I think back as a child growing up in Illinois, in either the brutal winters or the broiling summers, when just reading a good book transported me to other times, places and spaces. 

It mattered not if I was reading fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, biography's or true crime; my world increasingly became broader and more *nuanced.

Even as an adult, reading continues to significantly influence the way I see the world and how I view my roll in it.

                                                                     *nuanced - shades or degrees to something

Jeff McCann  

WHY READING MATTERS..

Penny Kittle has written several books on the importance of reading to our students.  Recognized as the 2015 Exemplary Leader from the Conference on English Leadership for NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English), she advocates the importance of reading 20 minutes per day.  On her website, she has posted an infographic citing research to support this philosophy: