THE OLDEST STUDENT: HOW MARY WALKER LEARNED TO READ

THE OLDEST STUDENT: HOW MARY WALKER LEARNED TO READ by Rita Lorraine Hubbard. Illustrated by Oge Mora

Recently, my youngest daughter was memorizing a poem entitled "Learning to Read" by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. Listening to her recite the lines about an African American woman named Chloe who learns to read at about the age of sixty reminded me of a very moving picture book about another woman who learns to read much later in life. Mary Walker, also African American, learned to read when she was 116 years old. Both women were born slaves but desired to read their Bible, and even though they were told it's too late, they persevered.

Learning is such a gift that we take for granted. The ability to read , to be able to open a book and learn about endless topics, eclipses just about any earthly treasure (excluding people). Our children may complain about the repetitious lessons - sounding out words or memorizing sight words, but the gift they receive in exchange far outweighs the time spent. So when your children need a little reminder that learning is a blessing, as mine sometimes do, reach for this book about Mary Walker and let her story speak to your children.