Shared Experience

Books as Medicine: Bibliotherapy
Shared Experience

Books as Medicine: Bibliotherapy

by H.R. Gordon

Can reading books cure what ails you? Perhaps not the flu or the common cold, but people have followed a “books as medicine” mantra for centuries using a technique called bibliotherapy. Dating back to ancient Greece, the practice has evolved for the modern age, helping children cope with strong emotions and learn empathy and allowing adults to explore their own inner worlds in a way that is as simple as reading a story. […]

Sydney Dickerson and her siblings, Sean and Layla, create an alphabet learning video for Sydney’s Book Club.
Shared Experience

Sydney’s Book Club: Books, Smiles, and Love of Reading

by Terri Barnes

Eleven-year-old Sydney Dickerson has spent most of her life sharing books and encouraging children to read. Her namesake organization, Sydney’s Book Club, has donated more than 19,000 books to families, schools, and libraries around the world. Through story-time videos and messages on social media, Sydney and her siblings share their love of books and encourage other young readers. […]

At Story Station events, United Through Reading provides recording equipment and a selection of picture books for military members to read and create video recordings for important children in their lives.
Shared Experience

Once Upon a Deployment: Recorded Stories Connect Military Families

by Claire Wood

Shawn Stoffel deployed to Afghanistan two weeks after his daughter Riley was born. When Shawn came home ten months later, Riley immediately knew her father’s face and voice from video recordings of bedtime stories he made before he left. United Through Reading provides recording capabilities and story books, allowing military families to continue the simple yet comforting routine of reading together, an invaluable tool for literacy and strong family bonds. […]