Books Matter: John Kinnaird
March is National Reading Month, a whole month designated to encouraging Americans – and by extension Wacoans – to read! The Act Locally Waco blog is beating the drum for National Reading Month by hosting a blog series throughout the month of March, called “Books Matter.” Every day throughout March we will be sharing a post about a Waco resident and a book that matters to him/her. Thank you to students from the Baylor Department of Journalism, Public Relations and New Media and professor Amber Adamson for help with this fun project. To read all the blog posts so far, click here.
By Kaitlyn McMillan
Books are an essential part of life. Whether it’s a book from your childhood or one that was recently released, we all have one that matters and connects us to a special time in our lives. For Waco Councilman John Kinnaird, The Poky Little Puppy, is one that happened to pave the way for the rest of his life.
“This book sort of laid the groundwork for a lifelong interest in reading and learning,” Kinnaird said.
Many of us recall books from our childhood specifically for the story, either a fairytale or one that taught us a lesson, but for Kinnaird, his is different.
“It’s a classic,” he said. “I wouldn’t really recommend it for the story or the subject matter, or even a lesson that might be able to be learned from it because you kind of have to squint your eyes for it.”
Kinnaird said he believes that with any book regardless of the message, reading with your kids is an important thing to engage in, especially now in our growing world of technology.
“I would encourage people to read this with their kids or with their loved ones just because doing something together like that is kind of what we’re built for,” Kinnaird said. “Sitting in my mom’s lap reading this for all of those hours meant so much to me and still means so much to me now, because it’s that time and love that sets us up for success down the road. Sitting with your kid and doing this is a lot better than playing on your phone.”
National Reading Month is an important time for everyone as we try to encourage people to put down their smartphones, pick up a book and connect with their loved ones. For Kinnaird, the memories cultivated with his mother were all made possible due to the first book he ever picked up, and one that he will never forget.