Interview by Drew Adams
One of the not-so-secret ingredients to the success of Kids Need to Read and the work we do is our highly valued team of volunteers. In an effort to show our appreciation and reflect upon their importance, we have interviewed some of the people who help our organization grow, function, and succeed.
Today we’re talking with Michael Emerson, a Phoenix, Arizona native who has been working with Kids Need to Read since its inception in 2007.
KNTR: Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you became involved with Kids Need to Read.
Mike: I got involved almost eight years ago with one of the original founders, PJ Haarsma. I was working with him on several other different projects that he and I had started working on together. One day he said ‘hey, I’ve got this fantastic charity idea I’m looking at and could really use someone who would be a great volunteer and help out with a lot of these specialized projects; is that something you’d be interested in?’ I said absolutely, it seemed like a fantastic idea and an awesome premise, both of which have held true for the entire time I’ve been with the organization.
We’ve done a lot over the eight years since. We have attended multiple Phoenix Comicon conventions; they’ve been kind enough to partner with us since 2010. We have done several faerie festivals throughout the state. Every year we’re out at the Arizona Renaissance Festival collecting books for kids. Let’s see . . . I have done different library conventions, and also worked with some of the different authors we have partnered with and helped them with their school events. And then we bring books and different things like that, as well. I’ve been all over the state with Kids Need to Read and it’s been really awesome.
What is your favorite thing about working alongside KNTR?
That is a tough one, only because there are so many favorite things to pick from over the years. I’ve always enjoyed the Kids Need to Read HIKRZ (Hikers Inspiring Kids to Read Zealously) program, an avenue we were going down where we would go out and try and encourage kids to be healthy and different things like that. Whenever we would encounter kids on the trail, we would have books ready for them, to pass out and kind of give out books that way. It’s great to see their eyes light up as they are given this brand new book in this unexpected place.
With Phoenix Comicon, where you’re exposed to so many different people at once, just hearing different stories from all ages about how books have affected people in positive ways is wonderful. Just being able to connect with people over books, over different genres, different timelines and different things like that—all of us being able to connect over that one basic idea of good stories is special.
In what ways have books played a part in your own life?
Books have always been a very important factor in my life. I remember when I was very, very young and would misbehave, I wouldn’t be grounded from TV or video games or anything like that. I could watch TV, I could play video games all I wanted, but I was grounded from reading. My grandparents thought it was the craziest idea when they would come over, the notion that I was grounded from reading but could still play everything else. I was miserable without my books, though. I couldn’t read, I couldn’t enjoy my characters as they were going off on adventures; that was probably at least the best punishment, taking away reading. I only had to go through that a couple times before the lesson actually stuck.
I just enjoy books, everything at their core. It’s so easy to open up the cover and go to this other universe and this other world and have that momentary escape from reality. You can visit multiple times over and have it still be exciting.
What is one of your favorite books? What are you reading right now?
I knew you were going to ask that and I should have had an answer prepared, because that one’s always a toughie!
I would probably have to say The Arkadians by Lloyd Alexander. It’s an older title, but it takes all of these great, classic Greek myths and combines them into one giant story. I actually have my mother’s copy. I remember stealing it from her in about second grade and telling her that she was never ever getting the book back, and to this day she still hasn’t. But overall, I would have to say that is probably one of my absolute favorites.
Currently I am reading Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, which is a fantastic science fiction read. I’d recommend that one for all ages, especially anyone looking for a good female lead role who’s not afraid to go out there and absolutely kick some butt. That book’s fantastic.
If you could tell someone one thing about KNTR, what would it be?
Just that everything in our mission statement is true. We really are a local charity, but we do national work. We work with underfunded schools, libraries, anybody in need of a literacy program. In order to help provide this wealth of books for kids, we’ll work with people to help build the program and cater it to their needs, and help supply the books for it as well.
I think that is just honestly the greatest thing—that it’s not just elementary schools, for example, but anyone who needs a book. I’ve worked with high school, middle school, elementary . . . everybody in between. Having books is something I think we can all connect over, and for a lot of people it is kind of that missing element of life. It really is. And just everything that Kids Need to Read has stood for over the years, I support it one-hundred and ten percent.
Do you have any final thoughts you would like to share with us?
Go read a book today. If you haven’t made time to read a book lately, take ten minutes. Go read an old classic. It doesn’t have to be challenging, it doesn’t have to be hard, it just has to be delightful. Go read for ten minutes and your day will instantly improve.
Thanks for chatting with us, Mike!
If you’re interested in volunteering with Kids Need to Read, please write to info@kidsneedtoread.org for more information.
