As one can expect for a literacy organization, we’re all huge bookworms at Literacy Partners! As the summer heats up, we’ve been busy reading – check out our staff picks! What are you reading this summer? We’d love to hear from you!
Through Books of Their Own, Literacy Partners provides brand new books to our students and their families. Share in the joy of providing home libraries – give the gift of reading, and donate to Literacy Partners today.
Arifa Ali, Communications Intern
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
Why did you pick this book?
Rupi Kaur is a poet and author that I can relate to immensely, as she writes a lot about the South Asian community and the diaspora. Milk and Honey is written eloquently and discusses femininity, loss, love, trauma, abuse and much more. It is wonderful seeing the illustrations and being able to relate to so many of the poems that Kaur writes about. The poems were able to evoke different emotions in me and I always love to go back and reread them.
What is your favorite quote from this book? Why?
I included one of my favorite poems that Rupi Kaur has written because it made me rethink things that I have said before and will say from now on. It made me realize that there are better ways to compliment a person rather than just focusing on their appearance.
What is your favorite memory of summer reading growing up – do you have an anecdote to share?
When I was younger, I used to love reading at night in the dark, and though my mother says that is what worsened my eyesight, it is one of my favorite memories. I remember reading into the late hours having the moonlight shine onto my books and I would often finish books in one sitting. The sound of the city slowing down was calming and perfect for me.
What does literacy mean to you – why is it important?
Literacy is extremely important to me because it helps develop one’s brain and create connections with people from all over the world to time periods, places, and events. Reading allows people to understand one another and allows you to go to places you’ve never been before. Reading evokes emotions in people and allows people to learn not only about themselves, but also the world they live in.
Read about our other staff picks:
Gohar – The Hundred Year Walk
Shellyn – Little Gold Book of Yes!
Luan – The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Emily – An American Marriage
David – Happy Dreams
Aarushi – The Handmaid’s Tale