School Library Month is coming up in April, and a new video featuring Dav Pilkey, the worldwide bestselling creator of Dog Man and Captain Underpants, is now available from the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). In the video, Pilkey speaks to how “reading without judgment” was a turning point in his life. School librarian professionals and advocates for school libraries are encouraged to download and share the video throughout their communities in celebration of School Library Month.
“Growing up with learning challenges in school after being diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, I’ve been fortunate to have had the encouragement and support of my parents who helped me to associate reading with fun,” Pilkey said. “I have fond memories of going to the library with my mom who had a radical idea—she let me pick whatever book I wanted to read. I read lots of books and magazines that made me laugh out loud, which led me to discover many other books in different genres. Reading without judgment was a turning point in my life and that is what made me a lifelong reader.”
Pilkey first created a comic book about a superhero named Captain Underpants in the second grade. The series, published by Scholastic, now has more than 80 million copies in print worldwide and has been translated into more than 28 languages. His latest character, Dog Man, is a number-one global bestselling series, with more than 23 million copies in print worldwide and translations available in more than 27 languages. Pilkey is also the creator of the Dragon series, the Dumb Bunnies series, Dog Breath, and The Paperboy, which is a Caldecott Honor Book.
This year’s theme is “Everyone Belongs @ Your School Library.” Observed in April and sponsored by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), School Library Month celebrates school libraries as approachable, equitable, and personalized learning environments necessary for every student’s well-rounded education.