March in Scottsdale means sunshine, spring training crowds, and apparently… National Reading Month. That last one deserves more attention than it usually gets.
This is a full 31 days dedicated to celebrating one of the most powerful habits you can build: reading. Whether you have a toddler obsessed with the same picture book every night, a teen who barely glances away from a screen, or you’re an adult who keeps telling yourself you’ll get back to books “when things slow down,” March is the right push to make it happen.
Why Reading Gets Its Own Month
National Reading Month was established in 1997 by the National Education Association to honor Dr. Seuss’s birthday on March 2. The original goal was to build reading momentum in schools and homes across the country, primarily for children, but it has since expanded to include everyone.
Communities now use March to spark real conversations about literacy, book access, and the lifelong value of picking up a page.
More Than Just Better Grades
The benefits of reading go well beyond scoring higher on tests. Science backs this up pretty clearly:
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Stress relief: Just six minutes of reading can cut stress levels by up to 68%, faster than most other methods people reach for
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Brain health: Regular reading slows cognitive decline and keeps memory sharper as people age
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Emotional intelligence: Fiction introduces readers to different life experiences and builds genuine empathy over time
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Better focus: Reading requires sustained attention, which is increasingly hard to build in a world built around scrolling
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Child development: A Cambridge University study of more than 10,000 young teens found that children who read for pleasure early in life showed stronger cognitive performance, better mental health, and physically larger brain volumes by adolescence
What Scottsdale’s Libraries Are Doing
The Scottsdale Public Library operates four branches throughout the city, including Civic Center, Arabian, Mustang, and Appaloosa. All four run active programs throughout the year for babies, kids, teens, and adults alike.
A few programs worth knowing about:
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Reading Buddies: One-on-one reading sessions where library staff and teen volunteers work with young readers using books, games, and crafts to build real reading confidence. Select sessions even include a free lunch
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Twos & Threes Together: A storytime program for toddlers ages 2 to 3 combining short stories, fingerplays, and action rhymes. It’s a low-pressure, fun way to introduce books before formal school begins
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1,000 Books Before Kindergarten: A reading challenge encouraging families to share 1,000 books with their children before kindergarten starts. Reading one book a day gets you there in under three years
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Read On Scottsdale: A citywide literacy initiative working alongside the Scottsdale Unified School District and the Scottsdale Family Resource Center to help every child reach the third-grade reading benchmark
The Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library also supports the Family Read Aloud Night (FRAN) program, which brings free reading events directly to Title I schools in Scottsdale. Families receive a free dinner, a book bag, and a book to bring home.
Building the Habit Without the Pressure
You don’t need to overhaul your entire routine to celebrate National Reading Month. Small, consistent habits are what actually stick:
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Set aside 15 to 20 minutes a day for reading, even right before bed
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Let kids pick their own books. Comics, graphic novels, and audiobooks all count
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Keep a small stack of books somewhere visible and easy to grab in your home
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Read aloud together, even with older kids. It builds vocabulary and sparks real conversation
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Pick up a free Scottsdale library card if you don’t already have one, and explore the digital lending options too
There’s still time left in March to make reading a real part of daily life in Scottsdale. Drop by any of the four library branches, sign your kids up for a program, or just start with one book this week. Head over to the Scottsdale Public Library to browse upcoming events, explore programs by age group, and find everything your family needs to read well this month and beyond.
Sources: makingspiritsbright.org, letsgolearn.com, cam.ac.uk, scottsdalelibrary.org, scottsdalelibraryfriends.org
Header Image Source: Matias North on Unsplash
