The Reading Promise: 3,218 nights of reading with my father

The Reading Promise is the inspirational memoir of a young woman whose single father read to her every night, without fail, from the time she was in fourth grade to the day she left for college. It all began when Alice Ozma (named after Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz) and her father decided to see if he could read aloud to her for 100 consecutive nights. On the hundredth night they shared pancakes to celebrate what they called The Streak . But neither wanted to stop. And so they didn t. This father-reading-to-daughter ritual went on for an astonishing 3,218 nights! But this wasn't only about reading. It was about seeking comfort in books when times were difficult. Right before the streak began, Alice s mother left her father. The streak offered Alice some much needed stability. She found comfort in her father and in books. Alice Ozma wrote about these storytelling experiences in a college entrance essay. The admissions office was so enchanted by the story that they contacted the New York Times who promptly published an article, which went viral immediately. Alice has turned these experiences into a warm and uplifting book, a genuine portrayal of the bond between father and daughter and the importance of having books in our lives.

About the Author :
Alice Ozma was named for Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz. She graduated from college and is finishing graduate school. She was accepted into the master's program for liberal arts at the University of Pennsylvania on the strength of her essay about Reading with My Father - The Streak.

Review :
'Alice Ozma has given us the gift of a remarkable love story. In her love of books, and of her father, we see the most meaningful promises we might make to our own parents, our own children, and to ourselves.' - Jeffrey Zaslow, coauthor of The Last Lecture 'Tender, funny, and deeply readable, THE READING PROMISE tells the story of how a simple ritual became a treasured father-daughter tradition. Promise yourself to revisit what matters . . . promise you'll pick up this tribute to the ways in which books change lives.' - Erin Blakemore, author of The Heroine's Bookshelf 'THE READING PROMISE is a powerful testament to the difference a parent's devotion and the act of reading can make in a child's life. A rare and triumphant story.' - Chris Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Pursuit of Happyness 'Clearly fabulous for libraries everywhere. . . . My pick.' - Library Journal 'This is about so much more than books and reading. It's about single-parenthood and childhood, about raising a loving, witty, articulate kid, and all of it accomplished without anyone turning into the Alpha-Parent/Tiger-Dad.' - Jim Trelease, author of The Read-Aloud Handbook