How books influence who our kids become: A guest post from a parent

We know a lot of you OOM readers are parents, so we tapped Cathy Lasiewicz, one of our senior directors here in Corporate Communications, to share some thoughts about the importance of reading in the home from the parenting perspective. She's smack in the middle of her son's college application process -- which, as she notes, unearthed some interesting observations! -- Morgan


Books in the home make a difference. We say it all the time and studies show that it is true, having books in the home is more of a predictor of academic success for our kids than any other single factor. But that “home effect” can extend beyond good grades, as I found out during my high school senior’s recent trip through the college application process.

One of the schools my son was applying to required a couple of short-answer essays, including one asking him to describe “the environment in which you were raised – your family, home, neighborhood or community – and how it influenced the person you are today.” Reading his essay was illuminating. This is when I learned that not only the books we read to him when he was little had an impact (or the authors and genres we suggested for him as he began to read on his own), but that having books, lots of books, on our shelves and talking about what we all were reading did indeed influence who he is today and what he might want to become.

In his essay, he wrote about the historical fiction that he read as a tween, Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers and The Last Mission by Harry Mazer, nurturing his passion for American history. He also developed a love for nonfiction, particularly books about his other passion, football. Dog-eared copies of Next Man Up and Friday Night Lights have a special place on his shelf.

His essay made me think about You Are What You Read, which you’ve read about on OOM. I’ve worked on that site, pitched it to media, explained what a Bookprint is to friends, family and potential Names You Know…but I don’t think I felt a textual lineage, the meaning of the important books in our lives, as poignantly as I did until I read my son’s essay. Where did his love affair with those books about history and football take him? Did they inform who he is becoming? He’s heading off to school in the fall, to do what he loves most, to study history and play football. He says he might want to be a teacher. Of history.

My only regret, now knowing how a good read can inspire my son: that among all those books in our home, I didn’t have any about the virtues of picking up clothes off the bedroom floor!

Parents out there, what do you think? Have you seen any connections between the books your kids read and who they end up becoming?

second image via
second image via

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Previously On Our Minds:
* The books worth sharing
* Balancing your reading diet
* Parent & Child magazine's "Family of the Year" contest!