BURNS, Tenn. (WTVF) — Sunday marks the start of Read Across America Week.
The annual celebration coincides with Dr. Seuss's birthday, which is March 2nd.
Across the country, events are planned in different communities to inspire people to read more.
Here in our area The Lodge at Montgomery Bell State Park held festivities for the occasion. Their annual Dr. Seuss Day gathering included a breakfast featuring green eggs and ham.
The Cat in the Hat and the Lorax made appearances as well.
Park rangers even took the opportunity to include some educational talks about animals in the state park.
Burns resident Andrew Scarborough brought two of his children to the Dr. Seuss event Sunday, he reads many Seuss stories to his children.
"It helps them expand their imaginations. So Dr. Seuss does a good job of having a style that's kind of out of the box. So for her, it lets her think of things in a different way," Scarborough said.
This marked the 4th year of the Dr. Seuss celebration at the lodge.
Angela Redden, who owns Reading Rocks Books in Dickson read The Lorax to the attendees. According to Redden, Dr. Seuss carefully crafted his stories to help young people learn how to read.
"There's a lot of phonics that went into the writing of these books so they're not just silly, they're silly with a purpose," said Angela Redden, owner of Reading Rocks Books.
According to organizers, the message in Seuss's book The Lorax may have extra meaning in a setting like a state park.
"Montgomery Bell is a staple in this area in our community," said Tina Welker, restaurant manager at The Lodge at Montgomery Bell. "So it's a way to get people involved in not only the park and what we offer around here but also in reading and the conservation end.”
Read Across America was created by the National Education Association to help motivate children to read more.
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No one can bring a story to life better than the talented group behind the Nashville Public Library's Children's Theater. This story will make you feel like a kid again lost in the wonder of a good story. Congrats to Bret Wilson on his leadership role!
-Carrie Sharp
