November Highlights: The Quiet Issue
5 December, 2025 / Written by STORYVOR Editors
Missed our last newsletter? Every month, we’ll recap our articles, literacy tips, and more.
In November, we looked at some of the many “quiet” paths toward literacy, how art, dance, and even boredom can encourage the curiosity necessary to become a lifelong reader.
Dear reader,
There are so many ways to raise a reader. The obvious ones? Make books accessible. Read to your children. Encourage discovery. The less obvious ones? Sing, dance, look at beautiful art, plant a garden, read stories without any words at all, allow space for imagination.
This month at STORYVOR, it’s all about wandering down those quiet paths toward literacy: not quiet in the sense of “You won’t hear it,” but quiet in the sense that these literacy-boosting activities may not seem instantly useful and yet contribute significantly to raising curious, joyful learners and do-ers.
In this issue, you’ll find an article on the surprising benefits of letting your child be bored, a reading list of unconventional picture books, an inspirational list of great people — from scientists to pop icons — who turned their personal love of reading into something far larger, and much more.
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Read voraciously,
The STORYVOR Team
Bookish Quote of the Month
Bookish Comic of the Month
“Cozy Time” by Lisa Adib
Call for submissions
Encouraging children to read takes all of us. Which is why we’d love to hear from you! Are you a parent, educator, or literacy advocate looking to share your knowledge and experiences? Send us your article ideas and art pitches, or tell us which resources you would find useful so we can work to make them available. Let’s work together to spread a love of reading.
New Literacy Tips
New Reading List
New Book Recommendations
New Teaching Resources
Good News
To encourage literacy, Denmark abolishes sales tax on books
Denmark has announced that it will abolish its long-standing 25% sales tax on books starting in 2026, a policy shift aimed at improving literacy and reversing what officials describe as a national reading crisis. By eliminating one of the world’s highest book VAT rates, the government hopes to make books more affordable and accessible, signaling a strong commitment to treating reading as a public good rather than a luxury.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Turns 30
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, marking three decades of sending free, high-quality books to young children around the world. What began in 1995 as a small project in Parton’s home county in Tennessee has grown into one of the world’s largest early-literacy programs, distributing more than 220 million books to children from birth to age five. Check here to see whether your family is eligible.
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Illustration: Carlos Arroyo