[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 129, 114th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9240 of February 27, 2015

Read Across America Day, 2015

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

As a Nation, one of our greatest responsibilities is to ensure every
American child can experience the transformative power of reading.
Literacy is the gateway to all other learning, and it is the most basic
building block of opportunity in an economy increasingly built on
knowledge and innovation. On Read Across America Day, we celebrate the
ways literacy has enhanced our lives and recommit to empowering every
student with a strong start and a passion for reading.
The written word provides a window to a larger world. From prose and
poetry, we learn our earliest lessons about tolerance and empathy, and
on the pages of great books, children can see for the first time that
their potential is limited only by the size of their dreams and the
power of their imaginations. Literature captures moral dilemmas that
persist across generations, chronicles our greatest achievements as a
people, and reminds us of painful chapters in our past so we do not
repeat our mistakes. In powerful tales and in the voices of complex
characters, we learn eternal truths that illuminate the spirit of
America and the intimacy of the human condition.
Brilliant writers enable us to stand in someone else's shoes and
identify with their hopes and struggles--even if they do not look like
us or share our beliefs. They transport us to distant times and faraway
lands, and today we honor a storyteller who brought these new worlds
into classrooms and bedrooms all around the globe. The works of Theodor
Seuss Geisel, better known to us as Dr. Seuss, have sparked a love for
reading in generations of students. His whimsical wordplay and curious
characters inspire children to dream big and remind readers of all ages
that ``a person's a person no matter how small.''
Reading is the means by which we discover new ideas and unlock the
potential of tomorrow's leaders. As we recognize the importance of
literacy, let us resolve to play a part in developing the next
generation of readers and writers. As mentors, friends, and caring
adults, we can raise our voices to support the resources our students
need in classrooms and libraries, and take time to engage young people
in this critical endeavor. Together, we can enrich our souls, strengthen
our society, and give every child a chance to succeed.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 2, 2015, as Read
Across America Day. I call upon children, families, educators,
librarians, public officials, and all the people of the United States to
observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-seventh day
of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
ninth.
BARACK OBAMA