Becoming A Reading Companion

Thank you very much MUNPARLAS Library Association Inc. (MLAI) and the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) for taking me in as a workshop facilitator during the week when the country celebrated National Children’s Book Day (NCBD). The workshop at National Bookstore Cubao with MLAI and the Baguio Central School with PBBY were well attended by young librarians and teachers eager to know and learn about Bibliotherapy. I learned a lot too! When one teachers, one learns.

I learned that good stories, well told and carefully crafted will stand the tests of time. In both workshops, participants recognize Augie Rivera’s book, Alamat ng Ampalaya as an endearing story of fairness and justice. But with the books I brought and the ones available in the store and on sale at the workshop venue, participants were exposed to more books with stories written for the young and the young at heart.

Teachers and librarians in Baguio Central School read and talked about books.

Teachers and librarians love to read children’s books. We kept saying in the children’s book industry that the books we create and distribute are for children and yet, I often see many adults in bookish events for kids. When can we put kids and adults together to enjoy books, stories and play? I can only think of the Komikon and the Komiket where the divide in ages and stages do not exist. 

Children’s literature is the literature of childhood as much as it is the literature for young people. It is hope and all the dreams we wish to fulfill. I will always keep this in mind.

Librarians making their mood boards, an exercise on creativity and spontaneity.

For my future workshops on Bibliotherapy, I will begin with the self and yes, I will do activities on creativity, play and wonder. I will also introduce and re-introduce children’s books to teachers, librarians and adults who work with and for children. We can get information from books and stories. Reading them also fills the emptiness in our souls. Be it a child or a grown-up, either will need a reading companion.

Teachers and librarians, let’s be reading companions! Let’s do Bibliotherapy!