can happen anywhere, anytime, at any age. Don't ever give up on anyone." How many people do you know that have said they weren't much of a reader until a friend turned them on to the works of: ____________(fill in the blank.)

Whether attention or inspiration comes in the form of a kind word, the acknowledgement of a skill or accomplishment, a moment of special attention, or sharing the gift of words through a book with a friend, there is no telling how transformative your actions can be in the life of any person, but especially in the life of a child.

Mary Lou Carolan

Director