Prior to joining the CYBILS Awards Board in 2023, Gary Anderson served as the YA Fiction chair, and was a judge in multiple categories [Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction, Graphic Novels, YA Speculative Fiction, High School Nonfiction, and YA Fiction]. He is a retired high school English teacher, published author, and one-time “substitute librarian” at the high school where he once taught. When he’s not reading or talking about books, he’s spending time with family, working at the writing center at a local college, or doing one of his favorite things: taking in a local baseball game.
In November 1987, I purchased a notebook and started jotting down the title and author of each book I read, along with the date I finished it. My Book Notes is one of my most prized possessions. Nothing else I own reveals more about me than my reading over the past few decades. I believe that each book we read changes us a little bit, and looking back at the pages of my Book Notes affirms who I am and who I’ve been along the way.
Sometimes I surprise myself when looking back at what I’ve read the past year. I mostly read what I enjoy, and the list comprises a mix of fiction and nonfiction picture books; young adult and middle grade novels; adult fiction; nonfiction books about baseball, history, health, travel, or other random topics; graphic novels; and maybe a few dad joke books or Garfield cartoon collections. Some might call this reading widely, but it’s probably due to the fact that I have the attention span of a flea.
I enjoy a lot of different content and formats, but there are definitely gaps in my reading. One time a librarian friend was at our house looking at the bookshelves. She asked, “How are these organized?” I said, “Dewey decimal, of course.” Her reply? “But where is the science?” For the record, I rarely read mysteries, either.
What I like about reading widely is that it keeps me in touch with different communities and the wonderful people within them.
- Books for young readers keep me connected with the great CYBILS people and inspirational educators from around the country.
- I have friends with whom I share health-related books and ideas.
- Greg is a regular visitor to our Little Free Library, and we compare notes on our history reading.
- I talk to the mailman about our mutual love of Stephen King.
- The book group at our local library focuses on literary fiction, and those gatherings are always fun.
- My late father only read books about the Civil War or Abraham Lincoln, so I read those to share book-talks with him.
I also consciously seek out diverse perspectives because I want to better understand the people I share Earth with. I’m a privileged white male who lives in a midwestern American suburb. There are a lot of human experiences not in my immediate environment, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about them. Books help me improve my awareness of and my ability to empathize with people who come from backgrounds different from my own, and to discover common ground with them.
There is no one way to be a reader, but what we read can be powerful affirmations of our priorities, values, and individuality. To read whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want, and however you want is fREADom. Reflecting on how our book choices affirm us can add a powerful dimension to our reading lives. Being a reader is a way of affirming our identities. Our reading lives usually reflect our inner and outer selves, our lived lives and our fantasy lives. Our bookish choices show how we relax and how we challenge ourselves. The more we read, the more complex and more complete the affirmation.
Book choice is a freedom worth protecting. Fight for fREADom. Vote.