Read to your Library Plant
You’ve heard of reading to the library dog… but how about reading to the library plant?!
Visit the YDL-Whittaker Youth Department, back near the storyroom, and read to our plant.
You’ll find a cozy reading corner, full of pillows to lounge on and read–to the library plant, to your parent or child, or to yourself!
Choose your own book or read a section from Bedtime Stories for Plants.
Did you know that reading to a plant is good for you AND the plant?
Plants benefit from the sound, the vibration, and the nitrogen and carbon dioxide exhaled by the speaker.
Read the details in this interesting study by the Royal Horticulture Society that discovered that far from being an old wives tale, talking to your plants really can help them grow faster.
And if that’s not enough evidence for you… would you believe royalty? Prince Charles has been quoted as saying, “I just come and talk to the plants, really -it’s very important to talk to them”. He has been a leader of ecological conservation and was one of the first people to speak publicly about the response he saw when he spoke to his plants.
Reading to plants may also be effective in managing anxiety in teens and young adults.
Living in a world of social media and quick news stories has been linked to a rise in anxiety in young people. Follow the journey of artist and activist Anastasia Loginova, as she used the idea of reading to plants as a way to heal her anxiety and learn to enjoy stillness again.
The Power of Words
Did you know that words have power? It’s true! How we talk to ourselves and others is very important.
Positive self-talk has health benefits such as…
- An optimistic outlook on life
- Increased vitality
- Greater life satisfaction
- Improved immune function
- Better physical well-being
- Less stress and distress
While speaking positively to ourselves is important, how we speak to others is equally so. Everyone deserves to be spoken to with respect. If you ever feel you are being bullied, please know there are ways to reach out for help. Let’s be part of a world that uses our words to grow rather than diminish.
TRY THIS AT HOME!
Read to a plant science experiment
While we are enjoying giving our library plant lots of attention by reading to it, it’s not really a good test to see if there’s any truth behind the science. For one, we don’t have another plant to compare it to.
But you can do this science project at home and discover your own results!
Click the button to find a fun website link to get you started, but feel free to adjust and change it however YOU decide.
RELATED BOOKS THROUGH YDL
Here are a few reading suggestions around the theme of kindness, the power of words and the healing power of nature. Enjoy!
I am Enough by Grace Byers
(Available as Hoopla E-book and Print book) This beautiful picture book shares a story of loving who you are, respecting others and being kind to one another.
The Magic Kerchief by Kirby Larson
(Available as Print book) Sharp-tongued and lonely Griselda gets a magic kerchief from a mysterious stranger, and when she wears it she can speak only kind words to the people she meets.
Bathing in the forest by Nivola Uyá
(Available as Print book) Reading to plants may help with anxiety, but plants can offer more healing than that! In this book, as people walk through the forest, the little girl of the forest offers support to those in need. She encourages them to connect with the trees and recharge with nature’s peaceful beauty.
The Kindness Book by Todd Parr
(Available as Print book) This simple picture book looks at different ways to show kindness, including choosing kind words, giving compliments, and offering help without being asked.
I walk with Vanessa, A Story about a simple act of kindness by Kerascoet
(Available as print book) By using only powerful images and no words, this beautiful picture book shares the story of friendship. Kind words are one way we can stop bullying, kindness through action is another way.
Pilu of the Woods by Mai K. Nguyen
(Available as Hoopa e-book and Print book) For something a little different and more appropriate for older readers – This youth graphic novel touches on the subject of the healing energy of the woods by introducing a magical aspect of nature. Willow, who has been struggling with her emotions since her mother’s death, runs away into the woods and meets Pilu, a lost tree spirit who cannot find her way back home.
