WHEN THE READING LIGHT WENT ON

LeVar Burton is an actor, writer of the novel “Aftermath,” and host and producer of “Reading Rainbow,” a children’s TV education series.

For me, it’s very simple. My mother was an English teacher. I grew up in a house in Sacramento where reading was like breathing. My two sisters and I had to read all the time.

I benefited tremendously from the fact that my mother was always reading for herself for fun. It gave me a subliminal message that reading was fun.

I think it’s important for children to see their parents reading. It’s so important to show them that reading can be part of their everyday lives. We had reading material everywhere. We used to get two newspapers at our house every day.

I remember the book I read in the fourth grade that turned the light on for me. It was “Captains Courageous” by Rudyard Kipling.

I remember reading it and looking ahead to see how many pages I had left and consciously slowing down. I was upset. I was so involved, I didn’t want to leave. I had to now say goodbye to these people who had become my friends.

To this day, when I read a novel, I always slow down during the last 30 pages.