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Celebrate Teen Literature Day – April 18, 2024

Celebrate Teen Literature Day is observed every Thursday of the second complete week in April and this year it will be marked on April 18 . It is a day to remind everyone, especially teens, to read. As everyone knows, teenagers are reading less and less. With high-tech smartphone and social network usage among teens, it’s no surprise that their attention is off books; this has been the trend for a while now. Celebrate Teen Literature Day promotes the love of reading and raises awareness about the shrinking number of teens who read for pleasure.

History of Celebrate Teen Literature Day

Few things are older than literature. Literature has a long history; it has practically shaped our current way of life several centuries later and continues to do so. Literature provides entertainment, enlightenment, or instruction to the reader, listener, or observer.

Literature and writing are connected but not synonymous. The earliest ‘known’ writings from Sumer, Egyptian hieroglyphics, and logs from ancient Chinese regimes do not constitute literature. Scholars, over the years, have often disagreed about when written record-keeping became more like literature than anything else. The fact that distance separated people and literature didn’t develop at an even pace across the world hinders tracing the history of literature. Furthermore, many texts have been lost deliberately, by accident, or by the total disappearance of the originating culture.

One of the most popular, important examples of this is the destruction of the Library of Alexandria in the first-century B.C. The fire destroyed amounts of texts that many believed to set the world back decades or even centuries. Some cite literature’s first stirrings in “Epic of Gilgamesh” in Sumer in 2000 B.C. and the “Egyptian Book of the Dead” in about 1250 B.C. Literature doesn’t have a defined history due to distance barriers and many losses of texts over the years; however, it has found its way back to us and is an integral part of our society. Literature needs to be preserved by all, especially teens.

Celebrate Teen Literature Day timeline

2000 B.C.
The Epic of Gilgamesh

The “Epic of Gilgamesh” is written in ancient Mesopotamia.

1250 B.C.
The Egyptian Book of The Dead

“The Book of the Dead” is written in Egypt

658 A.D.
The Caedmon’s Hymn

The oldest poem in the English language, “Caedmon’s Hymn,” is written.

1623
The First Folio is Published

William Shakespeare publishes his first book, “First Folio.”

Celebrate Teen Literature Day FAQs

What are the three types of literature?

Literature has these forms: poetry, drama, and prose.

What do you call someone that loves reading books?

A person that loves reading books is called a bibliophile or bookworm.

How old was Juliet in Shakespeare’s book

Juliet, according to Shakespeare’s book, was 13 years old.

Celebrate Teen Literature Day Activities

  1. Read a book

    Celebrate the day by reading a book. Reading books is not only educative; it sharpens your mind as well.

  2. Join a book club

    Joining a book club is a rewarding decision. When you read a book with a group, you enjoy and understand it better.

  3. Educate a teenager

    Educate a teenager on reading books as the day is about them. Doing this would ensure the flow of knowledge to future generations.

5 Facts About Reading

  1. Reading reduces stress

    Reading a good book after a stressful day improves your mental health.

  2. The Bible is the most printed book

    The Holy Bible has sold over six billion copies and is the most printed book in the world.

  3. Geniuses are fast readers

    The average person reads about 200 to 300 words per minute; however, geniuses read more than double that amount.

  4. Reading is easier than you think

    Reading just 20 minutes a day equates to reading 1.8 million words in one year.

  5. The longest book ever written

    Marcel Proust’s ‘A la recherche du temps perdu’ holds the world record for the longest book ever written, with 9,609,000 characters, 1.5 million words, and over 4,000 pages.

Why We Love Celebrate Teen Literature Day

  1. It reminds people to read books

    The day reminds people, especially teens, to read books. Reading is a good thing for everyone as it improves people’s lives.

  2. It improves our speech

    With reading comes better vocabulary and speech. The day offers an opportunity to do this to help people communicate better.

  3. It brings people together

    It won’t be far-fetched for people to visit the library on Teen Literature Day. The day brings people together; some even bond over a couple of books.

Celebrate Teen Literature Day dates

YearDateDay
2022April 14Thursday
2023April 13Thursday
2024April 18Thursday
2025April 17Thursday
2026April 16Thursday

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