DELANO, Calif. (KERO) — From picture books to chapter books and one day textbooks, reading starts young and has the power to shape futures.
As part of our 'If You Give a Child a Book' campaign, we're talking to kids and professionals about how reading can lead to lifelong careers.
"I love reading because when you first open a book, it takes you to like a place where you've never been before,” said 4th grader Ariel Robles.
Robles tells me she's currently working to build her at home library with books like Dork Diaries and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Robles says she's learned new words and can spell a lot better than she used to and through her love for reading, she says she already has an idea on what she wants to do when she grows up.
"I want to be a doctor,” said Robles.
Simon Ratliff, President of Mercy Hospitals in Bakersfield says he's been reading since the age of 5, recalls the moment he decided to join the medical field.
"I really enjoyed reading books from famous coaches as I was getting older and as I started to read about leadership and serving others,” said Ratliff. “That's really how I got involved and decided I wanted to be able to serve others and be a leader in the community."
According to the National Literacy Trust, in 2025, only 1 in 3 children and young people aged 8 to 18 expressed enjoyment in reading during their free time.
Ian Anderson, Executive Director of the Kern Literacy Council says if kids aren't reading proficiently by the 3rd grade, it can leave long term consequences.
"Data and studies have shown that they will continue to struggle academically throughout elementary, high school and they're not as likely necessarily to enroll in college,” said Anderson.
However with our initiative “If You Give A Child A Book", we're looking to ensure that all kids have the opportunity to get a head start.
Every dollar you donate stays local and provides free Scholastic Book Fairs at Title I schools in Kern County.
This ensures that every child, regardless of their family's financial situation gets the chance to pick out books to call their own.
"Literacy is a beautiful thing and it translate into this idea of self efficacy that you yourself can make change because change in our world comes from ideas,” said Anderson.
If you'd like to be apart of a child's journey to reading, click here.
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