| Richard Jorgensen, Author; Warren Hanson, Illustrator | ||
"The best of the
best times that I’ve ever had are all of those times I’ve spent reading
with Dad."
All of us have
childhood memories of learning to read. All of us know the importance of
spending time with our children as they grow and learn. Reading With Dad,
written by Richard Jorgensen and illustrated by Warren Hanson, is a book
that brings focus to the joys and love of reading, and honors dads spending
time with their children.
In a time of broken
marriages, and shut-out dads, Reading With Dad is a book that celebrates
what should and could be. It demonstrates the power of time spent together
over the years, and the rewards that await both father and child.
The story also
carries us on a journey through the cycle of life, as one generation sets
an example for the next.
Whether parent
or child, teacher or student, neighbor or friend, Reading With Dad has
a powerful message for us all.
"My hope about
this book is that it encourages parents to be aware of the importance of
reading to their children --but I hope especially that it encourages fathers
to have a special relationship with their children." Richard Jorgensen
All Ages
|
 Richard
Jorgensen describes himself as a "father-in-training" who has almost completed
the course. "Our oldest daughter is 23, our youngest is 17. I figure that
in four more years I’ll be an expert dad!" The idea for Reading With Dad
developed out of a long-time (and continuing) pattern of reading with his
daughters, Beret and Anna, "From Dr. Seuss to Jane Austen."
"As my daughters got older, we discovered the fantasy adventures of J.R.R. Tokien, C.S. Lewis, and Madeline L’Engle. One day when she was about 13, Anna and I were reading at the kitchen table when the phone rang. Anna answered--a call from a friend. I only heard her side of the conversation, but to the obvious question "What are you doing?’ she answered, "Just reading with my dad." I was struck by how open and unabashed she was about engaging in what might, to some teen-agers, have seemed a rather uncool pastime. The idea for the story emerged at that moment." Richard and his wife, Caryl, a musician and teacher, have been married for 30 years and live in Faribault, MN, where he is senior pastor of First English Lutheran Church. He has also served parishes in Minneapolis and in Anchorage, Alaska. In an unusual twist of timing, Richard, a graduate of Augustana College and Luther Seminary, entered the University of Minnesota after receiving his theology degree to pursue a degree in elementary education. "Working with children--and especially children’s literature--became an increasingly strong interest of mine," he says, "and, although I knew I wanted eventually to be a pastor, I felt that this other ‘calling’ was something I needed to follow for a while. And I loved my years of teaching. I sometimes feel as though my experience with those second and third graders was some of the best training in ministry that I’ve received." After teaching for two years, Richard was ordained in 1976. Richard enjoys singing and hiking with friends and family. He has backpacked in California, Wyoming, the Black Hills of South Dakota, and has traversed the historic (and rugged) 1898 Chilkoot Gold Rush Trail in Alaska four times. |
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