You can’t go wrong with a good book!

Whether you love to read in your free time or not, the ability to read (literacy) is the most important skill to have in the modern age. Your English teachers have probably told you this several times throughout middle and high school. They aren’t wrong though; you’re reading this edition of the Armijo Signal right now!

Before writing was widely used to record and save information, stories were orally passed down through generations of people. Details were added and lost along the way. Stories are intrinsically linked to culture and history. There are countless mythologies and pantheons because different groups of people created their own stories, explaining how they believed the world worked and how it came to be. Similarly, there are so many folktales and fables that share the same “morals”, or teachable lessons, because simple stories were used to educate children and teach them right from wrong.

In fact, the first book you probably read was probably a fairy tale. Ever read Beauty and the Beast, Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Rumpelstiltskin, or Little Red Riding Hood? Those are all fairy tales: make-believe stories about magical lands, creatures, and people. They are usually read by young children, but fairy tale retellings allow your favorite fantasies to age alongside you. Their timeless themes allow for the story to constantly be re-contextualized so they remain fresh and entertaining to current readers. Maybe you’ll find a book here that piques your interest or decide to write your own.